Building Dry Stone Retaining Walls

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  • Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
  • This video shows how to build small drystone retaining walls from beginning to end; laying out the shape, digging the foundation, determining the wall angle, building the face, packing the back, and leveling the top. The techniques are suitable for all rock types, whether glacially rounded, angular, or flat-bedded.
    A series of graphic drawing illustrates the principles of retaining wall construction, followed by two case studies showing on-site training classes. The first project is a low, two-foot wall suitable for a garden, with a Master Craftsman instructor who discusses the plans as well as the problems the class members encounter and solve. The second project is a four-foot wall that supports and equestrian trail and traverses a wet-weather water course in a Louisville park.
    From small retaining walls in home gardens to road and trail walls in state and national parks, drystone is increasingly the material of choice. The flexibility of mortarless masonry is ideal for terraces and stream banks; it is functional, beautiful, and natural. Most projects do not require poer tools or machinery, and there is no need for harsh chemicals common in most construction.
    The projects in the video were organized and managed by the Dry-Stone Conservancy. For instructions in print, you may want to consult the section on retaining walls in the DSC handbook, "Building and Repairing Drystone Fences and Retaining Walls."

Комментарии • 57

  • @henrymichaelwilson8107
    @henrymichaelwilson8107 3 года назад +36

    Hello there, that was my job. I was a stone waller for 30 years. I'm retired now with ill health diabetes and ulcers on my legs. But if someone asked me about it, I would do it all again, I loved the job. I have a lot of respect for my fellow Wallers. It's hard work and all weather.

    • @alfredkaiser2738
      @alfredkaiser2738 2 года назад

      those old walls are such a thing of beauty live in New England their a hikers joy. On the diebetes Gary Null has podcast discusses the need to change a diet to plant based good fats complex carbs. I used it when i became borderline pre diebetic and am off meds for 4 years.

    • @mcgregorpiper
      @mcgregorpiper Месяц назад

      If I had it to do all over, stone mason (especially dry stone) would be a choice.
      For me, the art of a well laid wall is a thing of beauty

    • @jrgenkongtorp4112
      @jrgenkongtorp4112 15 дней назад

      Hi there. I enjoy these videos so much. Its really fascinating! I am sad to hear about your ill health. Do you remember approximately when this wall was built and do you know how its standing up today? Best regards new dry stone Waller fan from Norway😊

  • @backtoasimplelife
    @backtoasimplelife 7 лет назад +17

    It's just awesome seeing old time skills like this still in use.

  • @davidhickenbottom6574
    @davidhickenbottom6574 3 года назад +6

    I have retaining walls that are crumbling. Obviously not built right 40 + years ago. Looks like I'll be doing it myself. Great video.

  • @michaelgrabowski467
    @michaelgrabowski467 19 дней назад

    Very good walls! Excellent video! Thanks for sharing your skills and knowledge! Peace to the World 🙏 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧

  • @eleanorchapple8772
    @eleanorchapple8772 Год назад

    That is a real art. It makes a beautiful wall. It harkens back to ancient knowledge.

  • @MikeGonzalez84
    @MikeGonzalez84 9 лет назад +13

    Great educational video! Dry stone walling is truly an art.

  • @ramboollie8115
    @ramboollie8115 4 года назад +2

    Master of your craft gentleman my hats off you y’all.

  • @jean6061
    @jean6061 5 лет назад +6

    Excellent program! Thank you!

  • @jasonberezny9705
    @jasonberezny9705 4 года назад +4

    Excellent craftsmanship. ❤️

  • @undercurrentsmedia
    @undercurrentsmedia 11 лет назад +4

    Very helpful,thanks a lot, now to get onto the building

  • @NashvilleLandscaping
    @NashvilleLandscaping 11 лет назад +4

    Awesome useful information about natural stone walls. Great job.

  • @rolandsalvato
    @rolandsalvato 2 года назад

    Very useful and explanatory -- thank you from France!

  • @johnbosco8209
    @johnbosco8209 4 года назад +2

    A wonderful teaching and explanation about your Dry stone retaining wall. I love to learn

  • @giovannidepetris6335
    @giovannidepetris6335 Год назад

    fantastic teaching. If I just could shape my granite rocks more easily.! hand tools can t do it fast enough and machine/drills I don t want to use. I am stuck

  • @georgeksirakis8898
    @georgeksirakis8898 5 лет назад +2

    truly a monumental wall , kudos to you guys...

  • @destefan100
    @destefan100 3 года назад +2

    Excelent vídeo!

  • @johnmack1185
    @johnmack1185 4 года назад +4

    22:23 It was nice of Christian Bale to donate some of his time and acting chops to the effort.

  • @cwpross4604
    @cwpross4604 4 года назад +1

    Very informative. Great reference !

  • @endacollins1
    @endacollins1 9 лет назад +17

    I am Irish and a stone mason of over 20 years and I have never heard seen or built a wall with bonding stones or tie rocks as you call them on this video that protrude beyond the face of the wall on either side and dry stone walling is my preferred choice of stone work a bonding stone needs to tie one side of a wall with the other at least half way through the wall here you say a tie rock sticks out 2 inch beyond the face there is no need for this it must be a localisms it certainly is not an Irish tradition but other than that this is a well build wall good job

    • @BazColne
      @BazColne 7 лет назад +2

      endacollins1
      In parts of England it's not rare to see extended throughstones. I've heard it's to maintain a bond throughout future shifting.

    • @neilkennykenny4113
      @neilkennykenny4113 6 лет назад +2

      endacollins1 im Irish too 👍 im not a mason but in another video i watched Richard who the instructor in this video explain that the through stones extending out is for helping to support the wall when it subsides however iv see 4000 year old walls still standing in the Aaron islands without through stones extended out.

    • @mattmc121
      @mattmc121 6 лет назад +11

      I've heard that the protruding throughstones are a way of easily marking the distance between each one. If you are a farmer paying for a waller to build you a wall, you might want to know how many and how often throughstones were used in order to ensure you are getting a good product. As a waller, you can easily refer back to the location of your last throughstone so you can space them evenly while building.
      From my point of view as a dry stone wall builder of over 20 years myself, another reason, especially in a freestanding or double-sided wall, is that when looking for stones that go all the way through, you will probably find that you don't have very many at hand which are the exact right length to match the width of the wall at the height where you are installing them, so this way you have about 6" of leeway if your stones are a bit long.
      Also, for farm walls, 3" is the maximum overhang, otherwise sheep can use it as a foothold to jump over, and cattle will use it as a back scratcher and possibly pull the wall apart.

    • @ipeeinmysinkimafraidtocome7127
      @ipeeinmysinkimafraidtocome7127 4 года назад +2

      if you go to Europe and see a wall 800 year old you would go by the 800 year experience

  • @davidbarnes241
    @davidbarnes241 2 года назад

    Excellent second project, sympathetic to the surrounding environment and well constructed.

  • @bosatsu76
    @bosatsu76 11 лет назад +5

    Here in Seattle, the old school technique is to use Basalt... And you can really see the skill (or lack thereof) of the crews. Some walls are stunningly beautiful, with tight joints and a flat plane on the front face. Others are barely more than rubble piles thrown against the slope.. These piles actually can look beautiful as well if you have the proper planting of bushes and small trees, but I would love to find a similar training school to learn that tight style of basalt retaining walls...

  • @kermitefrog64
    @kermitefrog64 3 года назад +2

    Fascinating that there is no mortar holding it together.

  • @E.K14N
    @E.K14N 5 лет назад +3

    Awesome information, love this video. Thanks for the upload 👏🏼

  • @jameswilliams5961
    @jameswilliams5961 5 лет назад +1

    Thanks you for the stones wall

  • @Yaddahay
    @Yaddahay 11 лет назад +3

    Bravo! Absolutely awe inspiring.

  • @BuhlzI
    @BuhlzI 11 лет назад +2

    Awesome. Thank you.

  • @justinhale5693
    @justinhale5693 3 года назад +5

    Why aren't these angles and techniques ever used in home foundations?

    • @onemorecowswag
      @onemorecowswag 3 года назад +1

      they are, just not in any modern or mainstream homes. U can build ur own house!

  • @ConscientiousOmnivore
    @ConscientiousOmnivore 7 лет назад +1

    I found this video to be quite helpful and informative. I have just built my first ever wall and tried to make use of this knowledge as best as I could. It's a lot shorter and a bit less complex, but regardless, I think it will do the job. Thanks for posting this! If anyone is interested, you can see my wall on my channel.

  • @RMURRAY86
    @RMURRAY86 12 лет назад +1

    this is a great video thanks!

  • @alforliniteaching5670
    @alforliniteaching5670 6 лет назад

    Good show .

  • @chrisriff4349
    @chrisriff4349 4 года назад +2

    Nice work.. I understand the rationale for having the foundation stones project but why would the "tie" stones? That must be a purely historic detail that probably came from the need to occasionally use them as hand and foot hold to climb over the walls..right?

    • @aholland27
      @aholland27 3 года назад +5

      All walls settle eventually so having periodic tie stones spreads the weight of each section of courses which will prevent bulging over the decades and centuries.
      They also serve to "tie" together the courses below them.
      Hope that explains it

  • @brandongarner5062
    @brandongarner5062 5 лет назад +2

    My dad did this for 26 years I've done this for 4 years on my own I use anything for backfill and I have never had to redo a wall

    • @aholland27
      @aholland27 3 года назад +2

      Yes but if done properly a dry wall will stand centuries.

  •  4 года назад +1

    The contents are great but the commentary takes an excellent video and makes it very hard to stick with.

  • @jrgenkongtorp4112
    @jrgenkongtorp4112 13 дней назад

    Does anyone know how these walls are standing today?

  • @loggggon
    @loggggon 2 года назад

    Nice rocks,not all rocks come that uniform,

  • @imnayim2243
    @imnayim2243 3 года назад +1

    I'm not an expert in dry stone wall,
    Can it be possible to build dry stone wall in water, to prevent soil erosion of embankment?

    • @mariokajin
      @mariokajin Год назад +1

      Actually it would be better than concrete walls but you have to use, depending on the size/force of the stream/creek/river (no ponds) bigger stones/rocks. And the foundation has to be perfect and well below the river bed.

  • @EdwardT9
    @EdwardT9 3 года назад

    What kind of stones are these? The stones on my property are nothing like this, I’d have to buy stones to be able to do this.

  • @rodcarter2713
    @rodcarter2713 2 года назад

    What is ‘beudy’ ?

  • @jimbobjones8289
    @jimbobjones8289 10 лет назад

    Is that a laser level beep I hear at 22:16 ? ;-)

  • @horvikhorvvath3581
    @horvikhorvvath3581 Год назад

    So MANY ENDLESS commercials it ruins a good video!

  • @BazColne
    @BazColne 7 лет назад +3

    Interesting vid. Smarmy commentary unfortunately.

  • @ericwilkes238
    @ericwilkes238 6 лет назад

    They need safety glasses