With the dry-stack method, mortar and aconcrete footingare not required.
What Is a Dry-Stack Wall?
Dry-stack walls drain well.
Wendy Yessler / EyeEm / Getty Images
Proper drainage reduces damage and theneed for wall repairs.
Be sure to check before you build.
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Do this off to the side, not on the wall location.
Use large, flat stones for the base.
Reserve smooth, undamaged stones for the capstones at the top of the wall.
Tip
The trench width should be at least one-half the total wall height.
Dig 12 inches into the ground to create a flat, level trench for the gravel base.
Add Landscape Fabric
Cover the excavated area with strips oflandscape fabric.
Lay the fabric perpendicular to the front of the wall.
Extend the fabric a few feet onto the upper-level ground.
Overlap adjacent strips of fabric by 6 inches.
Cut the strips to length with a utility knife.
Build the Wall Base
Fill the trench with 5 inches of compactible gravel.
Rake the gravel so it is flat and level.
Tamp the gravel with ahand tampor a rented power tamper.
Add a 1-inch layer of coarse sand over the gravel.
Smooth the sand with a short 2x4 board so it is flat and level.
Set the 4-foot carpenter’s level across multiple stones to level the course.
Firmly set each stone to reduce wobble.
Backfill the Wall
Fill the space between the wall and the slope with drainage gravel.
Rake the gravel flat and level, and tamp it thoroughly with the hand tamp.
Backfill only up to the highest course on the wall.
It’s better to gradually backfill rather than backfilling all at once at the end.
Adding the gravel in stages ensures a dense, firm backfill.
Install Tie-Back Stones
With higher courses of stones, install tie-back or deadman stones.
Tie-back stones reach back into the slope to tie the wall into the earth.
Place a tie-back stone every 4 feet horizontal feet.
Backfill With Soil
Trim the landscape fabric so it is just below the top of the wall.
Cover the landscape fabric and backfill behind the top of the wall with soil, as desired.
To grow grass in this area, the soil layer should be at least 6 inches thick.
If you must buy stone, choose a flat stone such as flagstone or a cut stone like ashlar.
Stone retaining walls can last for decadeseven centuries.
However, because the stones tend to shift, they need to be adjusted periodically.
