Low seating walls and borders to the terrace are relatively easy to build yourself. This becomes more difficult with free-standing walls that are higher than 120 centimeters. For safety reasons, you should consider having an expert do the work - static calculations of this magnitude require in-depth specialist knowledge.
A natural stone wall may or may not be grouted
Walls made of natural stone have a special charm
Walls made of natural stone have a very special appeal. For free-standing walls, hewn or cut stones are regularly used, as they can be stacked well. Different ways of walling are common. The ashlar masonry, as it is known from antiquity, the alternating masonry or the layered masonry are particularly suitable here. This type of bricklaying requires a good eye for design and good manual skills, because natural stones often have to be corrected and brought into the right shape.
Bricked natural stone walls
Natural stone walls often have a protective cover, which is provided with the help of large slabs or stones. The individual layers of the free-standing walls must be connected to one another with mortar, bearing in mind that some types of rock do not tolerate calcareous mortar. Grouting is also done with mortar and a joint iron, excess joint material must be carefully wiped off with a wet cloth. Also make sure that the joints are not too wide. This does not look nice and also reduces the stability of the wall.
Get by without mortar: dry stone walls
All types of natural stone are suitable for dry stone walls. At best, find out which types of rock occur naturally in your region and then use them in your garden… For example, porous tuff, fine sandstone, but also porphyry, granite and many others can be used. What they all have in common is the structure and purpose of providing shelter for as many plants and animals as possible.
What to look out for when building a drywall
Dry stone walls are best leaning against a slope, as they need a connection to the ground to provide plants with enough food and root space. For safety reasons, the height of the wall should not exceed 120 centimeters - after all, no mortar or other grouting material is used - and have a minimum thickness of 40 centimeters. It is also important that this wall also has a water-permeable, about 20 centimeters thick foundation made of gravel or crushed stone.
build dry stone walls
Layer by layer, the stones are now placed on top of each other, slightly tilted backwards. They should interlock without wobbling. It is essential to avoid cross joints and plan a slightly wider, vertical joint in some places. Earth can be filled in here and the joint can be planted with rock garden plants or similar. You get stability by installing stones at regular intervals so that their long side points backwards. Finally, fill the gap between the wall and the ground with some gravel, which you tamp down well.
tips
A raised bed made of dry stone walls can point in all four directions. From the warm, sunny southern side to the shady northern side, there are very different planting fields in a very small space.