Creating a stable foundation for the garden wall involves a relatively large amount of effort, which some people shy away from. In this article you will find out whether and when you can save yourself this work or at least reduce the effort. We also clarify the question of why this substructure is necessary at all.
In the case of dry stone walls, it is possible, although not recommended, to do without the foundation
Why is a foundation useful?
The foundation forms the permanent base of the garden wall. Without this, the building would freeze up in winter, which means frost rises into the masonry and there is a risk of serious damage.
The reason for this is the water in the ground, which freezes and expands at sub-zero temperatures. It pushes up in the wall and the connection between the stones can literally be blown open.
In order to prevent this, it is necessary to create a foundation that is at least sixty, preferably eighty centimeters deep. This not only prevents frost damage, the garden wall cannot sink into the ground and become unstable as a result.
Drywall without a foundation
Dry stone walls are held by the weight of the stones, which are cleverly stacked on top of each other. However, these are not as stable as walls built with mortar and should therefore not exceed a certain height.
For this variant of the garden wall, it may be sufficient to level and compact the soil. This sounds easier than it is, because for laypersons, piling up and removing the soil rarely results in a really straight surface.
You should therefore take the trouble to create a substructure even if the walls are not too high. This is the only way to ensure that the structure does not become unstable and collapse during the first downpour.
Stable foundation made of gravel
However, it is better to lay a foundation of gravel even when building a dry wall that is not too high.
- First, a pit is dug. This should be about forty inches deep. The width is one third of the planned height of the wall.
- Fill the trench with crushed stone, compacting it thoroughly.
- On top of this you place the first layer of walls made of large stones.
In the case of mortared walls, the foundation must be at least sixty centimeters deep. First, two thirds of gravel are filled in, which is well compacted. Fill the rest with concrete.
tips
Gabion walls do not require a foundation at all and are also enjoying increasing popularity for this reason. With this variant of the garden wall, it is sufficient if you place the wire baskets filled with stones on the flat surface. Existing, stable pavement slabs are also very suitable.