Stone Wall Types

Dry Stone Walls

• A dry stone wall is held together by the friction produced between two touching rocks. No binder is used to hold the rocks in place. A trench slightly wider than the wall is dug and filled with gravel to provide a foundation for the wall. Stones are piled on top of each other, overlapping to fill in gaps. Small stones are also used to fill in gaps between larger stones. The stones must be centered on the gaps to provide maximum stability. If careful attention to detail isn't given, the wall could easily collapse. This type of wall is ideal for use as a decorative garden wall or stone wall border.

Mortared Walls

• Mortared walls are constructed as one solid piece because the rocks are bound with cement. Mortar, a mixture of sand and cement, is applied to each stone individually before it is placed on the wall. The gaps between the stones are also filled so that when the mortar dries, the rocks are locked together for added stability. This type of stone wall could be trusted as the supporting foundation for a structure or as a retaining wall to hold back soil on a hillside.

Veneered Stone Walls

• Veneered stone walls are walls in which flat stones are mortared onto a concrete or cinderblock wall. The concrete and cinderblock walls can be built quickly and provide structural support that is resistant to cracking. Reinforcing bars are often added to the insides of the cinderblock, or concrete is poured around the bars to further increase the structural integrity. The stones on the outside offer aesthetic appeal but are not relied on for structural support. Using thin flat stones to get the appearance of a stone wall is an ideal cost-saving measure if stones are purchased by weight because not as much stone weight is needed to complete the wall.

Slipform Stone Walls

• Slipform combines the construction principles behind mortared and veneered stone walls. Forms are placed where the wall is to be built to serve as guides for the stone wall. Stones are placed inside the forms, and reinforcing bar is inserted around the stones to provide additional support for the structure. Concrete is then poured behind the stones to fill in the gaps, where it will harden to make a solid wall. Stone can be placed on both sides of the wall, but structures such as retaining walls only require single stone facing, which is perhaps the fastest way to build a stone wall and is a leading method in the construction industry.