MortaredStackStoneWallDo-It-YourselfStepsMATERIALS TOOLSStackstoneShovel

CapstoneLevels(stringlevel,2’,4’)

Concreteblocks(CMUs)Gradestakes&string

#57gravelRockhammer

Drainpipe(optional)CircularsawwithDiamondblade

LandscapefabricTrowels

Concretemix Groutbag

TypesmortarMasonrysponge

MasonrysandWirebrush

Readymixmortar(optional)Gloves,safetyglasses

Rebar

BeforeDigging

• Callthe811hotlinetoverifythelocationsofundergroundutilitylines.Gently

digaroundanylocatorpaintmarkstoactuallyfindtheutilitylinesorcables.

Theymightnotbewherethepaintmarkappearsaspaintmarksindicate

approximatelocationsina"tolerancezone."InGeorgia,atolerancezoneis

24”oneithersideofapaintmark.Digparalleltothepaintmarks.

• Usepainttooutlinethewalllocationandshape.

• Hammergradestakesintothegroundandattachstringlineasadigging

guide.

• Calculatethesquarefootageofthewallbymultiplyingitslengthbyitswidth.

• SelectstoneandconsultStoneForestforthequantitiesneeded.Similarstone

sizesareeasiesttoworkwith,but1or2sizesofstonecanimprove

aesthetics.

Excavation

• Haveaplanforreuseorremovalofallexcavateddirt.

• Determinewhetherthewallwillbesteppedorslopedifitisbuiltonaslope.

• Determineifthewallwillbearetainingorfreestandingwall.

• Excavatesoilabout6-7”deep.Thetrenchshouldbeabout2-4”wideronboth

sidesofthefinishedwall.Startatthelowestpointifyou’rebuildingthewall

onaslope.

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• Ifyou’rebuildingasteppedwall,digaleveltrenchtoapointwherethewall

hasto“stepup”theslopetoaccommodatethenextcourse,including

concretefooterandstone.

• Continuediggingstepsuntilreachingalevelpoint.Thencontinuetotheend

ofthewall.

BuildingtheWall

• Anymortaredstructuremustbebuiltonaconcretefootingtoprevent

shiftingofthewall,crackinginthemortar,andweakeningofthestructure.

• Theexcavatedtrenchshouldbefilledwith2-3”ofpacked#57gravel.

Optimalwallstrengthcanbeachievedbyplacingsteelrebarabovethegravel

atalevelwhereitwillbeseatedintothepouredconcretefooting.

• Mixconcretewithwater,eitherusingabaggedproductinamixingpanorby

mixingyourownwithaconcretemixer.Poura3-4”thickconcretefooting.

Theconcreteshouldencompassthesteelrebarandbeasmuchofa

continuouspouraspossible.Ifthefootingisthewidthofthetrenchandthe

trenchisofcompactedsolidground,formboardswillnotbenecessaryto

pourthefooting.Trowelthemixaroundinsidethetrenchtoremoveair

pocketsandtoensureitcompletelyfillsthetrenchtothedesiredlevel.Wait

atleast24hoursforthefootingtoset.

• DeterminetheCMUblocknecessaryforthewall.Ifitisalowwallandif

you’reusingasmallstone,suchasTennesseethinstackstone,a4”or6”x8”

x16”blockisfine.Ifitisasubstantialretainingwall,usestandard8”x8”x

16”blocks.

• Laythefirstcourseofconcreteblocksusingmortarmix(nostonesinmix).

Blocksshouldbesetbackfarenoughfromthefrontedgeofthefootingto

allowformortaringstonetotheblock(measurethewidthofthestoneand

addabout1-2”formortar,leavingabout2”beyondtheoutsideedgeofthe

stone).Thebacksideofthewallshouldleaveenoughroomfora4”drain

pipeand#57drainagegravel.

• BuildcoursesofCMUsashighasneeded.Forstability,eachcourseshouldbe

staggeredovertheblocksinthecoursebelowit.Consultlocalbuildingcodes

oranengineerbeforebuildingawallhigherthan2.5-3’.

• MortarstonetothefaceoftheCMUwall.Staggerpiecesofstackedstoneas

thewallheightincreases.Youcanalsouseirregularshapedflagstoneor

dimensionallycutveneerstone.

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• Placedrainagegravelandwastepiecesofstackstoneinthecorespacesof

theCMUblocks,addingstabilitytothewall.

• Beforefillingbehindthewall,placelandscapefabricacrossthetrenchandup

andoverthesoilbehindthewall.Placethe4”perforatedpipeatthebaseof

thewallandfilltothetopofthewallwith#57drainagegravel.Coveritwith

remainingfabric.

• Finishthewallbymortaringaflatcapstonetothetopofthestackstoneand

CMUwall.Leave1”jointsbetweenthecapstonesandfillthejointswith

mortarusingagroutbag.Intermsofconsistency,themortarshouldbethin

enoughtosqueezeoutofthebagbutnottoorunny.Filltothetopofthejoint.

Allowthismortartosetjustabitandthenuseamasonryspongetosmooth

themortarandwashanyexcessmortaroffthesurfaceofthecapstone.

• Ifthewallisfreestanding,suchasaseatwallaroundapatio,followthebasic

instructionsabovebutremembertopurchaseenoughstackingstonetocover

thebacksideofthewall.