Tremendous help even as a 67 year old woman with little experience I can build a two layer wall with your instructions. Looking forward to it,thanks much!
I enjoyed this, I've been moving a lot a rock around my property. An old German man owned the home prior and he stacked and moved rocks all around. But, many of his rock walls and gardens were in need of some repairs, as they were neglected as he grew old and had health issues. I've been really enjoying keeping his legacy going with all the stones. Your video was a real pleasure!
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one to experience what you went through. Too high, too low. Spend a few minutes trying to get this one to fit, only to reject it in favor of something else. Look at this angle look at that angle. Stagger the spaces. Dig a little, put some back. Finally in the end, when the last few rocks fit and make you look like you make stonewalls for a living, the feeling of real accomplishment sets in!
What "will prevent things from falling out" is to run the length of the stones into the wall, perpendicularly to the dirt it's supposed to be holding back, not run the length of the stone parallel to the dirt it's holding back, like he does. That mistake is called "tracing" and is why his wall keeps failing and he keeps having to rebuild it. I see these comments, like "this is the most comprehensive and helpful video on a rock wall I've ever seen" and "The most helpful straightforward video I've found on dry stacking," but this man makes every mistake in the book. Maybe that's what's meant, that this is a comprehensive example video of what not to do, like he only goes to two "layers" (they're actually called "courses") because it's much easier, but that's only because he doesn't know what he's doing, because three courses would be much easier, especially since it'd mean building the wall up to the required height instead of below it and having the ground slope down into the top course and especially since it'd mean not having to redo it in a couple years but having it built to last decades or even centuries-- a dry stack. I mean, he fails to create a foundation that's dug deep enough or level enough, fails to set up a guide string to keep the bump of each face stone in a plane (these two failures being a big part of why his second layer is so unstable that it's too hard for him to do a needed third layer and fourth layer called a "cope"), fails to set the foundation stones so their length runs perpendicular to the dirt the wall's to retain back but instead traces the wall by running them parallel (the very weakest way to do a dry stack), fails to run those stones two deep such that there's an outer stone that creates the face of the wall and an inner stone that comes into contact with the dirt and retains it back, fails to tightly wedge in hearting (smaller stones shoved into the gaps between the face stones and the stones behind them forming the interior face stones that face into the dirt--hearting being like the filling in a foundation-stone sandwich--in order to then have a level course to set the next course) or pinning (smaller stones wedged lengthwise into gaps in the face stones to stabilize them and to work with the inner hearting to create a level surface for the second course), fails to establish a consistent batter both interiorly and along the face (the batter being the angle of slope of the wall with the face stones angling back planarly and the interior foundation stones angling at an upright 90 degrees from the ground below rather than also angling back as their 90 degree angle will be kept from tipping forward by the face stones, hearting and pinning and shouldn't lean back towards the hill like the face stones because then you have a heavy wall whose weight isn't being redistributed stably straight down into the earth but a wall resting on its back such that its weight is being transferred along the slope of thill and so in short order will result in that wall sliding down the hill. There's more, but I'm sick of talking. Suffice it to say that EVERYTHING he says here is wrong. I'm providing at the end of this comment a helpful guide sheet I've found in the form of a .pdf that tells you pretty much everything you need to know and more to build a good and proper dry stack. The .pdf doesn't show itself to be a retaining wall but a regular wall, but that's the thing, they're the same. You just need to build one of those sides against the dirt, the side that's going straight up and down. Also, it shows you how you can go a lot higher than he does with what's called a "second lift" if that's what your situation calls for, which even his calls for it to be higher than what he's building, about two times higher, but not a second lift since a proper first lift would be plenty for him. Don't be scared. This isn't rocket science, just a bit of rock science, meaning there's a method to it, but it's a simple method anyone can do, a method that's been forged by humankind over thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years, meaning anyone would be foolhardy to just try and wing it with what one thinks is commonsense but is nonsense, like this poor fellow does. Building a dry stack is a technology, an old one, and you'd do well to take an hour or so to learn the basics of this basic technology and its methods used rather than wasting 15 minutes on this video. If you do, I guarantee it won't take you any longer than what this guy's doing, won't be any more difficult but will actually be easier, and you'll be a lot happier with it because it'll not just look like a proper dry stack (unlike the mess we see here) but will also perform like a proper dry stack, meaning you won't be back at that wall every couple years with a shovel and back-breakingly pushing stones around to try and shore it back up as it fails to retain the dirt from sliding down the hill and bringing those rocks with it, but instead, you will likely never need to touch that wall ever again for as long as you shall live. BTW, don't waste money buying the rocks you need at a quarry or gravel pit. That'll cost you a small fortune. You can get all the rocks you need for free by just driviing out into the countryside in the springtime and looking for the huge piles of stones that had floated up to the surface in farmers' fields and that farmers had pulled from their fields. Farmers don't want these stones. I've never met one that isn't happy to see you take as much as you want from these huge mounds of stones they collect every year. When I built my last retaining wall, that's what I did. On my way home from work was such a mound next to a bunch of corn fields, so every day, I'd pull in, grab enough to put in a single layer in the back of my Ford Escape, and then drove them home and piled them up. I also got a couple 5 gallon buckets and collected the hearting and pinning stones I needed. I didn't do it every day, but a few days a week, I'd spend 5 to 10 minutes gathering rocks and putting them in my SUV and then dropping them in a pile near where I was going to build the wall when I got home. By mid-summer, I had all the rocks I needed... well, not quite, because I did go back a couple times to get more hearting and pinning (small stones in the 5 gallon buckets) and maybe one more load of face stones. I spent $0 on stones, though, meaning I built a 30' long 3' high circular retaining wall to form a raised flowerbed for exactly $0 in materials. I don't know how long it took me because I did it just a little bit at a time, like in 15-minute increments starting in late spring. That's what's nice a about a dry stack-- NO CONCRETE! So there's no clock on it. You can just do it at your leisure, like in 15-minute increments. That way it's not back-breaking, because stones are heavy, so whenever you're working with stones, whether correctly or incorrectly, you're going to be putting some back into it. So best to piece-meal it-- do it in bite-size chunks. Sort of the same idea as shoveling snow-- not hard but pretty easy so long as you're not fool enough to try and do it all at once or too much at once. Seriously, I don't think I ever spent more than 15 minutes working on it in any one stretch. You may think it'd never get built, but those 15-minute increments add up quick and over the course of a summer or part of a summer, you'd be surprised at just how done it gets. thestonetrust.org/resource-information/how-to-build-walls/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJTUY6GypAf_HSfN25GTeJQs1jDu_wcRaLsd8b-Idy64pOqJhyWu2FkaAp8nEALw_wcB
Thank you for this video! It was invaluable for me to build my first fieldstone wall. It helped that it wasn't rehearsed so I could see the problems as you ran into them and how to deal with them and hear your thought process.
Thank you for this video. It definitely gives me ideas to use a pile of rocks around my flower beds to help divert the water so my driveway isn't a skating rink in winter.
This is great. I learned this when working with a landscape architect in Marin Co. CA in the late 80s. I have to rebuild one wall at my house and add 2 other sections. I'll probably do it myself as I get so much satisfaction out of the process and finished product. I can take my time and fit things such that it is clean and tight and not just have a contractor dump off a load of stone and some guys of possibly dubious skill level just pile stuff up.
Quite helpful to have your experienced guidance. Rocks sloping inward and each new course spanning the one below, for example. I also appreciate the measured patience and attention to craftsmanship. Comment on freezing a good help and important to remember. I'm in Colorado in an extremely rocky place. I see lots of really horrible rock retaining and terracing efforts. Most frequently they are tossed on a slope like a blanket, or a rock slide.
This will help me with my next wall, and I will go back to the ones I have done and make some adjustments based on your suggestions! Thanks! With so many rocks on my property, it is nice to have a way to use them!
Thanks for clear instructions--I have been putting in a rock wall (2 ft. high), but only had enough big rocks for base. Used medium size next, then smaller and medium sizes at top with pebbles and chips to fill the gaps. Will my wall fall? The winter weather will be the test.
I hope not, because I did a similar wall and am keeping my fingers crossed. I used gravel (b-chip) to backfill. I noticed he just used dirt. Had I known that… 😀
@@dmills7375 Good news, my rock wall survived the winter, and also flooding rains of Spring. My custom wall has planting knitches for perennials from my gardens and hopefully the roots will be beneficial as well as pretty with blooms. Lots of shade-loving plants because the woods is on the South side.
I didn’t know what this was called but tried it last year and it held for the summer . Simply from under my small deck to the ground to hide underneath. I will try to do a modification of what you’ve done with the staggering minus dirt on the other side . I think it will certainly improve stability for sure. Thanks for your wisdom. 🌟♥️🇨🇦
Neither gravel nor fabric should be used behind a dry stone wall. The wall naturally is free draining. Adding gravel invites more water into the back. Dirt is you best ingredient. The issue with landscape cloth is it will most likely end up with fines clogging it up which then will create hydronic pressure. Think of it as a Dam. The oldest dry stone walls have lasted 5000-7000 years. Most proper dry laid st9ne walls will not need maintance until 100-200 years when built properly. Mark Jurus - Rockin Walls Specializing in the Craft of Dry Laid Stone Construction! Certified: DSWA Instructor, Dry Stone Professional Waller Level 2 Journeyman DSC - Dry Stone Conservancy US Level 3 Advanced DSWA - Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain BFA - Visual Communication Graphic Design MICA - Maryland Institute College of Art
I dug a trench, leveled it even, however I placed all-purpose gravel #1151 in the trench. If I place dry rock on top of that about just 1 1/2 foot high will this cause any problems in the future? Or do I need to add landscape fabric
I’m in zone 9a and my street always floods onto my lawn about a 1/4 to 1/2 way in. People always drive on my lawn making a mess! I’m trying to deter that so, I was thinking about a rock wall like this. Do you think that would work for me ? It is a heavy traffic street …the waves of 💦 may be a concern. What do you think 💭.
@@Gardenfundamentals1 Yeah, I thought of that. The property did have younger trees there but when we got it they were leaning. We losses the last one to a Jeep. I want to deter them…Rocks, rock wall…the can do damage to the undercarriage of a vehicle. People may think twice before driving over 2-3 lawns then get stuck on mine! 🤔
Very helpful video. Thank you. I have a question. Do you ever begin a short wall like this with the rocks two deep on the bottom, and then sort of wedge the second layer between/on top of the two rows on the bottom? That is what I'm trying right now. I'm making a raised bed, only maybe five, six inches raised, and I'm using much smaller rocks than what you use in this video, a quarter or less than the size you have. It seems like if I get them situated right, it can be quite sturdy. Wondering if you've tried it that way? Thanks so much.
I have tried various ways to build these walls. the one in the video is the one that works best for me, but it does not need to be followed exactly. Work with the rock you have.
This is the most comprehensive and helpful video on a rock wall I've ever seen.
Thank you for the time you put into filming this and teaching us how.
Tremendous help even as a 67 year old woman with little experience I can build a two layer wall with your instructions. Looking forward to it,thanks much!
I enjoyed this, I've been moving a lot a rock around my property. An old German man owned the home prior and he stacked and moved rocks all around. But, many of his rock walls and gardens were in need of some repairs, as they were neglected as he grew old and had health issues. I've been really enjoying keeping his legacy going with all the stones. Your video was a real pleasure!
The most helpful and straightforward video I’ve found on dry stacking :)
I use the claw of an east wing framing hammer a lot. Especially digging out a quickly hole them easily scooping it up.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one to experience what you went through. Too high, too low. Spend a few minutes trying to get this one to fit, only to reject it in favor of something else. Look at this angle look at that angle. Stagger the spaces. Dig a little, put some back. Finally in the end, when the last few rocks fit and make you look like you make stonewalls for a living, the feeling of real accomplishment sets in!
Yep, bingo.
I’m glad you didn’t rehearse it ahead of time. It was really helpful to watch you go through the process.
What "will prevent things from falling out" is to run the length of the stones into the wall, perpendicularly to the dirt it's supposed to be holding back, not run the length of the stone parallel to the dirt it's holding back, like he does. That mistake is called "tracing" and is why his wall keeps failing and he keeps having to rebuild it. I see these comments, like "this is the most comprehensive and helpful video on a rock wall I've ever seen" and "The most helpful straightforward video I've found on dry stacking," but this man makes every mistake in the book. Maybe that's what's meant, that this is a comprehensive example video of what not to do, like he only goes to two "layers" (they're actually called "courses") because it's much easier, but that's only because he doesn't know what he's doing, because three courses would be much easier, especially since it'd mean building the wall up to the required height instead of below it and having the ground slope down into the top course and especially since it'd mean not having to redo it in a couple years but having it built to last decades or even centuries-- a dry stack.
I mean, he fails to create a foundation that's dug deep enough or level enough, fails to set up a guide string to keep the bump of each face stone in a plane (these two failures being a big part of why his second layer is so unstable that it's too hard for him to do a needed third layer and fourth layer called a "cope"), fails to set the foundation stones so their length runs perpendicular to the dirt the wall's to retain back but instead traces the wall by running them parallel (the very weakest way to do a dry stack), fails to run those stones two deep such that there's an outer stone that creates the face of the wall and an inner stone that comes into contact with the dirt and retains it back, fails to tightly wedge in hearting (smaller stones shoved into the gaps between the face stones and the stones behind them forming the interior face stones that face into the dirt--hearting being like the filling in a foundation-stone sandwich--in order to then have a level course to set the next course) or pinning (smaller stones wedged lengthwise into gaps in the face stones to stabilize them and to work with the inner hearting to create a level surface for the second course), fails to establish a consistent batter both interiorly and along the face (the batter being the angle of slope of the wall with the face stones angling back planarly and the interior foundation stones angling at an upright 90 degrees from the ground below rather than also angling back as their 90 degree angle will be kept from tipping forward by the face stones, hearting and pinning and shouldn't lean back towards the hill like the face stones because then you have a heavy wall whose weight isn't being redistributed stably straight down into the earth but a wall resting on its back such that its weight is being transferred along the slope of thill and so in short order will result in that wall sliding down the hill. There's more, but I'm sick of talking. Suffice it to say that EVERYTHING he says here is wrong.
I'm providing at the end of this comment a helpful guide sheet I've found in the form of a .pdf that tells you pretty much everything you need to know and more to build a good and proper dry stack. The .pdf doesn't show itself to be a retaining wall but a regular wall, but that's the thing, they're the same. You just need to build one of those sides against the dirt, the side that's going straight up and down. Also, it shows you how you can go a lot higher than he does with what's called a "second lift" if that's what your situation calls for, which even his calls for it to be higher than what he's building, about two times higher, but not a second lift since a proper first lift would be plenty for him.
Don't be scared. This isn't rocket science, just a bit of rock science, meaning there's a method to it, but it's a simple method anyone can do, a method that's been forged by humankind over thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years, meaning anyone would be foolhardy to just try and wing it with what one thinks is commonsense but is nonsense, like this poor fellow does. Building a dry stack is a technology, an old one, and you'd do well to take an hour or so to learn the basics of this basic technology and its methods used rather than wasting 15 minutes on this video. If you do, I guarantee it won't take you any longer than what this guy's doing, won't be any more difficult but will actually be easier, and you'll be a lot happier with it because it'll not just look like a proper dry stack (unlike the mess we see here) but will also perform like a proper dry stack, meaning you won't be back at that wall every couple years with a shovel and back-breakingly pushing stones around to try and shore it back up as it fails to retain the dirt from sliding down the hill and bringing those rocks with it, but instead, you will likely never need to touch that wall ever again for as long as you shall live.
BTW, don't waste money buying the rocks you need at a quarry or gravel pit. That'll cost you a small fortune. You can get all the rocks you need for free by just driviing out into the countryside in the springtime and looking for the huge piles of stones that had floated up to the surface in farmers' fields and that farmers had pulled from their fields. Farmers don't want these stones. I've never met one that isn't happy to see you take as much as you want from these huge mounds of stones they collect every year. When I built my last retaining wall, that's what I did. On my way home from work was such a mound next to a bunch of corn fields, so every day, I'd pull in, grab enough to put in a single layer in the back of my Ford Escape, and then drove them home and piled them up. I also got a couple 5 gallon buckets and collected the hearting and pinning stones I needed. I didn't do it every day, but a few days a week, I'd spend 5 to 10 minutes gathering rocks and putting them in my SUV and then dropping them in a pile near where I was going to build the wall when I got home. By mid-summer, I had all the rocks I needed... well, not quite, because I did go back a couple times to get more hearting and pinning (small stones in the 5 gallon buckets) and maybe one more load of face stones. I spent $0 on stones, though, meaning I built a 30' long 3' high circular retaining wall to form a raised flowerbed for exactly $0 in materials. I don't know how long it took me because I did it just a little bit at a time, like in 15-minute increments starting in late spring. That's what's nice a about a dry stack-- NO CONCRETE! So there's no clock on it. You can just do it at your leisure, like in 15-minute increments. That way it's not back-breaking, because stones are heavy, so whenever you're working with stones, whether correctly or incorrectly, you're going to be putting some back into it. So best to piece-meal it-- do it in bite-size chunks. Sort of the same idea as shoveling snow-- not hard but pretty easy so long as you're not fool enough to try and do it all at once or too much at once. Seriously, I don't think I ever spent more than 15 minutes working on it in any one stretch. You may think it'd never get built, but those 15-minute increments add up quick and over the course of a summer or part of a summer, you'd be surprised at just how done it gets.
thestonetrust.org/resource-information/how-to-build-walls/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJTUY6GypAf_HSfN25GTeJQs1jDu_wcRaLsd8b-Idy64pOqJhyWu2FkaAp8nEALw_wcB
Extremely helpful, thank you!
Thank you for this video! It was invaluable for me to build my first fieldstone wall. It helped that it wasn't rehearsed so I could see the problems as you ran into them and how to deal with them and hear your thought process.
Thank you for this video. It definitely gives me ideas to use a pile of rocks around my flower beds to help divert the water so my driveway isn't a skating rink in winter.
This is great. I learned this when working with a landscape architect in Marin Co. CA in the late 80s. I have to rebuild one wall at my house and add 2 other sections.
I'll probably do it myself as I get so much satisfaction out of the process and finished product. I can take my time and fit things such that it is clean and tight and not just have a contractor dump off a load of stone and some guys of possibly dubious skill level just pile stuff up.
Thank you. This video is so helpful!!
Simple idea & gives me confidence to use a pile of rocks I have to build a retaining wall for a cuttings & compost area - thanks.
Quite helpful to have your experienced guidance. Rocks sloping inward and each new course spanning the one below, for example. I also appreciate the measured patience and attention to craftsmanship. Comment on freezing a good help and important to remember. I'm in Colorado in an extremely rocky place. I see lots of really horrible rock retaining and terracing efforts. Most frequently they are tossed on a slope like a blanket, or a rock slide.
This guy is a good instructor 👍 Thanks for sharing 😊
This will help me with my next wall, and I will go back to the ones I have done and make some adjustments based on your suggestions! Thanks! With so many rocks on my property, it is nice to have a way to use them!
Very nice, I needed to see this as I am putting a rock wall beside my waterfall. Thank you so much!
VERY HELPFUL 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you for your patience and thorough explanations😊😊😊
Thank you for this. I'm going to enjoy building my rock wall for my garden with what I just learned from this video.
I so appreciate a video like this that explains processes in detail! Just what I needed. Many thanks.
Thanks much. You've helped my own effort alot.
Very well explained👏 , Thank you so much! I am confident, I can build it easily! 🙂
Thanks.... I love this
Thanks! Great video. Also, I love the vibe.
Very helpful- off to re-build a rock wall in my backyard
Amazing video thanksgiving
Thank you - well explained.
Very helpful and nicely done
great instructions for beginners, thanks
perfect video length- detail- and commentary...Sharron Rudy
wow! this is exactly what i'm going for this summer in my little garden! thanks so much!
Thanks for clear instructions--I have been putting in a rock wall (2 ft. high), but only had enough big rocks for base. Used medium size next, then smaller and medium sizes at top with pebbles and chips to fill the gaps. Will my wall fall? The winter weather will be the test.
I hope not, because I did a similar wall and am keeping my fingers crossed. I used gravel (b-chip) to backfill. I noticed he just used dirt. Had I known that… 😀
@@dmills7375 Good news, my rock wall survived the winter, and also flooding rains of Spring. My custom wall has planting knitches for perennials from my gardens and hopefully the roots will be beneficial as well as pretty with blooms. Lots of shade-loving plants because the woods is on the South side.
A lot of good information thank you
This is awesome, thank you!
Thank you about to start my wall
very useful information
Thank you so much. Great instruction. I will try to follow your teaching. Inspiration!
Never knew there was so much involved in rocks.
Lovely! Thank you for the help!
I didn’t know what this was called but tried it last year and it held for the summer . Simply from under my small deck to the ground to hide underneath. I will try to do a modification of what you’ve done with the staggering minus dirt on the other side . I think it will certainly improve stability for sure. Thanks for your wisdom. 🌟♥️🇨🇦
I'd use a good angular gravel as backfill with a good landscape fabric between the two
That works as well, and is more important as the wall gets taller.
Neither gravel nor fabric should be used behind a dry stone wall. The wall naturally is free draining. Adding gravel invites more water into the back. Dirt is you best ingredient. The issue with landscape cloth is it will most likely end up with fines clogging it up which then will create hydronic pressure. Think of it as a Dam.
The oldest dry stone walls have lasted 5000-7000 years. Most proper dry laid st9ne walls will not need maintance until 100-200 years when built properly.
Mark Jurus - Rockin Walls
Specializing in the Craft of Dry Laid Stone Construction!
Certified:
DSWA Instructor, Dry Stone Professional Waller
Level 2 Journeyman DSC - Dry Stone Conservancy US
Level 3 Advanced DSWA - Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain
BFA - Visual Communication Graphic Design MICA - Maryland Institute
College of Art
Mitchell Dunn seriously? Did you notice the height of this wall?
Yep I"m doing it right! Hard work hey?
Really helpful, thanks!
Great vid. Thanks.
Appreciate these tips 😊
I dug a trench, leveled it even, however I placed all-purpose gravel #1151 in the trench. If I place dry rock on top of that about just 1 1/2 foot high will this cause any problems in the future? Or do I need to add landscape fabric
That should work and landscape fabric won't help.
i am absorbing your smarts
you are the best!!!!!!!
I’m in zone 9a and my street always floods onto my lawn about a 1/4 to 1/2 way in. People always drive on my lawn making a mess! I’m trying to deter that so, I was thinking about a rock wall like this. Do you think that would work for me ? It is a heavy traffic street …the waves of 💦 may be a concern. What do you think 💭.
It should work. It might be easier to plant a hedge?
@@Gardenfundamentals1 Yeah, I thought of that. The property did have younger trees there but when we got it they were leaning. We losses the last one to a Jeep. I want to deter them…Rocks, rock wall…the can do damage to the undercarriage of a vehicle. People may think twice before driving over 2-3 lawns then get stuck on mine! 🤔
Very helpful video. Thank you.
I have a question. Do you ever begin a short wall like this with the rocks two deep on the bottom, and then sort of wedge the second layer between/on top of the two rows on the bottom? That is what I'm trying right now. I'm making a raised bed, only maybe five, six inches raised, and I'm using much smaller rocks than what you use in this video, a quarter or less than the size you have. It seems like if I get them situated right, it can be quite sturdy. Wondering if you've tried it that way? Thanks so much.
I have tried various ways to build these walls. the one in the video is the one that works best for me, but it does not need to be followed exactly. Work with the rock you have.
I want to do rock patio above the rock wall. Will that work?
Yes - but use bigger rocks. Weight on the patio will tend to pus soil against the wall so the rocks need to be large enough so they don't move.
My dad used to tell me I had rocks in my head.
You should see the one I have made...lol
Bro sometimes you have to finish the rock put an edge on it man make it work I mean I like you man but I disagree on a couple of issues
Why not use cement to fortify those heavy stones ? It would be safe & beautiful.
In cold climates the earth moves and breaks cement joints.
Chuco chihuahuas!