Columnar Basalt Rock retaining walls are easily constructed and will add value and visual appeal to commercial or residential property.

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You can have professionals build the wall for you; but why not make it into a do it yourself project. The flat sides of “Columnar Basalt” will help make the process easier.

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The process by which you can construct a “dry stack” rock wall, where the stones are not set using mortar, is discussed below.

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How muchLady King Basalt rock will you need:

1.Plan your wall. Take measurements to determine length and height. Dry stacked stone walls are usually constructed against a hillside. Freestanding walls are stable up to about 3 feet in height. Check with local officials if the wall is to be no more than 4 feet in height as your local regulations may require the wall to be engineered.

2.The choice of rock is very important. Angular, flat-sided, elongated stones are more easily stacked. Calculate the volume of rock required using the length and height of the planned wall.

3.Determine the amount of Lady King Basalt required to build your wall in cubic feet. If for example the wall will be 50 feet long, 2 feet high and a width of 1 foot then the volume of rock will be 100 cubic feet; i.e. 50' x 2' x 1' = 100 Cubic Feet. The average weight of Basalt Rock is 165 pounds per cubic foot therefore you will need 100 x 165 lbs/cubic foot or 8 1/4 tons (2000 lb/ton).

4.Remember, stone is very heavy so if possible use stones which measure about 1 foot in height and width and are 18” to 30” in length. Select your Lady King Basalt Rock material in sizes that can be readily moved by one or two men. Select a good assortment of sizes and shapes and take a little extra stone to allow for good selection.

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Prepare your job site:

1.Dig a trench, along the base of the planned wall, about 6" deep and a few inches wider than your widest stones which will be used for the base as the wall is built.

2.For a "dry stack" wall no foundation is required; however, use a sloped base cut into well compacted soil filled with a few inches of crushed rock to provide good drainage. Dry Stack walls will drain as there is no mortar used, the stone are not cemented together so they will rise and fall with frost - causing no damage to the wall.

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Building your wall:

1.Select and lay your stones flat on the ground. When putting your wall together mix the stone sizes throughout the wall rather than using only large stones at the bottom and small toward the top.

2.Start stacking the wall from one end and stagger the joints and use variable length stones so there are no continuous vertical lines. Slope the wall back slightly ("batter" the wall) as you build up the height so the top stones will not fall forward (see sketch). Achieve this by stacking each progressive layer about 1/2 an inch back. This will prevent the soil pressure behind the wall from pushing the stones out over time.

3.Backfill the area behind the wall with dirt and compact it as you go. To improve the stability of your wall periodically place a longer stone into the hillside to act as an anchor into the backfill.

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