Dry Stone Wall.
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| Cobble Stone |
Dry stone walls have been in existence since pre-historic times. It is mostly popular in rural areas of European countries. Dry stone walls are constructed to fence houses or to cage in animals from walking out or jumping outside the farm area.
Strong, high standard walls with good quality stones can be constructed without mortar by meticulously picking out and arranging stones layer by layer. It is all about placing stones tightly on top each other without holding them together with adhesives. The solidity of the construction is fortified by meticulous sorting and arrangement of the stones.
Dry stone walling are most of the time constructed with local stones from the surrounding areas and it can last up to 100 years. This is far better than when the stones are quarried or sort for in the market because the structural look will be in sync with the environment and energy will be conserved. The stones can even be dismantled and reused when needed.
To Build a Stone Wall: You have to map out the foundation and mount a wooden frame with a taut string tied between them to act as a guideline in order to ascertain the straightness of the structure.
Sort out the stones into piles of small, medium and large stones. Note that the base of the structure should be wider than the top of the structure for balance.
Laying should start from the end called cheek end in the shallow trench mapped out, beginning with the longest and largest stones with mixtures of small and medium stones at intervals for support. Lay large and heavy stones more, then smaller weightless stones squeezed in between them.
When needed, small pebbles are hammered into openings to solidify the structure. Heavier and lager stones should be laid on top when you’ve reached the height desired to add strength and stability to the structure.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Dry Stone Wall: It has long lasting aesthetic beauty.
They rhyme in natural looks with the surrounding area. It helps to erode landslides, floods and erosion. Dry stone wall saves energy and It can be easily be removed, recycled and reused again.