How to Build a Beautiful Paving Project in Newcastle

Garden Wall Building Tips

Garden walls are great for emphasizing borders, marking boundaries, and also holding back a slope. The wall also adds more structure and personality to the garden itself. When planning on building one, you should consider a budget and sticking to it. You can always hire a professional if you do not want to deal with the heavy lifting, or if the wall is over one meter high. But before you start in planning your wall garden, make sure there are no restrictions on wall sizes in your area.

Here are some tips and tricks for your garden wall project.

Stone-Searching

When you are considering stones, try those which are widely available in your area. Remember, if you are going to build a wall, you should have the same materials when it is up for repair. Always make sure that you budget for this twice, and the price should go up tremendously if you are going to opt for stones that are imported or not available locally. Faced stone are usually recommended because you do not have to cut them. These stones are flat on both sides and are perfect for stacking.

Build your Foundation

The foundation is the most important part in the integrity of the wall. Your stacked stones should have a near level foundation which is leaning a little bit backward and into the slope. For bricks, it should be levelled, there are no other options. A foundation can be perfected by cutting the foundation into the soil with a spade, and then using some crushed stone to sculpt the foundation.

For those Bricks

Bricks should be handled by a professional, but if you are very confident with your building skills, here are some tips.

*Keep the brick wall levelled and check its plumbing with a string guide, bob, and level.

*Bricks too high? Tap into the mortar with the trowel handle.

*Not plumb? Remove, scrape, and go back to zero. Never wiggle it around in the mortar.

Finish Them

A pointing trowel is necessary for a professional finish. Just bevel the mortar on a brick. Do not wait for it to dry, do it while there is still moist. Then you can give horizontal joints a little bit of a downward slope. This should the joints in shedding water.

Draining Water

Water draining is all about the retaining wall. Make sure there are weep holes in the landscape into the ties by using an extension bit. You can always lay a piece of perforated drainage. Just set it up behind the wall and then backfill it with soil. Also position the pipe's outlet to a direction that it could not disturb anything.

The Batter

The batter is a slight backward slope of a wall. This helps the wall withstand the pressure from the earth just behind it. The usual formula is 2.5 centimetres of slant per 30 centimetres of height. You can always check the angle by using batter frames and a plumb bob.

See Also: Decking Tips and Tricks That You Should Keep in Mind

Final Touch Up

If there are ugly parts of the wall, just put some stacks of firewood or other accessories. You can also add a small lean-to with a roof to protect the firewood or the things you put up there.