If you are hiring a dry stone wall contractor you may hear some unfamiliar terms. If you would like to understand these, this page will provide some help.
A dry stone wall is not complicated. It essentially comprises two walls, with the area in the middle filled with stone. The top is finished with stones that span the two walls.
The most important aspect of the wall is that stones lock together to give the wall strength. A well build wall will last for decades, or even centuries.
What is a dry stone wall?
Building a dry stone wall starts with a foundation, or footing, of large stones set in a shallow trench. Layers of stone are then built upwards, with the largest stones at the bottom and the smallest at the top. No mortar, or concrete, is used, hence the term ‘dry’. The wall relies on its construction for strength.
As rows of stone are added, stones must be placed so that they overlap the joints between those below them.
Two walls are built, leaning inwards towards each other, and the centre is filled with smaller stones (packing) to give a solid structure. The inward leaning means of course that the wall is thicker at the bottom. This is called the batter. Generally, the wall is about half as thick at the bottom as the top.
At intervals, long stones (throughstones) are laid across the wall to hold the two sides together.
The top of the wall is finished with copestones that are placed across the wall, in effect, holding the two walls together at the top.
