how to build a dry stone wall

ponddigger

hi some photos on how to build a dry stone wall, ponddigger:p

ponddigger

dry stone wall:p

ponddigger

dry stone wall:eek:

ronaldo84

easier said than done!! do you do this for a living?? looks good

Alun

A nice stone wall, indeed, but a traditional dry stone wall it certainly ain't

ponddigger

hi alun, never said it was a traditional stone wall just to show people on this site that this type of dry stone is fairley easy to build ponddigger:p ronaldo84, this is what i learnt on a dry stone wall course:)

brendankelly

It is not a traditional dry stone wall. It is not a dry stone wall and it is definitely not how a dry stone wall should be built. It is a disgrace that people are been thought that this is how this work should be done.

gman2k

Why are you building the wall on top of a plank?
Is this just a temporary wall for illustrative purposes?

ponddigger

hi all .this is the way dry stone is done on most houses and entrance in ireland.this is only a sample, that is why it is built on a plank,never said it was a tradational dry stone wall :eek: ponddigger

shamrock55

dear god ive been doing this for a living for last 10 years and this is one of the worst stone walls i have ever seen and ive seen some bad ones:eek:

shamrock55

ponddigger wrote: »

hi alun, never said it was a traditional stone wall just to show people on this site that this type of dry stone is fairley easy to build ponddigger:p ronaldo84, this is what i learnt on a dry stone wall course:)

id go get my money back from that course sharpish!!

ponddigger

hi shamrick 55 will you post a few photos on how to do one right ponddigger:)

ponddigger

hi ,finished my first dry stone to day. 4in block at the back,with 5 in stone on outside ,this is what the people wanted. ponddigger:D ps got paid ,stone course well worth the money

ronn

Fair play to ya pond digger, looks great to me,,, Where did you do the course and was it expensive,, have you any info about it, id love to have a go a that,:D

R P McMurphy

ronn wrote: »

Fair play to ya pond digger, looks great to me,,, Where did you do the course and was it expensive,, have you any info about it, id love to have a go a that,:D

Best instruction available and worth every cent Irish Stone Walls by Patrick McAfee (ps I am not him)

littlemis

okay,while I appriciate and admire the work,and the photo's,Can anyone give me a run down on how to do it with just a lot of stones &rocks in my garden..I dont have blocks and don't want to buy any.....can you tell me what amount of materials i use and how i mix etc..I do not know what it means mix 1 part to x part,so please explain in simple terms...can I build the wall straight onto the earth?I would really like to use all these rocks & stones to divide the gardens up into sections to make it look tidier.Thank you in advance....

brendankelly

You priced a job ( to build a dry stone wall). Did that crap and put out your hand for money and got it. Was it a sawn off or an ak 47 you used???

ponddigger

hi here is photos of the tools i used on my first dry stone entrance:D hi ronn pm me for imfo. hi bk needs must payed the bills this week. ponddigger

ponddigger

hi littlemis. get back to you tomorrow night.ponddigger

the spout

hi new here like the thread will be a stone wall.likethe one in photos .i have plenty of ouestions yours jim

nophd08

Regardless of whether or not its the correct method of building, remember this is a DIY forum and fair play to ponddigger for taking the time and effort of posting photo's and info even when being slated by other posters.
Maybe brendankelly and shamrock will post some of their work so we can decide for ourselves, also someone even suggesting that building on a plank was the finished product............:rolleyes: I think we can see the real plank.;)

littlemis

Personally I think & this is just my opinion,that if someone is prepared to offer their advice & expertise to all of us who haven't a clue of what we are ment to do, but would like to cut down on the cost of jobs,by tackling them ourselves,then they should not be crucified by the so called experts out their..Each to their own.It would be a sad forum and world if we all conformed like robots..:)

JabbaTheHut

It looks really well to me, but I'm not an expert. What's wrong with ponddiggers wall? Can you point out where it's so bad, brendankelly?

I think you did a great job, ponddigger. And fair play to ya for putting up the pics

ponddigger

hi littlemis here is a book about stone work.the art and craft of stonework by david reed pm me and i send the book on to you:D ponddigger ps thanks lads for the nice words

the spout

hi ponddigger nice work.if you weregoing to build stone on the 2 sides of the wall,what way would you go about it ,cheers jim or bob the builder

ponddigger

hi the spout.the way the man showed us on the course was 4 in block in the middle and 5 in stone on each sides,this saves a lot of stone ,and is easery to build:D ponddigger

the spout

hi ponddigger.thanks.what do you useto tie the stone to the the 4in block jim

brendankelly

It is a sad day for stone masons when someone can claim to be an apprentice of Patrick Mcfee (a respected stone mason) and built this instead of a dry stone wall. This wall is a block wall faced with stone not a dry stone wall.

Nobhd08
I have a video of my work on u tube since 08 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrSpX8LF0Lw&feature=watch_response. The video shows the home owner, project manager etc exactly how each coat should be applied and with correct application the finish will be free of cracks and mould.

R P McMurphy

brendankelly wrote: »

It is a sad day for stone masons when someone can claim to be an apprentice of Patrick Mcfee (a respected stone mason) and built this instead of a dry stone wall. This wall is a block wall faced with stone not a dry stone wall.

Nobhd08
I have a video of my work on u tube since 08 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrSpX8LF0Lw&feature=watch_response. The video shows the home owner, project manager etc exactly how each coat should be applied and with correct application the finish will be free of cracks and mould.

He did not claim to be an apprentice of Patrick McAfee, I said that here is excellent instruction available in McAfee's 'Irish Stone Walls' and that it was worth every cent. I think you could be a bit more constructive in your comments even if they are to be critical and leave the snide ones out

ponddigger

hi bill a roll of expanded metal cut in strips ,put into the blocks when you are laying them:Dponddigger ps hi bk i am not a app stone mason to the man you said .do not know the man.saw video of your work in 2002,no stonework on video

ponddigger

hi this is what we done on the 2 day on the stone course:D ponddigger ps camera broke did not get photos of finished round pier ,hope you enjoy

ponddigger

hi:D

harry21

ponddigger wrote: »

hi here is photos of the tools i used on my first dry stone entrance:D hi ronn pm me for imfo. hi bk needs must payed the bills this week. ponddigger

You'll have to get one of these. No stone mason should be without one!

brendankelly

Read his response to Ronn post????????.

R P McMurphy wrote: »

He did not claim to be an apprentice of Patrick McAfee, I said that here is excellent instruction available in McAfee's 'Irish Stone Walls' and that it was worth every cent. I think you could be a bit more constructive in your comments even if they are to be critical and leave the snide ones out

Originally Posted by ronn
Fair play to ya pond digger, looks great to me,,, Where did you do the course and was it expensive,, have you any info about it, id love to have a go a that,


Best instruction available and worth every cent Irish Stone Walls by Patrick McAfee (ps I am not him)

brendankelly

Most Planning Authorities are not fools and they do have a reason to stipulate in cases Dry Stone Walls. You price building Dry Stone Walls and there are some home owners that do not know the difference between Dry Stone and Stone Faced but there are some in the Planning Authority that do know the difference. In my opinion you are false advertising and trying to deceive people.

R P McMurphy

Brendan I had posted that, and had meant that in relation to the book and not that I had received training by him. In fairness my post could have been clearer. the book is excellent however ans a vital guide for anyone interested in building with stone. i had come across your youtube video before

the spout

hi ponddigger. thanks for info looking at photos of round pier ,what is the white plastic for .dont kmow what some others are on about,keep up the good work jim

ponddigger

hi bill.when you are building a round pier.you put a3in round steel pole into the concrete when you are pouring it .you plum the pole with a level.when you are building the pier you can use a line and pencil to keep the pier plum,also you can mark the stone with the pencil so you can shape it with chilels to suit the pier cons.see photos:Dponddigger

ponddigger

hi bill.2 more things about the steel pole.the steel pole must be galvanised to make sure it wont rust. you can weld a steel bracket to the pole to hang gates:Dponddigger

littlemis

To be fair I can understand why BK, may be a bit irritated if he builds dry stone walls without using the 4in block...However I can also see why people are using it....I have to say I have seen stone walls being built down through the years,& only ever during the boom have I seen it being done as some may say the cheat way with the 4in block....However I think it may have been the building boom,that was the cause of this method of wall building to be used.How many house's and estates have we seen being built with stone walls at the entrance, how many of these were done at break neck speed?I have even seen the house's themselves to be clad in this way.....Now rightly or wrongly each to their own,and just my opinion here but maybe just maybe someone out there who can build dry stone walls the old way,would like to post some photos that us amature DIY'ers can see and follow...If not can you at least allow the rest of us to follow ponddigger's way please....Sorry this is so long winded.{typical littlemis}:)

brendankelly

I do not always agree with the planning Authorities but there were 2 reasons why Dry Stone Walls were stipulated in planning permission.

1 Environmental issues. To create a natural habitat to replace the dry stone wall or ditch removed.
and
2 Social issues. A dry stone wall will fall if hit by a car etc, where by a concrete block, Mass concrete, stone faced etc wall will not.

I have seen first hand what happened when a motor bike with a young couple hit a stone faced wall. I place flowers at the wall every year.

littlemis

Not trying to score points or anything here, but if you are saying that a 4in block wall which has stone in front of it like what is in the photos@will not fall at the point of crash impact..then I disagree with you sir.My reason is because I have come upon said accident where car crashed into wall,wall fell,wall rebuilt.I also have been in accident where car crashed into wall {no cladding} in order to avoid head on collision with lorry.Again wall rebuilt....

But yes i can see how a motorbike may not knock a wall.

the spout

hi ponddigger thanks for imfo,i am building 4 piers with 2 curved walls ,stone on both sides of wall, i be back to you during thw week bill

ponddigger

hi ,we also learnt how to cut and shape a flat round stone cap for round piers ,on the 2 day stone course:Dponddigger ps see photos

brendankelly

There is nothing wrong with your stone faced block wall.

But to build a stone faced block wall on contract when a dry stone wall is specified is dishonest and I do not think you have heard the last about falsely using Patrick mc Fees name.

bandit197

brendankelly wrote: »

There is nothing wrong with your stone faced block wall.

But to build a stone faced block wall on contract when a dry stone wall is specified is dishonest and I do not think you have heard the last about falsely using Patrick mc Fees name.

Brendan I think you need to take a read back carefully through this thread.

1. Ponddigger never once mentions Patrick McFee's name never mind claiming to be an apprentice of his.
2. You are accusing him of dishonesty by claiming he built a wall that was not specified. He clearly said that the client wanted a 4inch block wall faced with 5inch stone

I think you owe Ponddigger an apology here.

To clear up any confusion here, the walls being referred to are known technically as Dry Joint Stone Walls.

Ponddigger, I am enjoying your thread. It can clearly be seen that you are improving your work as you progress. Fair play to you for giving this a go. I have worked with stone for 10 years but have started on a totally unrelated career path now.
You will find a lot of ego's in this trade and people who think they know it all. You will find that it is totally subjective, that is what style one person likes will not be what another person likes. I found this all the time with different clients and sometimes had to build in a style that I personally didn't like the look of. But the customer is always right and as long as what you build is structurally sound and in accordance with specifications then thats all that matters.
Some engineers specify using rigid wall ties (minus the plastic holder) to be built into the block you are facing. Keep them back an inch or two from where the face of the stone will be. When the block is set you can bend them to suit. Don't spare them.


I believe the thinking behind this is that cut expanded metal strips may begin to corrode at the point where they were cut over time.

Keep an eye on your vertical joints in the stonework and be sure to cross them as soon as possible.

Best of luck with it, keep the pictures coming and give me a shout if you need any advice.

R P McMurphy

brendankelly wrote: »

There is nothing wrong with your stone faced block wall.

But to build a stone faced block wall on contract when a dry stone wall is specified is dishonest and I do not think you have heard the last about falsely using Patrick mc Fees name.

I don't know how to put this any clearer. Ponddigger did not mention McAfee, I did. It was in relation to his book 'Irish Stone Walls'. I even said that I was not him (McAfee) in case people though I was him and was plugging my own book. But I do stand by my assertion that it is an excellent source of information for anyone interested in stonebuilding. That is that last I am commenting on it now.

ponddigger

hi all,nice to see some people can read a thread without making mistakes.ok bandit179 how do you build a square pier not using a level ,but using 4 stringsponddigger ps photos of job you might like,doing it this week, post them thursday night

the spout

hello again, when you mark the job for concrete how do you keep the two walls the same on the curve jim

ponddigger

hi bill, not to sure ,i will ask a good stone mason how to do itponddigger

ponddigger

hi all some photos of a stone job we done this week ,3 foot hight dry joint stone wall with 4 in block on flat ,behind 9 in stone.:Dponddigger