Stone Walls
About Stone Walls:
In New England, stone walls are part of the fabric of our history. Free standing stone walls were originally used to define agricultural plots and property lines by farmers and wealthy land owners. Good fences made good neighbors, and stone walls made good fences.
Today suburban homeowners add natural stone walls to their homes to enhance the visual appeal and functionality of their property. Often they are used as retaining walls, sitting walls, or as part of a homes’ garden landscaping. A well groomed hardscape of stone walls, walkways and stone steps can add years of no-maintenance pleasure and value to a home.
Stone Wall Construction:
Old fashioned stone walls used the dry stack method which stacked bare stone on stone. As expected, dry stack stone walls can shift and falter over time. Newer stone wall construction includes wet construction where the stone and mortar are combined for a more solid structure. Although sturdy, the look offers little in the way of showcasing the beautiful stonework as a landscape feature.
Al’s Masonry combines the best of both construction techniques to build what is known as a wet/dry stone wall. Sturdy concrete mix is used to secure the backside of the structure while the face of the wall appears to be dry-stacked. This process provides both the solid construction of the mortared stone wall and the visually pleasing dry-stack stone wall look. Wet/dry stone wall construction lasts a lifetime and looks great, even as it ages.
Stone Walls and Related Masonry:
Types of Natural Stone Used for Stone Walls:
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