Had a wall of around 50 metres give way during the winter gales. It
will take the rest of the year to cut away the trees who's collapse
caused the wall to partially demolish.

I have very good reason to believe my drystone walling skills will not
be up to rebuilding the wall in its original style.

Some time back I saw farm walls being constructed using a casement of
two boards nailed to a series of short wooden battens that held the
boards a uniform 14" apart.

The boards were placed on the foundation and after levelling, a sand,
gravel, cement mix war poured in and rodded down by hand using any
convenient length of timber to pound away at the mix.

After drying out, the boards were separated and moved horizontally or
vertically and the fill repeated until the wall was the height and
length required.

This technique is probably more appropriate to my skill level. Has
anyone experience of this technique and potential pitfalls likely to
be encountered?

The original wall contained large stones, could these be added during
the fill in order to reduce materials costs? Can the quantity of stone
be increased to a point where it forms say, 90% of the volume of the
wall?

Thanks for reading. Any comments would be appreciated.

AB

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On 27/04/2014 16:07, Archibald wrote:
Had a wall of around 50 metres give way during the winter gales. It
will take the rest of the year to cut away the trees who's collapse
caused the wall to partially demolish.

I have always fancied a drystone wall, on the grounds that if anyone damaged
it with a vehicle etc, it would be easy to put back together and they would
likely come of worse. I settled for a laurel hedge instead.


--
Michael Chare

On Sun, 27 Apr 2014 16:07:41 +0100, Archibald
wrote:

Had a wall of around 50 metres give way during the winter gales. It
will take the rest of the year to cut away the trees who's collapse
caused the wall to partially demolish.

I have very good reason to believe my drystone walling skills will not
be up to rebuilding the wall in its original style.

Some time back I saw farm walls being constructed using a casement of
two boards nailed to a series of short wooden battens that held the
boards a uniform 14" apart.

The boards were placed on the foundation and after levelling, a sand,
gravel, cement mix war poured in and rodded down by hand using any
convenient length of timber to pound away at the mix.

After drying out, the boards were separated and moved horizontally or
vertically and the fill repeated until the wall was the height and
length required.

This technique is probably more appropriate to my skill level. Has
anyone experience of this technique and potential pitfalls likely to
be encountered?

The original wall contained large stones, could these be added during
the fill in order to reduce materials costs? Can the quantity of stone
be increased to a point where it forms say, 90% of the volume of the
wall?

Thanks for reading. Any comments would be appreciated.

Before you give up on the possibility of using authentic techniques,
take a look at this video which was designed to encourage absolute
beginners. I have to declare an interest: one of our teachers composed
the background music which was played by our youth orchestra. The
video is pretty fascinating too!

http://www.tigershark.tv/dswa

Nick

On 27/04/2014 16:07, Archibald wrote:
I have very good reason to believe my drystone walling skills will not
be up to rebuilding the wall in its original style.

http://www.dswa.org.uk/training.asp

Do it right and a drystone wall will be there long after we've left the
planet.

Andy

Archibald wrote:
Had a wall of around 50 metres give way during the winter gales. It
will take the rest of the year to cut away the trees who's collapse
caused the wall to partially demolish.

I have very good reason to believe my drystone walling skills will not
be up to rebuilding the wall in its original style.

Some time back I saw farm walls being constructed using a casement of
two boards nailed to a series of short wooden battens that held the
boards a uniform 14" apart.

The boards were placed on the foundation and after levelling, a sand,
gravel, cement mix war poured in and rodded down by hand using any
convenient length of timber to pound away at the mix.

After drying out, the boards were separated and moved horizontally or
vertically and the fill repeated until the wall was the height and
length required.

This technique is probably more appropriate to my skill level. Has
anyone experience of this technique and potential pitfalls likely to
be encountered?

The original wall contained large stones, could these be added during
the fill in order to reduce materials costs? Can the quantity of stone
be increased to a point where it forms say, 90% of the volume of the
wall?

Thanks for reading. Any comments would be appreciated.

A dry stone wall doesn't have mortar, hence the word 'dry' in it's name.

First rule of DSW, whatever stone you pick up, goes in the wall - don't sort
through stones trying to find 'the right one' - they're all right ones.
Seccond rule is everything looks crap until you move away from the bit
you've just laid and continue further down, whereupon that bit looks crap
and the earlier bit looks like it's been there 500 years, in other words,
just keep adding stones until you get to the top, when it's finished it'll
look like it's always been there.

On 27/04/2014 20:59, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 27/04/2014 16:07, Archibald wrote:
I have very good reason to believe my drystone walling skills will not
be up to rebuilding the wall in its original style.

http://www.dswa.org.uk/training.asp

Do it right and a drystone wall will be there long after we've left the
planet.

Falling trees permitting.

Colin Bignell

On 27/04/2014 22:23, Nightjar wrote:
On 27/04/2014 20:59, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 27/04/2014 16:07, Archibald wrote:
I have very good reason to believe my drystone walling skills will not
be up to rebuilding the wall in its original style.

http://www.dswa.org.uk/training.asp

Do it right and a drystone wall will be there long after we've left the
planet.

Falling trees permitting.

Once you've learned it, putting the section back has to be a lot easier
than chipping the mortar off old bricks.

Andy

On Sunday, April 27, 2014 4:07:41 PM UTC+1, Archibald wrote:

Had a wall of around 50 metres give way during the winter gales. It
will take the rest of the year to cut away the trees who's collapse
caused the wall to partially demolish.
I have very good reason to believe my drystone walling skills will not
be up to rebuilding the wall in its original style.
Some time back I saw farm walls being constructed using a casement of
two boards nailed to a series of short wooden battens that held the
boards a uniform 14" apart.
The boards were placed on the foundation and after levelling, a sand,
gravel, cement mix war poured in and rodded down by hand using any
convenient length of timber to pound away at the mix.
After drying out, the boards were separated and moved horizontally or
vertically and the fill repeated until the wall was the height and
length required.
This technique is probably more appropriate to my skill level. Has
anyone experience of this technique and potential pitfalls likely to
be encountered?
The original wall contained large stones, could these be added during
the fill in order to reduce materials costs? Can the quantity of stone
be increased to a point where it forms say, 90% of the volume of the
wall?

If doing that I'd stack stone up the sides before pouring the concrete.

Realise though that lines form where sections of poured wall meet, and to be frank it looks crap, at least if its concrete. Stacking stone first may hide these joins effectively.

90% stone is optimistic. Look at standard concrete mixes. People have done it though in alternative building.


NT