DIY Stone Gravity Walls

Dry stacked stone walls are held together by gravity and are a beautiful accent in many rural landscapes. Because no mortar is between the stones, gravity walls are much less susceptible to damage from frost heaves, so they don't need an elaborate foundation like a mortared wall does. Building a dry stacked stone wall requires a lot of time and effort, but the results are worth it.

Shovel
4-foot level
Pry bar

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the sod and topsoil along the line where you will be building the wall. Dig down about 6 inches and smooth the bottom of the trench to give the wall a solid footing on which to rest.
- 2
  Lay large, flat stones in the bottom of the trench. Arrange them so their upper faces are as flat as possible; this will make the rest of the wall more stable. Use a pry bar to move large, heavy stones by flipping them end over end rather than trying to lift them.
- 3
  Stack more stones on top of the flat stones. Take your time and fit the stones together as tightly as possible, leaving a flat surface on the top as often as you can.
- 4
  Don't make the wall so high that it becomes unstable. Unless a gravity stone wall is extremely wide, it shouldn't be more than 3 feet high.
- 5
  Top the wall with a series of wide, flat stones that overhang the face of the wall. These will help to shed rain and keep water out of the interior of the wall.

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