Adding A Stone Wall To Your Garden (NAPSA)—While good fences and walls are said to make good neighbors, a growing number of homeowners are finding stone walls can add beauty and value to a home and garden. Fortunately, many do-it-yourselfers are learning that building a stone wall to enhance the looks of their garden is a project they can undertake with some success. Here are some ideas from experts on how to get started on your stone wall: Start by determining the length of the wall in feet and and the height of the wall in feet. According to one rule-of-thumb, if the wall is designed to be no more than four feet high, it will be possible to use stones that are one foot thick. Next, visit a stone dealer to see whattypes and colors of material best suit your garden design. Materials used to construct stone walls often include granites, limestones, sandstones, quartzites, flagging andotherspecialty stones. Remember, stone is heavy so don’t be shocked when the dealer starts to quote prices per ton of stone. For example, a wall that’s 50 feet long and 2 feet wide is 100 cubic feet. Most stone weighs an average of 125 pounds per cubic foot. This means the wall would weigh approximately 6.25 tons. Costs for stone are likely to Stone walls can enhance the look and value of many gardens and homes. range anywhere from $100 to $200 per ton—depending on the type of stone selected. When building a stone wall, begin by stacking the wall, working from one end to the other. For best results, lay the stones flat, as they would lie naturally on the ground. Try to avoid continuous horizontal and vertical joints by breaking them up with larger and smaller stones. Fill in the area behind the wall with dirt and compact it as the building progresses. Finally, take the flattest pieces of stone to cap off the wall on top. To learn more including wallbuilding instructions, visit the Web site at www.buildingstone.org.
