Drystane Dyking With Natural Stone
Xstream Landscaping can further enhance your home's exterior by constructing garden walling using traditional Drystone Dyking.
Drystane Dyking (dry stone walling) is considered by many people to be an artform, and has a history dating back hundreds of years.The most common drystone dykes were built primarily from local field stone, natural stone found in it's local environment. To this day they are still one of the most enduring features of Scottish landscapes.
As the name Dry Stane Dykes would suggest, these walls are built without the use of a bonding agent such as mortar (cement). This creates an ideal habitat for lichens and mosses, which in turn produces a natural look to the garden in general. When people think of dry stane dykes they generally think of boundary walls. However, dry stone features are becoming increasingly popular in the residential garden with each drystone feature bringing a unique and natural beauty to the landscape.
Garden walling should not simply be used to form a boundary. With a bit of imagination and some clever design, a garden wall constructed of natural stone (or a stone of your choice) will almost certainly add value to any property. Depending on the type of stone used, walling can give any garden or feature a flash of vibrance which in turn enhances the landscape.
A Laymans Guide To Dry Stone Dyking
Drystone walling is the method pertaining to building a particular kind of stone wall, generally referred to as Drystone or Dry Stane Dyking. Especially widespread in the British countryside, dry stone walls are definitely one of a kind due to the fact that they do not require mortar or some other joining component in order to keep them held together. A dry stone wall is generally built using the method involving interlocking the actual stones so they do not require any kind of supplemental components to support them. In both previous and modern times these walls have often been employed for area dividing as well as retaining walls. However, they are becoming more and more popular as a garden feature, being used to enhance the look and feel of a garden space by blending in with the surrounding landscape.
Preparing for construction
Determine the amount of stone that ıs going to be needed for constructing the wall. This tends to be different in each and every circumstance, although a broad guideline would be that the width of your base ought to be approximately half the actual height of the stone wall. After you have the stones sorted out, make sure you clean away any kind of debris or limiting stuff prior to beginning design.
Once you are ready, dig a shallow trench and make sure there is adequate room so that you can comfortably seat the base stones. Now you are ready for the serious work to start!
Steps to create a dry stone wall
Select the widest and flattest stones for the wall's base and place these in the trench. Ensure you keep all of them as flat and level as you possibly can. Continue to build the stones upwards using the joints given through the rocks underneath. Always begin using the bigger stones first, and then work your way up using progressively smaller stones.
If it will help, use an image of just what you would like the wall to look like so you can position the stones in roughly the same way.
Complete the top of the wall using a number of decorative stones. Accomplish this particular task by inserting two hefty set stones at each end of the wall and then place the decorative stones in as tightly as you can.
If you are not thoroughly comfortable with the solidity of the wall then it is strongly suggested you contact a professional to repair it on your behalf.
Tools and supplies needed
Walling stone really is the crucial factor for dry stone walling. Limestone is quite fashionable and is used widely throughout the United Kingdom. Natural stone from the environment you live in will allow for the wall to better blend in with the surrounding landscape. Additional resources you will require include a shovel, wheel barrel, tape measure, spirit level, wood stake and string, gravel, work gloves and as a last resort, a hammer! Have fun building your own dry stone wall.
And remember - we are experts in all areas of dry stone dyking so please do not hesitate to ask us for a no obligations quote, or just to ask us for some advice.