DIY Basalt Stone Walls, Part 1

Hello, I’m Joshua Franke and I’ve been building stone houses, stone walls and stone features for over 20 years. Many people take a great interest in Basalt Stone walls, so we thought we’d put together some information to assist those considering taking on a project to DIY a Basalt stone wall themselves.

To start Basalt is a wonderful natural stone to work with, durable with stark natural contrasting beauty. If you are still weighing up the best stone to work with, you might like to read, Top 10 Reasons to Build Basalt Stone Walls

In part one of this series we will look at the first consideration.

Part 1 – Dry Stack or Concrete?

The two most common methods to build Basalt Stone Walls are the Dry Stacking and Stacking with concrete and mortar methods. Both methods of building Basalt Stone Walls have benefits in the build phase and once completed.

If you intend to use the dry-stacking, more planning is required and the build requires more time selecting and arranging the stones. Ultimately you’ll have better drainage, which eases the pressure on the wall from the backfill but you’re build time will be significantly increased. So consider the site, rainfall run off and desired outcome in this instance.

By using concrete, less time is spent choosing the correct stones to lay without leaving large gaps. Any gaps will be filled with mortar. However, there is less drainage than dry-stacking, and you’ll have to buy and mix the mortar and concrete yourself.

The accompanying images show a concrete Basalt Stone Wall under construction.

Both methods create beautiful results so go with what works for your site and consider the time you available for the project. Once you’ve decided on the method, in part 2 we’ll look at Planning the Build.

 

You can learn more about basalt by following these links.

Is basalt a good building material? – https://smarter-building-systems.com/smarter-building-basalt-faqs/

What is basalt link – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt

You may also be interested in – Sandstone Log Walls

 

Natural stone and rock can be used for a variety of flexible ways on your property, including:

• Housing
• Retaining walls
• Steps and garden access
• Gateway entrances
• Fencing & Bollards
• Fire pits & seating
• Or just as feature pieces.

Call Josh to discuss your landscaping project and learn more about sandstone walls – 0408 476 766

You may also be interested to learn about the Top 10 Reasons to build Basalt Stone Walls

 

We service a wide range of areas including Narellan, Leppington, Harrington Park, Oran Park, Gledswood Hills, Smeaton Grange, Mount Annan, Menangle Park, Tahmoor, Bowral, Renwick, Braemar, Liverpool Area, Camden, Campbelltown, Wollondilly, Wingercaribee.