Does the cost of building a natural stone wall bring tears to your eyes? These instructions explain step by step how to properly plan a brick wall and make it yourself cheaply. This is how the construction of your garden wall becomes a successful project.
How do I build a garden wall myself?
To build a garden wall yourself, you need bricks, concrete screed, masonry mortar, silicone and gravel. First lay a strip foundation, pull up the wall, cut bricks to fit, place cover stones and finally grout the wall.
Preparation work and material list – How to plan correctly
These instructions show you how to build a free-standing, mortared garden wall yourself. The more precisely you plan the construction, the smoother the work will go. It is important to note that you consult the regional laws for building law and neighborhood law in advance. In addition, proof of stability by a structural engineer is generally required from a height of 200 cm. The following materials and tools are required to build a 0.80 m high, 0.20 cm wide and 10 m long brick wall:
- 82 bricks (20x25x50)
- 31 capstones (5x33x50)
- 40 kg concrete screed
- Masonry mortar with trass
- Silicone
- Gravel or crushed stone with a grain size between 0 and 32
Also required: wheelbarrow, wooden pegs, string, gloves, spade, hoe, shovel, folding rule, spirit level, plumb bob, rubber mallet, masonry and jointing trowel. You can rent a stone cutter and concrete mixer as well as a vibrating plate cheaply from many hardware stores.
Tip
When planning your garden wall, please consider in good time whether a passage is required. Creating a gate or opening afterwards requires a lot of effort and unnecessarily increases costs.
Creating a strip foundation – this is how it works
When you lay the foundation, first mark the course of the garden wall using a guide line and wooden stakes. Please make sure that the cord runs completely horizontally because you will always have to use it as a guide later on. Making your own concrete foundation works like this:
- Dig a trench 30 cm wide and 80 cm deep
- Compact the subsoil with the vibrating plate
- Secure sandy soil with board boarding
- As a frost protection layer, fill in gravel or gravel up to a height of 40 cm and shake off
- Check the straightness of this layer with the spirit level
- Mix the concrete, pour it into the trench up to the level of the earth's surface and tap it with the shovel
The foundation must now harden completely and settle for around 2 to 3 weeks. Cover the concrete with a tarp to protect it from rain. During hot summer periods, water the concrete strip a little every 2 days to prevent cracks from forming.
Pulling up a wall - How to set bricks at an offset
When the foundation has hardened, you can start building the walls. Mix the mortar in a large bucket or in a concrete mixer according to the manufacturer's instructions. How to place the bricks correctly:
- Use the trowel to create a level, 5 to 10 cm thick layer of mortar
- Place the first row of bricks on top with a joint width of at least 3-5 mm
- Check the horizontal and vertical alignment with the spirit level and plumb bob
- Start the second row with half a brick to build at an offset
- Avoid stabilizing cross joints when building walls
- Make transverse joints as straight as possible
Please wipe off any mortar that comes out immediately with a trowel. The trowel handle is also perfect for placing individual stones in the correct position. Start every other row with a halved brick to achieve the ideal interlocking of the garden wall for reliable stability.
Cutting bricks to fit – this is how it works
With a stone cracker you can cut bricks with little effort, dirt and noise. Straight edges are the be-all and end-all for proper masonry. Therefore, please mark each individual cut edge and do not rely on your eye. However, a stone cracker is not suitable for very thick bricks more than 110-140 mm high. In this case, you can't avoid a cut-off and angle grinder.
Finish the garden wall – grout cheaply
If you build a wall yourself, it should have a decorative crown. We therefore recommend placing beautifully shaped cap stones as the last row. Thanks to its height of 80 cm and an elegant crown, the garden wall described in these instructions is ideal for demarcating your front garden. This is how you proceed professionally:
- Place capstones with a joint width of 5 mm on a bed of mortar
- Do not grout the gaps with mortar, but with water-repellent silicone
The self-built garden wall is now finished in its simplest version. To give the masonry the finishing touch, you can plaster or cover the brick wall. You can also do this work yourself with a little craftsmanship.
Tip
With an imaginative design you can give your garden wall an individual, natural touch. When building walls, integrate one or two hollow concrete blocks between the bricks. In this way you create space for plant pockets to green the stone bulwark.
