The garden wall can serve to delimit the property and at the same time provide privacy. If it is located where there is a slope, it stabilizes the slope. Depending on the material, walls also serve ecological purposes because they are the habitat for many living beings. What all variants have in common, however, is that they require the right foundation.
What foundation does a garden wall need?
The foundation for a garden wall depends on the type of wall: For a dry wall, a depth of 40 cm with a compacted layer of gravel or gravel and a layer of building sand is sufficient, while a strip foundation for higher walls requires a depth of 80 cm with gravel, concrete and possibly steel reinforcement.
The right substructure
If the garden wall is only supposed to be about half a meter high and structure the garden, a layer of gravel that is not too thin is sufficient to ensure stability. For higher walls you have to pour concrete:
- First mark the planned route with wooden stakes and a guideline.
- The trench you now dig should be twenty centimeters wider than the wall.
- This also applies to the ends of free-standing buildings.
- For good stability and frost protection, dig at least eighty centimeters deep.
- Use materials that are not susceptible to frost damage.
The foundation for the dry stone wall
You can create this without concrete. You don't have to dig quite as deep as for the strip foundation. Depending on the height of the structure, forty centimeters is enough.
It is important to carefully compact the 30 to 35 centimeter thick layer of gravel or gravel with a vibrating plate (€299.00 on Amazon). This material has a capillary-breaking effect because freezing water can expand unhindered without jeopardizing stability. The gravel is filled with a ten centimeter thick layer of building sand.
Create the strip foundation
For free-standing walls, 60 percent of frost-proof gravel is initially added to the trench. Always compact the material well. Then fill the pit with concrete. If you are planning a high wall that requires a lot of stability, steel reinforcement should also be inserted. Depending on the length of the wall, expansion joints in the foundation are also recommended.
Special case of terracing or raised beds
If the drywall on a slope is later to be filled with earth from the inside, it is important that the foundation base slopes slightly outwards. Crosswise drainage pipes are recommended for good water drainage.
Tip
Garden walls are considered a structure and require approval, depending on the state building regulations in your federal state. Therefore, please contact the responsible authority in advance. If the wall is in your neighbor's field of vision, it is also advisable to obtain their consent beforehand and coordinate the appearance with them.
