Creating a stable foundation for the garden wall requires a lot of effort, which some people shy away from. In this article you will find out whether and when you can save yourself this work or at least reduce the effort. We also clarify the question of why this substructure is necessary at all.
Is it possible to build a garden wall without a foundation?
A garden wall without a foundation can be considered for dry stone walls by leveling and heavily compacting the soil. However, for greater stability, foundations made of gravel should also be created for dry stone walls. A foundation is essential for mortared walls.
Why does a foundation make sense?
The foundation forms the permanent base of the garden wall. Without this, the structure would freeze in winter, meaning frost would rise into the masonry and there would be a risk of serious damage.
The cause is the water in the earth, which freezes and expands at sub-zero temperatures. It pushes upwards in the wall and the connection between the stones can literally be blown open.
To prevent this, it is necessary to create a foundation that is at least sixty, preferably eighty, centimeters deep. This not only prevents frost damage, but also prevents the garden wall from sinking into the ground and becoming unstable.
Drywall without foundation
Drystone walls hold together thanks to the weight of the stones, which are cleverly stacked on top of each other. However, these are not as stable as walls built with mortar and for this reason should not exceed a certain height.
For this variant of the garden wall, it may be sufficient to level the ground and compact it heavily. This sounds easier than it is, because for laypeople, filling up and removing the soil rarely results in a really straight surface.
Therefore, even if the walls are not too high, you should take the trouble to create a substructure. This is the only way to ensure that the structure does not become unstable and collapse during the first downpour.
Stable foundation made of gravel
However, it is better to lay a foundation made of gravel even when building a dry stone wall that is not too high.
- First a pit is dug. This should be about forty centimeters deep. The width is one third of the planned height of the wall.
- Fill the trench with gravel and compact it thoroughly.
- On this place the first layer of wall made of large stones.
For mortared walls, the foundation must be at least two feet deep. First, two thirds of gravel is filled in, which is then well compacted. Fill the rest with concrete.
Tip
Gabion walls do not require a foundation and are becoming increasingly popular for this reason. With this variant of the garden wall, it is sufficient if you place the wire baskets filled with stones on the flat surface. Existing, stable paving slabs are also very suitable.
