Mr Skill

Among the most compelling features of the British countryside are the natural stone walls that surround many of the older, listed houses. These homes are often beyond the reach of most of as, and in any case we need to live closer to where we work so we do not spend hours traveling. Nonetheless there is often room in almost any garden for a bit of hand-packed stone wall, and you’ll be amazed at the classy look this adds.

There are also two uses to which you could put your wall. One is as a border against which your summer annuals could display. The second is as a retainer for adding fertile soil and a sense of depth behind. If the job is extensive you may be wise to Find a Builder to do the job for you as stones are heavy. If not, you may like to tackle it yourself.

o Decide where you want your wall to be. This sounds obvious; however in my career as a Builder London homeowners have often asked me if I could move a badly positioned wall for them. Mark the wall out with stakes, and leave things alone for a few days while you finally make up your mind what you really want.

o Order in a load of suitable stones and have them packed for you in piles of small, medium and large at a convenient place near to where you will be working. Be prepared to pay extra for the sorting which will save you hours later.

o Clear the ground where the wall will go, and level it nicely with a few steps up or down if the ground slopes. Then compact the earth using a little water several times until it is really firm. This must be done properly, or else your wall could collapse after the first heavy rain.

o Set out the bottom layer of stones using the broadest flattest ones and fitting these together snugly (this may require experimentation). Bed them nicely into the ground below and add a little earth beneath them, if this is necessary. If you want to cheat you could even bed the bottom stones into a little concrete provided this will not be visible when you are done, as you are aiming for a natural effect.

o Add successive layers of stones packed together as tightly as you can get, using smaller ones to set them firmly. Do not go higher than you think is safe, and do not hesitate to rebuild a section of wall if things go wrong.

Like I said earlier you should not really need Builder Quotes for a small piece of wall. Anything more than that you might like to take a look at what Mr-Skill has to offer in the way of Well-Priced Help.