Drystack Stone Wall – Lincoln, MA

At this property in Lincoln, MA we are hired to build a free standing stone wall along the edge of the property.  Road salt and snow plows keep plants or shrubs from growing here, so, a stone wall instead will give visual appeal and create a barrier between the yard and the road.

The owners decide on a drystack stone wall which will match the local/traditional style, and be most cost effective to build.

Drystack Stone Wall – Construction

To build the wall we first dig a shallow trench along the length and fill the base with gravel.  We use the largest stones for the first course, and build up from there, saving larger flat stones for the cap.

Our stone comes from a private farm in MA.  Many of the stones are harvested from old farms walls and have a darker, and often mossy/weathered appearance.  We aim to use local material in the traditional method so that our stone wall compliments the local aesthetics.

The wall is drystacked without any use of mortar.  We use gravity to hold the wall together by stacking the stones first for strength.  This means tying the bulk of the stone back into the wall instead of tipping the largest flattest face to the front.  We are not shaping the stones with hammer and chisel, or focusing on perfectly tight joints.  But rather focusing on building a fast, sturdy, and traditional looking stone wall.

Drystack Stone Wall – Completion

The wall is 150′ long by 2.5 high and will take about 60 tons (3 trailer loads) of fieldstone to complete.  The works takes a couple of weeks and comes together nicely.  It will be an attractive visual feature and also an effective barrier for kids, balls, and pets from the busy road.

The wall being drystacked is very easy to repair in case of damage from plow or vehicle.  And just like it’s origin, these stones are entirely re-usable and have the same value if ever the wall needs to come down and the stone used somewhere else.