Free Standing Stone Wall – Sudbury, MA

At this home in Sudbury, MA there is a vinyl post and rail fence and shrubs lining the front boundary of the property.   The current owners are looking to replace the plastic fence with a free standing stone wall, (or double sided stone wall), that will be much more fitting for this historic house.  As the name suggests, a free standing stone wall stands freely with both sides of the wall visible as opposed to a retaining wall that is built into a hillside with only one side visible.

The proposed wall be 150′ in length x 2.5′ high, and dry stacked with local weathered fieldstone.  We will also install two antique granite gate posts for an opening that will lead to the front door.

Free Standing Stone Wall Preparation:

To prepare for the free standing stone wall we remove the fence and shrubs and dig a trench for the wall base.  The base is first compacted, filled with crushed stone, and then compacted again.  This will provide a solid, well drained base for the stone wall.

Free Standing Stone Wall Installation:

The stone we use is sourced from a private landowner in Massachusetts.  For ‘weathered stone walls’ we will source stone that has come straight off of old walls or off the surface of the ground.  

We use the larges stones to set the base course, and fill the middle with ‘hearting’ or tightly packed smaller stones.  The stones are stacked up to the desired height and then we set the cap with large flat stones.  The large flat stones help hold everything in place and are also large enough that they won’t move or shift if people sit or walk on the wall.  Making a consistent cap to the wall gives it a very clean and finished appearance in the end.  

The antique granite posts are hand selected from a granite supplier.  They are set into the wall so that they make a corner/end and also serve as a post to hand a gate from in the future.  Another piece of granite is used as a step in between the posts to make up a grade difference and lead to the front door.

Free Standing Stone Wall – Completion

A couple weeks of work and the free standing stone wall is complete.  The landscapers will come in afterwards to install sod and a granite walkway.  The result is a very handscome and classic New England stone wall to compliment this house.  It provides a solid barrier from the public street and sidewalk and will be an additional piece of history for this property and town.