Stone Retaining Wall

At this property in Dedham, MA, the owner sought to terrace a hillside with a stone retaining wall in preparation of planting fruit trees.  The hillside needs to be cleared of brush, re-graded, and retained.   The owner is looking for a rougher, farm style wall that will go quickly, and do what it needs to do.

Stone Retaining Wall – Prep

Using a machine we clear and grade the lower part of the hillside in preparation for the wall.  We dig a base, fill it with crushed stone, and lay a fabric backing before starting the installation.  The curve of the wall will follow the curve of the hillside and taper down slightly at the ends, with a stairway in the middle for access.

Stone Retaining Wall – Installation

Our stone is weathered fieldstone.  It has a rough, weathered texture and color, and comes in a variety of sizes and shapes for a traditional looking stone wall.  We set the largest stones first, and then work our way up to the cap, backfilling with stone and gravel along the way.

Once the lower wall is in, we regrade the next terrace and prep for the upper wall.  The 2nd tier gets built, and then again we grade and clear the top most portion of the hillside.  In a couple short weeks we’ve made big changes to this hillside, creating a much more usable and pleasing space that will last generations.   What was an overgrown hillside can now be planted and gardened.  We look forward to returning in the fall to see how the new orchard looks.  Take another look at the before and after photos.