Building a Rock Wall? Here Are Some Tips

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I built a 120 foot by 4 to 6 foot tall rock wall from river rock when I had a home down in Solvang, CA. All the rocks were taken from a dry stream bed high in the Santa Barbara mountains. It took about 30 truck loads of rocks and about a year of on and off work to do. It added to the property a 40' by 6' garden border beside the driveway and between 12 and 20 level feet in front of the house. Prior to that the house on the hill had the soil slope almost to the foundation.

Here's what I learned:

Don't use anything less than a 3/4 ton truck to haul rock. A one ton truck would be better. Half ton pickups are just on car frames and will fall apart if not simply break with a rear load of rocks. Lay plywood down in the bottom of the truck bed to absorb the shocks from the rocks you'll be dumping in.

You will go through LOTS of heavy leather work gloves. If you are concreting them in with deep foundations like I did the gloves will last about a week. Don't even consider doing work with rock unless you wear sturdy gloves.

Use a full sized, contractor's wheelbarrow. There are also some two wheeled STEEL garden carts that could be used to move your haul. Don't use a wood cart to haul rocks. It will splinter to pieces. Metal is probably the most durable and the contractor's size in handy when mixing big bags of cement.

When laying the rocks always set each one so there is the flatest side on the top. This means playing sometimes with several rocks in a pile near you to find the best fit. Add the concrete to fill in the crevices and "butter" the surface of the lower rock with concrete just before you set in each rock over it.

Slant the rocks towards the slope. Don't forget to add several drain pipes at several levels and backfill with pea gravel against the wall before you add the soil.

Save the prettiest rocks for the most visible areas. Even after the plants grow here and there they will shine through.

Before you even begin this heavy a project spend at least a month working out with weights. Emphasize your back muscles. When lifting heavy rocks and weights remember to bend your knees, hold the rock near your body, and lift yourself with your leg muscles, not your back.

Good luck!