Securing an unstable dry stone wall?
Louise B
Posts: 81
Hello, There is a wobbly dry stone wall at the end of my garden, young cows on one side and my toddler on the other. I need to secure it but for as cheaply as possible because I don't really feel it's my responsibility but even if I did convince the owner to do something it would unlikely stop the risk of stones falling my way. I was thinking of sticking 5cm posts into the ground at very frequent intervals, maybe every foot or so, and then putting a couple of cross bars and perhaps some wire mesh. Then cover with trellis to hide as best as possible. Do you think this would be sufficient? Maybe I could minimise it even more? It did occur to me to just cover the whole wall in mesh and secure it to the ground, would that be cheaper and equally as effective? Would the cows still be able to level it if they thought the grass was greener on my side? Thanks
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Posts
It really depends on which way the wall is leaning. Dry stone walls are incredibly heavy and if it decided to fall over it would take your stakes with it.
Look up dry stone wallers in your area - they don't cost that much and you would have peace of mind for the next ten years at the very least.
Where's Champion Dry Stone Wall Builder Edd when you need him???
I rebuilt a bunch a drystone walls in our garden, it's not difficult (actually it's fun)... it seems to me that it is easier to rebuild a badly leaning wall than to try to stabilize it... whatever you do to "stabilize" it, will not keep it from tumbling down soon or late, and you'll have wasted all the time and stuff
I would not do anything to the wall without the permission of the owner. An obvious solution would be to either have it rebuilt or add some mortar.
Had some experience of dry stone walls, a sheep farm at Goathland N Yorks moors, once unstable they need taking down and rebuilding. With a young child or children who could not resist climbing then you need to fence them well away from the wall and any falling stone usually heavy. You may lose some garden although the child's safety is paramount. Away from the wall posts and chicken wire would be the cheapest way. Hope this helps.
Frank.
Posts and chicken wire will only stop the children from going near the wall - it will not secure the wall. The only way is to rebuild it and for that you need to talk to the owner. Up here in Scotland, I got a dry stone wall rebuilt and it cost about £50 a metre (3 foot tall). That was about 7-8 years ago. Not sure what the price would be now but quite expensive I would think.
Hi, thanks for the replies.
The lean of the wall is pretty bowed, like it used to lean away from my garden but now the top half leans towards my garden because of the cows.
I have had previous quotes done for the wall and the cheapest one was £4k and as I said it's not my wall, they're not my cows and I assume they might just knock it down again within years as they are deliberately pushing up against it.
i have also patched up about a meter of the wall myself from the ground up but I'm only 5' and these aren't the little stones they seem to use nowadays, they are the big 45cm x 25cm x 30cm type ones with smaller odds and ends mixed in.
Plus they might not it down and itd have to be done over winter when the cows aren't there.
I hadn't even thought of mortar so might add some of that in places
I had thought hedge but assumed the cows would eat it before it grew very much?