WALLING
One of the beauties of Dry Stone Walls is their flexibility. Literally. When considering a retaining wall in your garden or in a project you need to take into consideration the build up of pressure behind the wall.. Rain and run off from the ground above and behind will meet the barrier you create and will want to find a way out. With a mortared wall there should be a gravel drain at the back of the wall running into a pipe with a free flowing outlet. All of which increases the cost and means you are paying for something you will never see but is essential to the longevity of the wall..
Where mortar is required, be it for aesthetic or structural reasons, consideration must be given to the structural make up of the stone. A soft stone will suffer if used in conjunction with a hard cement so it would be better to use a sacrificial lime mortar instead
On the other hand, A well built dry stone wall, correctly tied in and hearted well with a sound footing will move slightly and flex slightly to find it's place. And due to the fact that it has no mortar, the water will be able to seep out along its length without the need for any drainage. Add to this the fact that the wall will last as long as your house and only get better looking with age, it makes a great deal of sense to utilise the natural benefits of this ancient craft.
Where mortar is required, be it for aesthetic or structural reasons, consideration must be given to the structural make up of the stone. A soft stone will suffer if used in conjunction with a hard cement so it would be better to use a sacrificial lime mortar instead
On the other hand, A well built dry stone wall, correctly tied in and hearted well with a sound footing will move slightly and flex slightly to find it's place. And due to the fact that it has no mortar, the water will be able to seep out along its length without the need for any drainage. Add to this the fact that the wall will last as long as your house and only get better looking with age, it makes a great deal of sense to utilise the natural benefits of this ancient craft.