Excavate to a depth of 6 inches along the entire base of the stone retaining wall using the string marker as a guide.
Building a dry stack stone retaining wall.
Higher walls should be engineered for stability.
Here are the basic steps involved in building a dry stack stone wall.
For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall.
Each layer of a dry stack wall is called a course.
The ideal height for a dry stacked retaining wall is 18 to 22 inches so you can sit on it when your gardening chores are done.
When putting your wall together mix the stone sizes throughout the wall rather than using only large stones at the bottom and small toward the top.
To build a natural dry stone retaining wall prepare the site.
Plan for good drainage proper width height ratio and distance between tiers.
Try to cut the ditch into native soil rather than loose added soil as the former provides a more stable foundation for the wall.
This ditch will act as the wall s footing and prevent the rocks from sliding forward due to pressure from the earth behind.
Lay high quality stones and use a geotextile backing to ensure the wall lasts a long time.
Draw the wall to scale and measure the length and height.
Even if you don t plan to sit on your wall 3 feet is about as high as i would recommend building any dry stacked wall.