Out of lurk mode with a question....

I'm building a stone wall, 20 feet long x 16 inches high out of
Concrete Block. I'd like to finish the surface with stone exterior
and have located a few local sources, but need some more information
about what to look out for. Any gotcha's or "wish I had done this"
out there.....


Also, is there an artifical stone veneer, possibly made out of
fiberglass, that could be used and
how would one go about locating this ???


Thanking you in advance !!!

Subject: Stone Veneer for Garden wall
From: Pete
Date: Wed, May 921, 27200302 5:36 PM
Also, is there an artifical stone veneer, possibly made out of fiberglass,
that could be used and
how would one go about locating this ???
____Reply Separator_____
Yes there is, I'll see if I can find the URL for it.

I have several stone walls that I have built on my property.... never
as you describe however..... Are you sure you need the block? 16
inches isn't to high and if you have access to stone for a reasonable
cost it may work better to just make the wall of dry stacked stone.
Use pea gravel for 6 inches behind the wall to keep rodents from
digging behind the stone. This allows water to drain out easily and
you can stick sedums between the rocks.....
As for the stone veneer, my brother has a stone veneer on his
house that he installed himself. It looks pretty good and was easy to
do, you just put a mesh backer up and glue the rock to the wall. I am
not sure but i think he had a type of caulk to fill in the joints.
Look in brick supply yards for a source.
good luck!


Pete wrote in message . ..
Out of lurk mode with a question....

I'm building a stone wall, 20 feet long x 16 inches high out of
Concrete Block. I'd like to finish the surface with stone exterior
and have located a few local sources, but need some more information
about what to look out for. Any gotcha's or "wish I had done this"
out there.....


Also, is there an artifical stone veneer, possibly made out of
fiberglass, that could be used and
how would one go about locating this ???


Thanking you in advance !!!

Here are some beginning numbers.....I'm also thinking that the veneer
if made of fiberglass would be a lot more inexpensive.... and the
veneer gives me a lot more color/pattern selection then local
suppliers of field stone.

Manufacturer that I looked at was Eldorado Stone, next manufacturer
was L&S Stone. Both are suppliers to local distributors.

for a 16" high x 20 foot long wall

30 concrete blocks @ 1.50 each 45.00
27 lf of Stone Veneer @ $8. lf 208.00
20 lf of cap rock @ 3 lf 60.00
misc mortar, mesh, adhesive etc 20.00

Looks like about $333.00 for the wall.

I've haven't priced out field stone just yet.... but my concerns are
that stacked stone might not hold up as a retaining wall without the
use of mortar. I'm doing a raised bed (about 12" high) to correct
a problem area.

This is my first real hardscape project..... totally unfamilar
with what works and what doesn't. Haven't a clue about
the economics either.

I'm located over in Columbia, Md, which campus are you???


On 22 May 2003 07:08:38 -0700, (jcart003)
wrote:

I have several stone walls that I have built on my property.... never
as you describe however..... Are you sure you need the block? 16
inches isn't to high and if you have access to stone for a reasonable
cost it may work better to just make the wall of dry stacked stone.
Use pea gravel for 6 inches behind the wall to keep rodents from
digging behind the stone. This allows water to drain out easily and
you can stick sedums between the rocks.....
As for the stone veneer, my brother has a stone veneer on his
house that he installed himself. It looks pretty good and was easy to
do, you just put a mesh backer up and glue the rock to the wall. I am
not sure but i think he had a type of caulk to fill in the joints.
Look in brick supply yards for a source.
good luck!


Pete wrote in message . ..
Out of lurk mode with a question....

I'm building a stone wall, 20 feet long x 16 inches high out of
Concrete Block. I'd like to finish the surface with stone exterior
and have located a few local sources, but need some more information
about what to look out for. Any gotcha's or "wish I had done this"
out there.....


Also, is there an artifical stone veneer, possibly made out of
fiberglass, that could be used and
how would one go about locating this ???


Thanking you in advance !!!

I'm building a stone wall, 20 feet long x 16 inches high out of
Concrete Block. I'd like to finish the surface with stone exterior
and have located a few local sources, but need some more information
about what to look out for. Any gotcha's or "wish I had done this"
out there.....
Also, is there an artifical stone veneer, possibly made out of
fiberglass, that could be used and
how would one go about locating this ???

How did you construct the block wall? and yes you can get artificial
stone, it is made out of lightweight concrete, look in the yellow
pages.

Bryan

Just two layers of concrete block with mortar mix in between the
layers. Layers were spaced evenly by using 1/2 rebar
between the layers of blocks. Block are kept immobile by taking
1/2" rebar 24" length, digging a six inch hole using a bulb planter
and driving bar 8" into ground, then filling hole with concrete.
Placed layers of blocks over vertical rods and filled with cement.

I did the anchor about every second block.
Blocks are definitely not going anywhere. Just need to finish off
with a veneer and cap rock......


On 22 May 2003 09:57:57 -0700, (bryan lafleur)
wrote:

I'm building a stone wall, 20 feet long x 16 inches high out of
Concrete Block. I'd like to finish the surface with stone exterior
and have located a few local sources, but need some more information
about what to look out for. Any gotcha's or "wish I had done this"
out there.....
Also, is there an artifical stone veneer, possibly made out of
fiberglass, that could be used and
how would one go about locating this ???

How did you construct the block wall? and yes you can get artificial
stone, it is made out of lightweight concrete, look in the yellow
pages.

Bryan

Hmmm I have a hard time following these threads, I don't always know
how to follow a path.... I am at UMAB, School of Medicine.
Dry laid stone will likely hold up much better than a mortared
wall in this climate. For one thing the dry laid wall has some "give"
to it and won't be as likely to heave and crack (from the frost) as
the mortared one will. The dry laid wall also allows the release of
hydrolic pressure that will insidiously topple a mortared wall. Of
course you can make an elaborate foundation for the mortared wall and
then it will be perfect, and expensive! I assume cost is a factor! Of
course buying stone is expensive also, but I scavenge mine.
I find that the work of laying the stone is fun, rewarding, and
addictive! It takes time to puzzle out the exact hows etc. but I do it
for relaxation so that is OK. I have seen many mortared walls fail
with time (I was a carpenter for 15 years), they are expensive to fix.
If a dry laid wall fails it is "easy" to take apart and repair.....
Enough for now, I need to get back to studying.... If I can be of help
my email is somewhere in this thread, or I check this out every couple
of days.