Building Stone Retaining Wall

This is the first stone retaining wall I built back in 2008.
For details and more photos visit my web site at:
www.watsondiy.c...

[@stevenfaults4160]

Geez, you build yourself a wall that came out as nice as this. So you figured you'd share some pictures and then half the people commenting are beating you up over details. It's your home Anthony, so if you like it I like it. It's a beautiful job! Everyone's entitled their own opinion, I just hope you're not paying to much attention to the "know-it-alls."

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Thanks! I'm no expert but this wall is ten years old and looks as good as the day I built it. We liked it so much I extended this wall in 2009, then built a third wall a few years later in 2014.

[@stevenfaults4160]

Good for you! I live in New England and have been a mason for more than 33 years now. I love it when people take the initiative to build their own things. Hey it's the 21st century now and with Google we are all experts at what ever we'd like to be:-)

[@georgelamoree1569]

@@AnthonyWatsonDIYhey Anthony! May I ask what kind of rock and mortar did you use? And how much rock did it require?

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

@@georgelamoree1569 I bought a 13 yard dump truck load of "gabion" stone. I honestly don't know what kind of rock it is, basalt maybe. Whatever is commonly available in our area. It was supposed to be 4" to 8" stones, but my load had everything from 12" down to tiny pebbles. As for the mortar I used this: www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-60-lb-Mortar-Mix-110260/100318487

[@عبدالإلهعلوي-ل5ج]

عنداك القدم

[@maxgilbert18]

Creating order from chaos. The highest calling of man. Excellent work.

[@jmontgomery1178]

Build in 2008, uploaded in 2015, watched by me 2020. We aren't rushing into things.

[@JackCondor44]

lol

[@princeofpenangisland]

And im watching this in 2021

[@BuynLargeCorp]

2024!

[@jmontgomery1178]

@@BuynLargeCorp Whoo-hoo! Still going strong!

[@BaileyC98]

2024 and it's best to take things slow. 😉🤭😆

[@CharlieRemusMerrydew]

Intricate, detail oriented and shear will power rule. A true legacy wall that inspires others too. Great work!

[@DiffEQ]

You obviously know nothing about it. This wall will fail in short order depending on his climate. See my full comment for details. My point is that you have no foundation to state whether he did a great job, mediocre job, or plain ignorant job.

[@mr_4point681]

@@DiffEQ he has had it for over 9 years..he says it looks the same as day 1...what do you have to say to that??

[@williamwoody7607]

Really nicely done. The moving MDX backing wall is a great idea.

[@rickj1983]

You made that wall look absolutely beautiful.

[@frankpen7627]

Very nice stone wall, Mr. Watson. It was a really good job. It's for all your life. Thanks for sharing it. Congrats!!

[@buckbuchanan4902]

Great job and a beautiful property! I've been wanting to do some stone work, and this has inspired me!

[@DRTYFN]

Very nice!! That wall turned out great! Thanks for sharing this video.

[@bustinya2240]

Looks good brother. Not gonna lie, that footer had me worried. Glad to hear there are no issue to date!

[@elwoodpolarisrzr5957]

you should back fill with rock for drainage great job

[@casey98]

hi ! Thanks for advice ! Also, would you leave some little "gaps" between some stones to drain water too ?

[@lovelearnandgrow2853]

Beautiful job Mr. Watson! That is Art!

[@daxisperry7644]

Amazing work. I never would've thought to use plywood to keep it flat. Great idea!

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

I used the piece of plywood to have something to build the wall against. It ensured the wall was vertical, and prevented stones and mortar falling behind the wall as I was building. I filled the space behind the wall with a drainage pipe, gravel, and landscape fabric for drainage.

[@narayanamurthy6177]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/navEhqOlhrWBqbs nnn

[@Goldenspitfire588]

Nice work. In the past i buílted one and i know how much dificult it is. Well done.

[@sionyevans]

Ahh plumb as you like..what a sweet job ..how very satisfying..good man.thats a forever wall...for generations to come..

[@williebourke9962]

Anthony watson .You do very nice work .

[@dcruz125]

The great wall of watson good job sir that will be around for hundred's of years.

[@gearjammer4779]

Excellent job Anthony! 👍

[@paulcarter2907]

NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME HOW A PILE OF RUBBLE CAN BE MADE SO BEAUTIFUL..CONGRATS!

[@edilsuzer1262]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWa8eK1tiNxpp7s Look my vide amazing!!

[@TheInnerGenius]

The wall ain't so bad either!

[@mrcwoodworks4523]

Awesome brother that wall will last for many decades

[@iwantosavemoney]

very impressive sir slowly but surely your end product is awesome great job sir

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

+iwantosavemoney Thank you!

[@youssefamchouri9210]

iwantosavemoney

[@mikeoconnell4229]

Just wait for the frozen soil to start pushing this winter, not going save much then. Should have watched a u-tube video on how to do it right!

[@michaelrussell1456]

iwantosavemoney v

[@bakhshishelahiharoone4272]

I'm Black ston smith and ston cheznar

[@gregmonz697]

Nice job , for a novice . The only thing I would have told you is to put gravel behind it and plenty of weep holes to release the pressure .

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

There is gravel and a 4" perforated drain line behind the wall. It doesn't show up in the video, but you can see it in the photos on my web site. www.watsondiy.com/20080908-stone-wall-2008.php

[@Zanzubaa]

Looks fantastic, good job. Should still be their in a hundred years!

[@marccesped5581]

Thank you very much Mr. Watson for sharing your work, for me it was very inspiring, I saw him many times to notice the way he did it, then I applied those tips and built a similar wall at the entrance of my plot, I still do not finish it because I had an accident in my truck and I am recovering the strength in my hands, but I hope to finish it soon and share my work with you, cordial greetings from the end of the world, Chile

[@narayanamurthy6177]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/navEhqOlhrWBqbs....

[@jwills8606]

Just a couple of things: We had a lot of stonemasons immigrate from the "old country" into the area where I grew up, and their retaining walls, over 100 years old now, still stand in perfect order - some more than eight feet tall. They always placed terra cotta pipe "weep holes" through the walls, so they could bleed off water from behind, preventing the soil from freezing, expanding, and toppling their walls. They also put rubble between the walls and the hillside, also to drain water down to the weep holes and to prevent frozen ground from shoving their walls from behind. I don't see those here. Are you in an area that doesn't freeze? Have you had any problems with the above? Thanks.

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

I have a 4" perforated pipe behind the wall that redirects any water to the other side of our property. That is surrounded by stone and landscape fabric to keep soil out of the drain. Only the top 8-10 inches or so is soil. The wall is over 12 years old now and there have not had any issues. I'm in SW Washington state.

[@isaacanthes]

Such a nice job man!! This looks great!

[@ericc.7000]

Wow, who knew a real stone wall could be done in less than five minutes, and so nicely done at that! My stone mason crew would spend a few days - and that's three guys! Well done sir! 👍

[@DiffEQ]

You obviously know nothing about it. This wall will fail in short order depending on his climate. See my full comment for details. My point is that you have no foundation to state whether he did a great job, mediocre job, or plain ignorant job.

[@paulpurves484]

@@DiffEQyou talk rubbish I bet that wall is still standing

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

Nice job, that looks great. You've inspired me!

[@vivekbisht1111]

👺

[@narayanamurthy6177]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/navEhqOlhrWBqbs.

[@lavondacarter7228]

Beautiful place, love rock walls because there are never two alike !

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Thank you Lavonda!

[@jackaffeldt]

That wall looks great!

[@timwilkinson2797]

Very nice ! - Well done Anthony , Good job Retired Bricky from the UK

[@juanvillalobos5215]

I can't wait to try this at home. Thank you so much sir. You did an outstanding job

[@Ringele5574]

That is impressive work. gorgeous end result.

[@crouchingwombathiddenquoll5641]

Excellent video. Throughout the video we can see you loose weight and gain muscle 💪🏼 well done. Thanks from Australia ✌🏼🇦🇺🌏

[@ericpeters7236]

Great video thanks for sharing. one question, don't you need dead men in that wall through the net from pushing over? By the way, you should have told the UPS guy that you are ordering more rocks. *)

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

+Eric Peters I did not install deadmen bracing in my wall. The majority of the wall is under 3 feet high, and the mass of the monolithic wall basically keeps it from moving. I also curves back into the hill, sort of like a dam is built. I installed a drain pipe and gravel behind the wall which also helps reduce hydrostatic pressure from behind. The wall hasn't moved a bit in eight years.

[@marccornelius9371]

I'm wondering about the bearing pressure of the native soil, and what the footing is rated for. Where the rock wall and footing aren't a single piece, it will be prone to shifting with the lateral force of the native soil. Great work! I would recommend using rebar to tie the two together to increase resistance to the pressure of the earth it's retaining. Won't fail in this life time, that's for sure.

[@Butchrknife]

Very nice wall Anthony Watson. Thanks for the ideas I have been looking for. I am finishing my 14 x14 log cabana. The grounds not level and my structure in on round footings and I need to make up for the un level ground! Thanks again. Around Seattle out.

[@roddog24]

Very interested to know how this wall has held up, especially with that tree right there

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Hi Rodney. The wall is over 11 years old now and doing great. No cracks and no leaning. We are shaded by lots of trees so moss tends to grow on the wall. I clean that off every couple years or so. Also, since the hill behind the wall slopes down, I occasionally have to clear away dirt that has washed up against the back edge of the wall, but that's only needed after a few years. Otherwise, no issues, it looks as good as the day I built it. Thanks for watching!

[@leoleebirdevallativa8252]

That came out fucking awesome... people who do this kind of stone walls are artists and my man u are an artist I don't think the average person knows how hard this type of work is... because it's hard very hard...u did an excellent job hats off to u...

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Thanks so much!

[@trueorfalse6347]

beautiful, thanks for sharing.

[@kavindersingh5929]

Beautiful .. I love natural beauty.. Great Job. Love from Dharmshala Himachal India.

[@paullarnce2167]

Incredible- a lot of hard work, but the results were worth it!

[@paulpurves484]

Lovely job a real work of art

[@tipidpckeyboardwarriors7379]

Hey Ese this great video. Thank you for sharing.

[@rizalukman7982]

It is really a good quality of video on how to build stone retaining wall

[@kevinmclean6205]

Great job !! That's how things get done , a day at a time with perseverance.

[@BlueSkySanctuaryBaja]

Wow, amazing job man, so impressive!! Looks great, standing ovation!!

[@rodrigopanachao2234]

How long did it take? What is the lenght of the wall? Congrats for the work, amazing!

[@whitefields5595]

Now get the drill out to install the weep holes?

[@megantufano3170]

real stones or material made stone also awesome wall

[@omeryalcn5345]

Bravo Anthony !

[@MirahCarter]

Quality job. Well done.

[@jrobbin24]

I hate the music but love the wall. Good job!

[@rockyendell1313]

love this! you did such a great job and I bet it took a lot of patience. do you think this same technique could be used to build a fire pit? just instead of a plywood back for shape, use a round surface to build around then remove when it's done?

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

I'm sure you could, you would just need to use refractory cement to set the stones. Traditional mortar may explode as the heat of the fire causes trapped moisture to expand. Or, use something like a steel ring for the fire pit and build the stone wall around the exterior as decoration.

[@narayanamurthy6177]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/navEhqOlhrWBqbs...

[@scuba6797]

Hard work paid off. Good Job.

[@MI-xm5kx]

I love this kind of stone wall pure art

[@guidofaria6721]

Beautiful work.

[@samyish]

Impressive and labor intensive work. How long did it take you to complete this wall?

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Samy Ismael Thanks. It took about four months to complete the wall. You can see more photos and details at www.watsondiy.com/2008wall.htm

[@isaacthepyro]

How many labor hours would you estimate that it took?

[@Thiago-os7xp]

Great work Anthony! Congratulations!

[@roneyduarte2108]

HIi Antony Watson. Very nice job! Post one picture now. Ten years later! Where´s it stay?

[@davidlango1850]

Yes! It's been ten years! Is the pretty rock wall still there? I wonder if it's actually retaining anything? A lot of walls built like that tend to lean over as time goes by.

[@Gabriel1o1]

@@davidlango1850 i think the leaning is due to water expension and contraction behind the wall. Gravel, a sheet of sediment retaining film and a pipe at the bottom behind the wall to carry the water collected should help.

[@twal5299]

I didn't want to be the first to say it but don't build a wall like that if it actually has to retain anything. He built a wall that has probably already been replaced.

[@eggplanthose]

@@twal5299 There are a number of comments like this but none that actually point to what specifically was wrong or where to find better information.

[@twal5299]

@@eggplanthose Google building a Deadman retaining wall. There are different types depending on how high your wall will be. Having a drain behind the wall could be needed also. The height of the wall your base and the local conditions all need to be taken into consideration.

[@garyhardy9511]

Well done mate ,great job

[@vBrit]

Amazing work, what type of stone is it?

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

It is sold as 4-8 inch gabion rock. It's normally placed inside wire cages to quickly build walls and retain slopes. I'm not sure what the actual stone is, maybe basalt? Whatever the common stone in our area is.

[@Batman-wv5ng]

Beautiful wall nothing looks better then stone .

[@billastell3753]

If this wall was built in a northern area where frosts go into the ground the cement base will crack and cracks will form up through the nicely laid stones. To add to the problems little or no drainage system or even crushed stone was used behind the wall. Even in frost free areas the water will dam up behind the wall and push it forward. Looks nice in this video. I'd like to see it in 5 years. To bad it was not done right!

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

The footing is below the 12 inch frost line in our area. There is a 4" perforated drain, crushed stone, and landscape fabric behind the wall. The wall is almost ten years old now, no cracks, no leaning. Good as the day I built it.

[@danceswithstone]

Bravo Anthony! Might not have been done "right", but it was done right enough👍👍

[@BlackMan614]

You should of showed that in the video. That is a very important part of this very impressive wall! Check out Mike Haduck videos to see how he explains the details of retaining walls and their problems in the northeast.

[@moscato1ca]

How about a current pic?

[@DarronRansbarger]

What do you have to say to THAT, BILL?!?!

[@travelsdzoon223]

Very nice ! Greetings from Sri Lanka

[@JorgeGutierrez-hw3ve]

hermoso trabajo, le felicito soy albañil de chile :)

[@deedaw9246]

I have so many questions! Great job!

[@leonardo31207]

It won't last long, there is no column structures, also the trees roots would probably effect the wall, collapse by time

[@mrcwoodworks4523]

kutai kuno hater alert

[@mikeoconnell4229]

@@mrcwoodworks4523 no hate at all! Just experience and the facts

[@rosebellcarter2695]

Some people are so gifted they make others covet.

[@loscachorrosmasperrones525]

We build stone Walls and we do diferent couse is a retaining Wall should be about 30 or 36 inches in the back Side when you star and so when you reach the width of the Top the That it could be 20 inches you gonna have like 10 inches from the faundation to the top that it makes bery strong if guys want u can contact me 9145898337 i live in new York

[@boomerrob9223]

What a joyous ray of sunshine you are.

[@gracerp]

Very nice and inspiring. I'd like to make one myself too

[@dinamikasanluis]

Felicitaciones .. Muy Bella Pared.

[@jaynareynolds3684]

Looks so good!

[@paulbetka2966]

Is it still standing❓

[@danielpugh1993]

Yeah i was thinking the same thing. No drainage behind the wall.

[@t3hgraemek]

no drainage and the foundation was only like a foot deep. I feel like frost + water would destroy this thing

[@jordanhansen8631]

There is plenty of drainage, and a foot is more than enough.

[@KushMaster5]

Paul Betka crvckd' n broken from where I'm at. To each his own....

[@woofdog4219]

Never use concrete ,doesn't allow the joints to breath , which will cause the stone to break apart .

[@georgeEPC]

Nicely done Anthony

[@jorgearmandorodriguezrodri1740]

can you build trump's wall?? haha Just kidding. nice work

[@carlodamelio6835]

Jorge Armando Rodriguez Rodriguez yeah what did you learn how to do the stonework in the garbage can

[@usedbrickie9166]

Did Carlo have to many cocktails before hitting the comment reply?

[@JodBronson]

I got a Joke for Carlo and you all.... Why Mexican can't cross the new Border?

[@reikonr7173]

Cause there is no new border Jordan

[@JodBronson]

+Reikon R - A. Because they can't Trump (Jump)!

[@johndelepine4856]

Great Job Anthony.

[@adriansmith7104]

Amazing! even the name plate there for ages

[@trinashappyplace2773]

Can you please tell me how you went from having mortar all over the stones to them looking so nice and clean. That's one thing I've been stressing about before I begin. You did a great job!

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Sure. After I placed the stones with mortar I would let it set up until it was firm but still workable. Then I used a scrub brush and a light spray with a garden hose to clean the mortar from the stones and shape between the stones. The actual time varied depending on the weather, but it usually took about an hour or two to set up before cleaning. If I waited too long I sometimes needed a wire brush to clean the hardened mortar. I'm sure my approach is unconventional, but it worked well for me. A few days after the wall was done, I used muriatic acid (from Lowes) to clean any remaining haze from the stones. Hope this helps!

[@garyaustin7254]

Unbelievable pal,that looks absolutely amazing 👍

[@Batman-wv5ng]

Very nice nothing beats stone wall the best of all material

[@nickysantoro9194]

Well did it hold up man? Amazing. I gotta watch it again but i may just copy u exactly.

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Yep, this wall is about 15 years old now and still looks as good as the day I built it. No cracks, no leaning, no failures. Moss tends to grow on over time, so I do have to clean that off every few years. That's about it.

[@ILMUBANGUNAN]

Luarbiasa cara pasang batu nya salam sehat dan sukses selalu di sana❤❤🎉

[@jamesatkins3992]

Nice job with the wall

[@furgulley8077]

great job! you have a beautiful peoperty. I got a chuckle out of the ups guy watching you. I have a background in the landscape industry but now I'm a letter carrier for the postal service. I catch myself scoping out my customers landscape projects on the route too. many plants have been planted based on my recommendation :) thanks for sharing your project.

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

+jason shuler Thanks! Yeah, the UPS guy visited several times during the project and was always interested in my progress. My mailman just kept saying he couldn't believe I was doing it. :)

[@tenthdimension9836]

Holy cow man that's awesome 👍😎 I'm glad I came across this video. Makes me think I can do it too. Would great to see a follow up 15 years later. How did it hold up?

[@richardvalitalo3670]

Wow lot's of hard work & great results. Still think frost will push it over in time. I think stone walls need to be just as wide as they are tall & sloped on the bank side.

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

It's 15 years old now with no issues. We do have a mild climate and I have gravel and a drain line behind the wall. That said, nothing lasts forever...

[@ldnelso2]

Savage man!!!! Well done 💪

[@universalityofremodeling]

Very beautiful, planning to start same project soon. I love the way you decline it very nice.

[@turbobobby1]

beautiful work sir!!💯👍👍👍

[@peterduvac7268]

Hello, you are very skilled man.

[@kgt877]

Excellent work sir.

[@Fattrac]

Wow, great looking wall Anthony. Congrats! Thanks for posting.

[@narayanamurthy6177]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/navEhqOlhrWBqbs...

[@loadedhot1034]

I wish people still built homes out of stone like they used to.

[@percival23]

There are more ways to mess up building a wall like this than there is stones in that wall. The learning curve for a perfect stone wall like this is so hard ...it's the reason we invented bricks. And that is no cake walk either.

[@FodayTuray]

Man your methords is very unique and impressive. I like it Mate.

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

+Foday Turay I don't remember how I came up with the method I used, but it seemed to work well. Thanks for watching.

[@dangerboy808]

Im from hawaii where they use big moss rock to make nice retaining walls , and its more strong than any brick or precast concrete wall

[@thomream1888]

Aloha brah!

[@bobybull]

In Hungary the concrete base is always at least 60cm(2ft) deep. The winter is cold and soil freezes down deep. If base is not deep enough freeze lifts things up even houses

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

Our frost line is only 12" deep here, so I dug down about 6 inches than back filled another 6 inches to stay below the frost line. Other areas up north may need to go 3-4 feet or deeper to avoid frost heaving like you mentioned. Good drainage behind the wall is critical also.

[@julanmax]

Awsome work. 🇱🇰❤

[@gentrystinnetti8277]

I need to build a wall. It looks great

[@hisroyalblueness]

Nice work and a very pleasing finish👍 but I’d have put some short pipe drainage points through the bottom of the retaining wall, and a run of graded ‘no fines’ stone as filter media behind it, to relive the water pressure by creating a longitudinal filter drain with pressure relief points. Maybe I’d over engineered it by doing that but it would enhance its long term performance for very little additional cost. Having said that, what you’ve done could very well out last me 😊 Out of interest, how’s it holding up so far?

[@AnthonyWatsonDIY]

There is a 4" perforated drain covered with stone and landscape fabric behind the wall for drainage. It discharges over the hill on the other side of our yard. See the photos on my web site at: www.watsondiy.com/20080908-stone-wall-2008.php. 16 years later the wall is holding up nicely. Other than occasional moss build up on the wall, there has been no cracking and no leaning.

[@hisroyalblueness]

@@AnthonyWatsonDIY I’m glad to hear it, thank you. It looks beautiful and I’m delighted that it’s functioning well. I must’ve missed a sequence from the video as it sounds like you made provisions for drainage. In any event, engineering design is measured by time. I’ll go back and have a rewatch, and thanks again for responding, it’s much appreciated 👍

[@richardharlow1748]

Now that's a job to be proud of!

[@pinoyako9830]

Amazing work of skill and art.

[@ngatiwaihitman]

Beautiful work!!