How to build a Dry Stone Wall. Part 1: Laying the Foundation.

A more in depth look at how to lay the foundation for a dry stone wall with a focus on the internal structure and an explanation of using a string line.

[@kirkthibault3204]

The rainbow in the sky at the end of the video… icing on the cake.

[@DEFENDERNZ]

A drag rake saves your back and can slide, spin and even flip rocks without having to bend over. A pitchfork is equally handy for picking up smaller rocks and waste. You can "grade" rocks/stones for use as fill as well. I love tools!

[@johnwayne3085]

I'm surrounded by them daily.

[@cbriangilbert1978]

Seems the hard part is setting up the lines and finding the angle of the stakes...need a video on that now! Thank you!

[@iandanger883]

​@somehillyvuiygoodHow is that the hardest part?

[@stuntmonkey6969]

What a lovely start to my day, can't wait for more. I don't build walls (but would love to) but I do build mountain bike features so love using stone :)

[@Vanbulance89]

Enjoyed the video. That rainbow at the was certainly perfect timing!

[@Kelsdoggy]

Absolute art. So impressive.

[@wesleysept6536]

I have experience doing professional " Stone masonry", and yes I am a brick layer. More correctly, I was a brick layer, and I don't know it all. I'm hoping to learn some productive lessons, and skills. Thank you for all your efforts in building these videos. With love, and respect. Wes Sept

[@drystone-tv]

Thanks for your comment and wise words. None of us know it all. Doing a trade is a lifelong learning journey . Hopefully these videos get people interested in the craft and they will find as much enjoyment in stonework as I do.

[@jamesfyffe2610]

It’s a line, not a string 😁 SUNY Delhi masonry construction 1983.

[@Fgttgfd]

Silly question but if you wanted to build a house made out of stone what trade is that, bricklayer, stonemason or both? Could someone please break down the difference between a bricklayer and stone Mason and what both do.

[@JediShilts]

Best tip I ever got...Just stay on task

[@JediShilts]

​@@FgttgfdI took a Masonry Vocational and we actually did both bricks for walls and rocks for fireplaces and entryways

[@djcr_91]

Just had my first go at drystone walling in my front driveway, using Derbyshire gritstone. This video was super helpful, so thanks very much! Really enjoyed the process and I’m pretty pleased with the result so far. Slow progress for me, but feels great to try and learn a new skill! Enjoying the videos, it’s great to watch artists at work!

[@drystone-tv]

Nice one! I love a bit of that Derbyshire gritstone. It usually works quite well with the hammer. No need to go fast if you're just doing you own job , enjoy the process!

[@philtucker1224]

Thank you. I can already feel that heavy stability beginning. Looking forward to e2.

[@PatrickWillcox]

Auspicious rainbow at the end. Keep ‘em coming!

[@chocalatekid8024]

So fun to watch the instant progress....when you know how hard someone is workimg!👏👏👏

[@billsitter8278]

Great video for the basics with string & shaping the foundation stones. Also good tip about not carrying more than you have to.

[@Winterfell1066]

Super helpful. Best wishes from Mississippi.We have to pay a lot for stone here. We have mostly swamps and mud in the winter, but a nice stone wall sticks out in a good way. Only northern MS has much natural stone. My Grandad's house in Starkville, MS was built of Tishomingo Stone with some really nice pecky cypress paneling on the inside.

[@patrickodonnell4109]

Respect to you, sir. Beautiful craftsmanship. 🪨

[@ServiDem]

Such a beautyfull rainbow at the background💕 thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@goodmantruth8185]

Thank you very much!!! It is a very helpful video. I wish you all the best in life, health, happiness & peace.

[@andjuju6476]

Great skill to have, keep the knowledge alive.

[@bomma2694]

Thanks for the lesson! I definitely feel I learned something there ! 👌

[@yoiyomismo]

Amazing work, thank you for sharing!

[@drystone-tv]

cheers for watching!

[@northdevonpictures826]

Useful video for beginners, thanks very much. A friend needs a 3ft dry wall and step, down from the river bank at the bottom of her garden. Am sure this video will be useful 👍Cheers.

[@barrygreen3926]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to make these vids....really good.

[@SeanGildea77]

Great video!! Keep making more!!! Liked

[@AnInterestedObserver]

Fascinating. Thanks for making this video.

[@arthurgentz2]

I absolutely appreciate the lack of music through out the video. Sometimes creators really only add music to the video because they think that is "how it's supposed to be done, it's gotta have music in there". But very few deliberately add a piece of music to make for a rather more soothing, easier viewing experience. If you aren't adding music to make for less abrasive viewing, then quite possibly you've added music that makes it more abrasive. Keep it up.

[@NathanHarrison7]

There’s nothing more that I would love then a stone wall on my property. But the time and cost is incredible.

[@drystone-tv]

If you can get a fast waller you might be able to afford your wall! lots of productive wallers in the UK.

[@cobbdan]

Great advice - looking forward ti the rest of the project!

[@drystone-tv]

Cheers! If there's anything you'd like to hear about in particular let me know and I'll see if I can cover it in a video at some point. Cheers for watching! 👍

[@f.demascio1857]

Good video. I bought the leftovers from a slate stone wall build. Wanting to build around a flower bed in the yard. I appreciate your guidance.

[@UtilemUnus]

I'm subscribing not just because it was a good video that I enjoyed but on principle of the fact that you should have way more subscribers! Thanks for the vid

[@gregrot]

Nice vid mate, very informative. I've often wondered, how the dry stone walls you see going up mountains, in North Wales were built. Must have been proper graft.

[@drystone-tv]

Yeah its amazing when you see those walls going up massive slopes in Wales and up in the Lakes. I'll do a video at some point showing the technique of walling uphill. Hard to get your head around at first. Hard graft for sure. 🪨🪨

[@bridgets7794]

@@drystone-tv Thanks so much for the bloody real instructionals, Bert & Lydia! I've learned so much and really enjoy the relaxed pace of your lessons. It's a privilege to learn from your dad as well. I loved seeing the three of you all working on the same wall in another of your videos. That was really moving. Also, it would be great to see an uphill walling video. I can't find anything about it online, only on retaining walls, so you'd get all the amateur waller traffic. Cheers and many thanks from Nova Scotia!

[@drumsneeze1724]

So helpful for my wildlife garden project, thank you! Better get back to it and put my learning into action...

[@frankbarciakiii4697]

It has always been a dream of mine to build with stone and have no idea what i'm doing. Turned to youtube and found you. Slowing down to say thanks and will give it a shot in the USA

[@frazerrennie1340]

Great video. Cheers

[@idropbars]

Great video!

[@alanblyde8502]

Thanks for the info mate, one of my to do lists in the future 👌🇦🇺

[@liamredmill9134]

I would walk the line with a sledge hammer,evening out every inch of compression level .this was interesting and relaxing on a Saturday morning,thanks

[@bedigeneyingu1692]

I guess you could build a stone house too on the same principles but morttared? I am very glad I found your video. Very informative. Thanks a million.

[@drystone-tv]

Yes exactly. Lots of houses in the world are built with solid stone walls and a lime/earth mortar.

[@henriqueg374]

Thaks for sharing. I'm from Brazil and we dont have to much information here about wall/house stones.

[@DavidWaeldervideo]

That was awesome . Thank you

[@soniawoolley366]

Thanks - good easy to listen explanation ...

[@jakesink77]

Thank yoy for putting out this content

[@Endeavor545]

Stacked rock walls are so cool!

[@Knightrider4086]

Fantastic!

[@patriciamcintosh8799]

Keep the video's coming, I am very interested 💞🇨🇦💞🇨🇦💞🇨🇦

[@DrQupax]

Thanks so much. I have a few walls to build in my garden, I saw a chap in Marsden huddersfield building a wall last year and he had done a perfect job. Cant wait to do mine.

[@freeforester1717]

You’re a true British Hero!

[@drystone-tv]

Haha! Finally some recognition

[@johnlong123long]

awesome vid and clear instruction. can you do a quick vid on how to pick topping stones?

[@drystone-tv]

Yep absolutely.

[@annebarr9314]

Great accent. Great video.

[@capthappy345]

Excellent!! Only lift what U have 2. B economical! I regret not listening when I was young!

[@ryanhandful]

Great video. Can you tell me how many metres its possible to get down in a day? Thanks

[@leightond4.3.5.9]

thankyou for your advice greatly appreciated, I'm currently learning about stone masonry just saving up for my tools and stone, could i recommend making a video on the different types of tools and how to use them

[@drystone-tv]

Yeah thats a good idea for a video! I'd recommended getting something like an estwing brick hammer for a start they're about £35 so reasonably affordable.

[@WoodJack92]

Amazing, thank you man

[@drystone-tv]

thanks for watching!

[@calgacusofcaledonia]

Nice 👍

[@pranotostb]

Good informasiont ilmu pondasi

[@BomBoolery]

Thanks for posting this. Can't wait to see other videos!

[@drystone-tv]

Coming soon, just on holiday at the mo.

[@ezerikdaswahreleben2715]

Awesome, thx

[@CoulterStoneMasonry]

Those rocks make a wall much easier to build! I’ve used mostly irregular stones for my double faced dry stack walls here in NewEngland.

[@drystone-tv]

These slabs are perfect for walling for sure but irregular stuff is great to wall too! Just a different mindset but the same rules apply; length in, follow the internal shapes, stones meet in height at the joints. The difference is you don't need to lay them in level courses you can go a bit wavy to account for the shapiness!

[@CoulterStoneMasonry]

@@drystone-tv you’re right, I think the waviness is what I like about the irregular stones. Your work is awesome!

[@robhi3518]

Hey mate, very pleasant to watch. Give your doggy a hug from me. We are about to start building a stone sauna...we gonna try to make the roof in a dome shape. I am absolute beginner and i got the pleasure to do our project with one of the most well known gentleman here in the area. He said that he never did a dome shape roof...so challenge is definitely on. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Greetings.

[@drystone-tv]

That is certainly an ambitious build and I've done a dome before so could do a video on it to explain the process!

[@mehboobshaikh285]

Nice one

[@bagmszsolarenerji4029]

Great videos

[@drystone-tv]

Thanks!

[@chrandersson8332]

great!!!!

[@WastedElephant]

I have never done any stonework, but one general thing about being economical with your energy that I have noticed is to use your bodyweight to move things when possible instead of using your muscles.

[@dantheman9135]

ThankQ

[@ericscottstevens]

I live in a limestone region. Not the greatest rock for longevity as layers can start to shed due to weathering. But really that is all I have to use and lots of freebies come out of the ground over the years and I use a truckers cheater bar to pry them out. I dry stack, it is like a puzzle and get good results. Hardly hammer any as I can fit angles together well. So far 5 walls, one large fire pit from freebies coming out of the ground. Stacking is fun but the older you get the more aches begin..

[@1gr8lpta]

Good video

[@bubbaluv6487]

can you do one on how to chip those stones to size nicely like that?

[@augustinep6193]

Good.

[@mainstonecarving]

bloody real!!!

[@drystone-tv]

Bleeeedy real job 😋❤️‍🔥🤙

[@grahamhiggins1816]

What type of stone is that?

[@user-gw7oy5hm7m]

Great video. Wondering how you'd lay the foundations uphill?

[@drystone-tv]

What you do is cut a trench that is like a set of steps into the hillside and lay the foundation up that. If i get the opportunity on a wall like that I'll do a video.

[@ptonpc]

Subbed.

[@EntreePotato]

What kind of tool are you using to chip the rock? Is it a regular hammer?

[@drystone-tv]

it's a Riley 4lb Northern Walling Hammer

[@EntreePotato]

@@drystone-tv thanks and great video.

[@user-vm2hj6bj7u]

Please sir make video of second third course of wall with irregular shape of stone how to make it and how to adjust with stone

[@drystone-tv]

Yeah ill do that! I think I'll have time in September to do some more videos

[@nickyraimouth]

Nice video . I work in landscaping and am looking at getting into Drystone walling also. Do you find there is alot of demand and if so is it mainly farmers that want it doing ?

[@drystone-tv]

It depends where you are located but I started professionally in 2014 and have never been short of work. I mainly work in gardens for private clients or landscapers. Occasionally I will work for a farmer but where I am there is not that much Farm walling. In the national parks there are grants for the field walls so there is much more work available.

[@nickyraimouth]

@@drystone-tv cheers thats good info. I'm Leeds based and happy to travel for bigger jobs if they're in nice places. I look into the national park side of jobs . What's the kind of rate people tend to charge ? I've seen it anywhere upto 200 for a metre squared (both sides)

[@drystone-tv]

@nickyraimouth hmm, that's a very difficult question to answer as it depends on a few factors. Namely, what quality are you building the wall at and how wallable is the stone you are using. I would say that £200 a meter is expensive because you should be aiming to build 2 meters a day at a minimum. If you're just starting you might not hit that target but that's what you should aim for. For my top quality work I charge £120/130 a meter. I have worked up in the dales for £40 a meter but because of the situation I was able to put up 6 meters.

[@drystone-tv]

@@nickyraimouth just make sure to always charge extra for prep work and tidying up .

[@nickyraimouth]

@@drystone-tv cheers thats given me a bit more of a guide line to have a think about . Would you ever need an occasional labourer? I'm planning on doing the lantra course in Derbyshire whenever the next one is but been thinking would be good to work with someone every now and again that's doing it for a living to pick up some tricks

[@marks6663]

Can I ask you what kind of stone are you using? Also can you make a two storey house out of a dry stone technique? Thank you.

[@drystone-tv]

Hi , this is sandstone- a great building material. I wouldn't recommend solely dry stone for any kind of dwelling , however a Dry stone cladding can look really cool! The problem is that with this technique you don't have any thermal or moisture barrier so it would make a very cold and damp house !

[@MilesPittman]

In that last shot, that’s a rainbow 🌈 over your head dude!

[@DannyGarrigan]

You should film n post ALL ur work..

[@drystone-tv]

I'll do my best! I've just got a timelapse camera so hopefully that will help.

[@deedaw9246]

what type of stone is/can be used

[@drystone-tv]

All geological stone types can be used. Generally speaking most dry stone walls are built with what Quarrys call 'overburden' This is the rougher material that is found just under the surface and can't be used for much else.

[@MaxSafeheaD]

What kind of hammer are you using?

[@drystone-tv]

This is a Riley 4lb northern style walling hammer

[@cassconner6023]

What other work can a man do that would last hundreds of years? I used to repair dry walls along horse farms in Central Kentucky U.S.A. and wished I had found out about it earlier in life, alas, age is upon me and I'm afraid that ship has sailed.

[@bodyzoasispersonaltraining9186]

Foundation of drainable aggregate and compact aggregate for under every wall to avoid heave and rodent tunnels sinking portions. 6 to 12 inches deep and compacted in courses.

[@drystone-tv]

There are over 160,000 miles of dry stone wall in the UK nearly all of which are built directly on subsoil and over 150 years old.

[@larss337]

Very good video. I learned a lot about stone walls. I had no idea that the fill was larger stones hammered in place and that small stones added no strength. I am a bit worried that you don't use safety goggles, but maybe that was just for the vid. Anyways, cheers mate, good on y'a 😊👍

[@user-qj2fc5gp2m]

good technic

[@drystone-tv]

Cheers!

[@dprdoran]

If you are building a foundation for a building with dry stack stones, would you need to make the first course below the frostline? Would you ever need to start below grade for a wall or is heaving not really an issue for walls?

[@drystone-tv]

Yes absolutely, you'll need to go below the frostline if you're building for a house or something. Frost heave does affect dry stone walls which is why most of the original new England dry stone walls are totally collapsed

[@alicemarshall7695]

What tool are you using to trim the stones please? Can you send the name on please.

[@johnrae7117]

Is that Alston sandstone, I'm building a wall with it

[@drystone-tv]

This is stone from a private quarry on an estate in South Yorkshire. It's great stuff but it's all really big stuff. That Alston stuff is awesome just a bit too far to transport it down here

[@johnrae7117]

@@drystone-tv thanks Good video spot on, I've been dry stone waller for 30 years I'm in scotland

[@joshrea6554]

Will there be a part 2 coming soon? 😬

[@drystone-tv]

I've filmed the first half of part two. It's going to be a long video with lots of information so it's taking a bit of putting together. Should be up later this month. Cheers!

[@joshrea6554]

@@drystone-tv looking forward to it 😊

[@hunts318]

I'm not sure I understand, what keeps a stone wall such as this, built on surface grade, from frost heaving every season?

[@drystone-tv]

That is a good observation! Where I live we don't get frost heave. We get a couple of shallow frosts every winter of about 6" but nothing to seriously effect the walls. Where there is a problem with frost it's a good idea to dig down and put some gravel down. Whatever the local builders recommend really! 👌

[@composedlight6850]

I was told that your first cource (foundation) of stones need to run across the wall , not along the line like you have done. In competition you would be marked down significantly

[@drystone-tv]

The rule you have to abide by in walling is length-in. But this applies differently to different sized stones. These stones are all touching back to back and therefore couldn't be more length in.

[@user-mk3mj4uu9i]

Используйте очки при такой работе, вы еще молоды и ваши глаза вам еще пригодятся. Успехов.

[@standup6231]

Do you start the foundation below the frost line?

[@drystone-tv]

Aye, if you're in an area with a severe frost cycle you'll need to mitigate that. You could dig a trench and fill it with compacted gravel up to the frost line. Where I live its rare to get more than 6" of frost so it doesn't affect the walls really.

[@johnlong123long]

any chance of doing some work in limestone?

[@drystone-tv]

Aye, I've a wall to do in Derbyshire for my cousin that would be a good demo in limestone.

[@johnlong123long]

@@drystone-tv good stuff. will look out for it. cheers

[@heyheypictures]

I can’t find Part 2 of building a stone wall. Found part 1 & 3? Can you tell me where or send a link, please?

[@pipn3249]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGqWh2iPoa2Koac

[@waller90]

I've never built a wall on the topsoil before. You should always dig down through the black to the subsoil before walling up.

[@drystone-tv]

I agree, this example is built on hard-core.

[@CoulterStoneMasonry]

We start the wall build 6 inches down, below the frost line. Is this part of the foundation not necessary?

[@drystone-tv]

It is, I'm just showing how to lay the stones. I'm building on a compacted stone base here and didn't fancy digging it up!

[@CoulterStoneMasonry]

@@drystone-tv I’d be curious to see how you do those.

[@thewayofnoway]

Noice 👍

[@jeanlamourUK]

What areas do you cover?

[@drystone-tv]

Areas around Huddersfield. We do travel further for certain projects ✌️

[@user-qi4fq3gz6d]

What is the idea of length in? Could you help?

[@drystone-tv]

So unless a stone is square it will have a long side and a short side. The idea is that you place the stone so the long side is going into the wall rather than along the face. It's the opposite to brickwork where you use the longest face of the brick on the outside .

[@KennethKustren-lr6tg]

∆ 10Stone of theROCK .

[@MrMaxKeane]

Are you from Leeds?

[@drystone-tv]

Huddersfield

[@georgetsokanis3542]

I built a 200' stone fence on my property. It's like a jigsaw puzzle where nothing fits.