Building Garden Walls

Adding a custom water wall to your garden is a great way to add variety and appeal. Garden walls are multi-functional. They are also use as raised beds for planting or protection from erosion. They can easily blend with any outdoor structures such as brick, stone, concrete, or tile.

The first thing to do is planning the location of your garden wall. Some important concerns have to be addressed, for example, erosion. Another is how to incorporate the various elements in design and style to enhance the area. Wall fountains work well with any garden theme, from traditional to modern or even whimsical; stone landscaping to shade garden design. Another advantage of building a custom water wall in the garden is its attraction to birds and butterflies - a symphony for the senses.

Constructing your garden wall is easy but requires planning. Important decisions have to be made regarding the type of construction you would like to use for your garden. The most popular construction type is mortar free construction. In this type of construction, materials are stacked on top of each other. Free stacked stone is a good example of mortar less construction technique that is quite durable.
Most garden walls will be tested against extreme exposure to all kinds of weather changes. Rain, snow, freezing weather, heat, direct sun and combinations of these will test the durability of the materials, the workmanship and the design of garden walls. As such, the materials used in building your garden wall determines the longevity of your garden wall.
Brick Brick for garden walls should meet the requirements for grade SW of the ASTM Standard Specifications for Facing Brick C 216 or ASTM Standard Specifications for Building Brick C 62. Do not use salvaged brick garden walls unless they meet the SW requirements. Used brick generally will not meet these requirements.
Mortar The recommended mortar for reinforced and non-reinforced brick garden wall construction is composed of: 1 part portland cement, 1/2 part hydrated lime and 4 - 1/2 parts sand by volume. This mortar conforms to ASTM Standard Specifications for Mortar for Unit Masonry, C 270, Type S.
There are other varieties of materials you can use to build your custom water wall including stone, slate, cast concrete, and metals, such as copper and steel. Choose materials that will last for a long time and will withstand extreme weather changes. Materials should also reflect your own sense of style. Using stone or cast concrete blocks is a wonderful way to give it a natural look. Stone or cast concrete blocks come in several colors, sizes, and textures. Wood beams are another alternative for garden walls. The only disadvantage is wood is highly susceptible to rote when it is exposed to soil.

Another method of construction is combining concrete and mortar. Mortar stonewalls are permanent walls. Proper construction of these walls consists of using concrete and stone. This type of construction is uneven and does not allow the materials to arrange in any type of pattern.

Adding dimension to your garden wall is the installation of lights. Lightings near and in the surrounding areas of the garden wall is going to highlight your garden wall especially at night. Proper lightings enhance the features of your garden and provide an atmosphere that is calming and even romantic.

The foundation of the wall is very important because it provides protection from extreme weather changes and possible erosion. The rule of thumb is to prepare the foundation of the wall below the frost line. You need your wall foundation to extend 6 to 8 inches below this depth and on compacted, hard, ground. This will protect your walls' foundation in freezing temperatures. This is especially important if you are constructing concrete and mortar type walls, which has a tendency to crack if the foundation is not properly laid at the correct depth. Mortar less walls tolerates extreme weather conditions.

If you need advice on building custom water wall, you can consult any manufacturer, landscape designer to assist you in your project.