How to Build a Nashville Fieldstone Wall
 
*by Dan Harding
  
  
 
 The individuality of fieldstone lies less in the type of stone as it does in
 how the stone is found. The term fieldstone, and the stone itself, came from
 old farms. Every spring, following the frosts and snowy blanket of winter,
 farmers would have to contend with stones pushed up by frost heaving during
 the cold months. These stones littered the farmers' fields, which they could
 not successfully plow with removing them. The rocks were piled off to the
 side and later used in retaining walls or foundations.
 
 
 
 It is mostly as building blocks for retaining walls, walkways, and patios (usually small garden walls) that fieldstone survives today. Although it is also used as a veneer on home exteriors. Fieldstone offers a rustic, natural beauty and strength that is unparalleled. A properly built fieldstone wall can last for hundreds of years without even a drop of mortar (called dry-stacking). As evidence, many walls built in colonial
 times still stand on farmland today.
 
 
 
 Building a fieldstone wall can take a good deal of time, mostly for
 selecting and separating stones, but the result will be worth the effort.
There is a significant amount of art and patience that goes into a
 fieldstone wall. Many professional masons and
 landscapers spend years
 cultivating an eye for this work. The process is rather simple
 but, for the DIY adventurist, be prepared to take some time and have fun in
 doing so.
 
 
 
 *The Fieldstone*
 
  
 
 The process begins with some measurements and a trip to the local quarry.
 To determine how much stone you'll need,
 simply measure the length and height of the wall and take these numbers to
 your local quarry or masonry supplier. On average, for an 18-inch wide wall,  one ton of stone will be needed per 10 feet of wall lengthwise.
 
 
 
 The two main categories of fieldstone are aged and quarried: *aged
 fieldstone* having been out of the ground for more than 75 years and *
 quarried* having been recently removed. Within these two categories there
 are several different types of stone, most tied to a geographical
 area, like<http://www.thecolonialstoneyard.com/>New England Flat or
 South Bay Quartzite. Fieldstone comes either flat or
 round as well. *Flat stones* are rougher and you'll often seen masons
 chipping away at them -- or "dressing" them -- so that stones will fit
 perfectly together. *Round stones* are typically used as is.
 

 The Footing*
 

 In preparation, all grass, sod, and other debris should be cleared away. You
 should then dig a footing to stabilize your wall. Make it roughly 4-6 inches
 deep and as wide as 2/3 as the height of the wall and run the full length.
 The footing should be dug out evenly and the soil tamped down adequately.
 Then fill the footing 3 to 4-inches crushed stone and tamp that. Crushed Lime stone is essential to a properly built fieldstone wall. It provides drainage to
 prevent water from backing up behind the wall and to keep the wall from
 shifting during winter frost heaving.
 

 
 *Building the Wall*
 
  
 
 Next lay the base stones. These should be large, flat, heavy, and wide. For
 an 18-inch wall, try to lay two-foot stones at the base. Be sure to fill in
 behind the wall with more crushed stone as you build it up. All joints
 should be staggered to provide both strength and a professional and
 aesthetic appeal. As the wall is built up, it is important -- in addition to
 backfilling with crushed stone as you go -- to lean the wall back slightly
 into the hill or raised bed. This will ensure a strong and sturdy wall.
 
 
 
 Whether on pallets or not, you will have to do some sorting ahead of the
corner stones, and face stones. Cap stones are large, smooth, and heavy for
 the top of the wall. Base stones are large, flat, and wide for a strong
 foundation. Corner stones will have at least one 90 degree edge. And face
 stones have one flat edge suitable to make up the face of the wall.
 
 
 
 As you build, not all stones will set down level and easy. In that case you
 can use smaller stones or crushed stone to shim the larger stone until it is
 sturdy and roughly level. It is okay to tip the stones just slightly down
 toward the outside of the wall to promote water runoff. Capping the wall
 should be done with large, heavy stones. Their size and weight will help
 keep the stones in the wall from shifting. The wall is finished when you
 reach the final grade of the flower bed or earth to be retained, allowing
 rain water to run off the top of the wall.
 
 
 
 As the fieldstone settles, some holes or gaps may appear. Simply keep an eye
 on things and fill with earth or extra crushed stone when necessary.
 

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