When doing a wall for a house, it's done a bit differently. Use more rebar and wire in the walls and over the windows and archways. I used more rebar than the video shows...I lost some footage...but rebar in the wall is very important, esp in the archways. Do not add gravel to the mixture..it will asborb your water too quickly and cause problems. USE the quickcrete mortar mix shown in the video and keep it a 'muddy' texture. Only go up 2 ft at a time, keeping it workable and do a short practice wall...I did a greenhouse base wall on my son's farm for practice. LOL! It's still standing today as well! My wall, still looks great! If doing a taller wall, I'd do a reg house footer as well. Go deeper in the ground. The stone is a lot of wt. Not sure what state you are in. Just keep the sections workable. Let it set up an hour or so after completion of each section...and brush off excess before it dries completely. Like I said, a 5x2 tall practice wall is a good idea to get the hang of it before doing an actual project that is permanent. You could run stones around base of a deck or something...see how you like it.
If going over plywood walls, like as in a new house build, I just laid the stone (see my room addtion walls) regular ... I didn't slip form it. I only slip formed the archway garden wall. But everyone loves it who sees it. It's unique. I'm selling house and I'm hoping the real stone lays will help sell the house!
Set the forms today and pond prep work is almost done; we have a video in the making for Part two. But for now, laying stone in the morning. I best get some sleep. Oh- boy! LOL>>>
Great videos, thanks very much! How long do you wait before moving the forms up and exposing the rock in order to brush them down? I noticed you'd said 2-3 days but what do you check to ensure "done-ness."
We take off one side at a time within an hour or two of laying last row of stone...we do not wait to remove forms...so the other side doesn't get disturbed or too dry before brushing we keep form on back of wall ...the quickcrete "S" mortar premix took about an hour in 80* weather to set up after final stone row was laid (we usually eat dinner and rest a few minutes and then check the top mix for softness. So, again, on cooler days this may take an hour longer. In direct sun it sets up within an hour of laying final row. You can tell if it's ready when the top is starting to firm up and set on the top row when you press a finger into it ... and the bottom row is still crumbly (still able to scrape it off). It takes about 40 minutes to brush off each side. Keeping the back form on while brushing the front face helps hold on the end rocks as well (corners). Now, if using slip form on house, and using flat stones...I'd wait a few hours before removing forms...REMEMBER: it takes days to cure to a light gray but only takes an hour or so before REMOVING FORMS to wire brush out the joints. So, be patient as it all matches up over a few weeks time (layers of wet mortar). Cobbles need more brushing...as they are round. Only go 2' high at a time and no longer than 14'. If doing a garden wall as it is two sided and needs brushed on both sides...if doing a house wall, you could go much further in length. Just don't bump anything and be gentle. I'll do a video this week on the actual texture and how to know when it's ready. If you mix mortar mix too soupy this could take longer to set up as well...or too dry...it could set up too fast. Keep the mixture like thick cake batter...sorry I'm also a chef...lol...and it should be fine. Make sure the first wall is the smallest for practice reasons! LOL>>>Best Wishes!
Janie Pendleton I mixed my own (3 parts sand, 2 parts pea gravel, 1 part portland) and quite similar to your mix, maybe a wee bit drier. Waited three hours, by then the plywood (not chipboard, smooth-sided plywood) had stuck to the cement and the effort of removing it destroyed the entire thing. This was my second attempt. I don't think there's going to be a third. Still, thanks for replying. Much appreciated.
Jason Desjardins Sounds like you waited too long to remove the boards...I remove one side at a time after only one hour wait time. Sounds like it set up on you ... plus you had pea fill in the mix; this is mortar mix, not footer's mix. Try the "S" mortar type pre-mix next time; no pea fill in "S" mix...just hydrated lime, sand and portland cement... that will uphold to seismic and high wind activities. Sets within an hour of laying. I did not mix dry; I mixed it thinner to get in the spaces around rocks, this gave me more time for set up as well and a harder product when done. I posted another video tonight on my page to show my wall as I went along... In one 2' x 8' wall we had 10 bags of 80 lbs 'S" type mortar mix. That is before adding water. It sounds like a lot of mortar...but you basically have a concrete wall around the stone...if that makes sense. I hope you try again with the right mix. It is a two person job. One mixing and shovelng mortar and one laying stones and both scraping wall when forms are removed. I hope this helps!! Blessings!!
It's been pishing doon here all dae (writing this in my best Scottish dialect...lol..and listen to the bag pipes in the background! Setting pond form today and leveling the forms. We have to set pond and run all electrical boxes and even drain pipes before I can start laying stone. I want to drain the pond like a bath tub if'n I ever have ta.
Hi Janie, I watched the 5 videos about building a slipform wall tonight and a comment you made early on got me thinking. You said 'this is not a retaining wall'. Can I ask what would you do differently when building a 4 foot slipform garden wall as opposed to building a retaining wall? I assume the 2 foot rule will still apply but what differs? iron rods in the ground? are we talking different stones or mortar mix here? I appreciate you're busy and got a business to run but I look fwd to hearing back!
+Damien Doolan Your footings would be different/ to the frost line like a foundation. A retaining wall would have to be reinforced or locking in some way to prevent a 'fall over' effect/special locking stones. Rebar...etc..could be used and driven deeper in the ground and taller through the stone.
Thanks! It gets a lot of compliments and the arch is holding up great! Lots of high winds and a few small quakes and she's still holding! ...And to those who keep asking why I did not use rebar... I did...go back and watch the first and second videos.
I don't know nothing about this type of work why do you go past the frost line? here is is 24" do I need to go 24" down any help in understanding would be greatly appreciated
+iwantosavemoney If you are planning a house, room addition, or wall larger than 2" high of some wt you should have a substancial footers; we go below the average frost line to keep the footings or post from movement in the freeze and thaw. Here is a great website that discusses map zones, and depths for each project properly. I look here before I dig even a deck post! www.decks.com/how-to/264/deck-footing-frost-depth-map
Because when we raise the forms up for the next 2' of laying we have some surface area to screw the stilts onto when leveling. Makes it sturdier when hammering the stilts/stakes into the harder soil like we have as well. That is in Part 2 which I am posting online today...it's raining here, so I've had time to make the edits. Also, we used a 3/4" plywood to make form more sturdy to begin with. If I was dong a house/barn wall I would build my forms a bit differently. as to get no bows in the house walls. But since you are working in small runs; under 10'-12'...this works well for a garden-type, landscape-type wall set up.
I'm so thankful & grateful for this, been looking for hours trying to find this series. Bravo
When doing a wall for a house, it's done a bit differently. Use more rebar and wire in the walls and over the windows and archways. I used more rebar than the video shows...I lost some footage...but rebar in the wall is very important, esp in the archways. Do not add gravel to the mixture..it will asborb your water too quickly and cause problems. USE the quickcrete mortar mix shown in the video and keep it a 'muddy' texture. Only go up 2 ft at a time, keeping it workable and do a short practice wall...I did a greenhouse base wall on my son's farm for practice. LOL! It's still standing today as well! My wall, still looks great! If doing a taller wall, I'd do a reg house footer as well. Go deeper in the ground. The stone is a lot of wt. Not sure what state you are in. Just keep the sections workable. Let it set up an hour or so after completion of each section...and brush off excess before it dries completely. Like I said, a 5x2 tall practice wall is a good idea to get the hang of it before doing an actual project that is permanent. You could run stones around base of a deck or something...see how you like it.
If going over plywood walls, like as in a new house build, I just laid the stone (see my room addtion walls) regular ... I didn't slip form it. I only slip formed the archway garden wall. But everyone loves it who sees it. It's unique. I'm selling house and I'm hoping the real stone lays will help sell the house!
Set the forms today and pond prep work is almost done; we have a video in the making for Part two. But for now, laying stone in the morning. I best get some sleep. Oh- boy! LOL>>>
wow you have a bunker too! thats too cool.
Great videos, thanks very much!
How long do you wait before moving the forms up and exposing the rock in order to brush them down? I noticed you'd said 2-3 days but what do you check to ensure "done-ness."
We take off one side at a time within an hour or two of laying last row of stone...we do not wait to remove forms...so the other side doesn't get disturbed or too dry before brushing we keep form on back of wall ...the quickcrete "S" mortar premix took about an hour in 80* weather to set up after final stone row was laid (we usually eat dinner and rest a few minutes and then check the top mix for softness. So, again, on cooler days this may take an hour longer. In direct sun it sets up within an hour of laying final row. You can tell if it's ready when the top is starting to firm up and set on the top row when you press a finger into it ... and the bottom row is still crumbly (still able to scrape it off). It takes about 40 minutes to brush off each side. Keeping the back form on while brushing the front face helps hold on the end rocks as well (corners). Now, if using slip form on house, and using flat stones...I'd wait a few hours before removing forms...REMEMBER: it takes days to cure to a light gray but only takes an hour or so before REMOVING FORMS to wire brush out the joints. So, be patient as it all matches up over a few weeks time (layers of wet mortar). Cobbles need more brushing...as they are round. Only go 2' high at a time and no longer than 14'. If doing a garden wall as it is two sided and needs brushed on both sides...if doing a house wall, you could go much further in length. Just don't bump anything and be gentle. I'll do a video this week on the actual texture and how to know when it's ready. If you mix mortar mix too soupy this could take longer to set up as well...or too dry...it could set up too fast. Keep the mixture like thick cake batter...sorry I'm also a chef...lol...and it should be fine. Make sure the first wall is the smallest for practice reasons! LOL>>>Best Wishes!
Janie Pendleton I mixed my own (3 parts sand, 2 parts pea gravel, 1 part portland) and quite similar to your mix, maybe a wee bit drier.
Waited three hours, by then the plywood (not chipboard, smooth-sided plywood) had stuck to the cement and the effort of removing it destroyed the entire thing.
This was my second attempt. I don't think there's going to be a third.
Still, thanks for replying. Much appreciated.
Jason Desjardins Sounds like you waited too long to remove the boards...I remove one side at a time after only one hour wait time. Sounds like it set up on you ... plus you had pea fill in the mix; this is mortar mix, not footer's mix. Try the "S" mortar type pre-mix next time; no pea fill in "S" mix...just hydrated lime, sand and portland cement... that will uphold to seismic and high wind activities. Sets within an hour of laying. I did not mix dry; I mixed it thinner to get in the spaces around rocks, this gave me more time for set up as well and a harder product when done. I posted another video tonight on my page to show my wall as I went along... In one 2' x 8' wall we had 10 bags of 80 lbs 'S" type mortar mix. That is before adding water. It sounds like a lot of mortar...but you basically have a concrete wall around the stone...if that makes sense. I hope you try again with the right mix. It is a two person job. One mixing and shovelng mortar and one laying stones and both scraping wall when forms are removed.
I hope this helps!! Blessings!!
Great idea on the slip form Janie Pendleton, and Yes...the stonework is sexy! :) LOL
LOL>> I just love cobblestones! They are not easy to lay but they are beautiful once the project is done! That bobble look just gets me!
It's been pishing doon here all dae (writing this in my best Scottish dialect...lol..and listen to the bag pipes in the background!
Setting pond form today and leveling the forms. We have to set pond and run all electrical boxes and even drain pipes before I can start laying stone. I want to drain the pond like a bath tub if'n I ever have ta.
LOL Great idea for the drain. I'd do that if I were building one again as well. :)
Hi Janie, I watched the 5 videos about building a slipform wall tonight and a comment you made early on got me thinking. You said 'this is not a retaining wall'. Can I ask what would you do differently when building a 4 foot slipform garden wall as opposed to building a retaining wall? I assume the 2 foot rule will still apply but what differs? iron rods in the ground? are we talking different stones or mortar mix here? I appreciate you're busy and got a business to run but I look fwd to hearing back!
+Damien Doolan Your footings would be different/ to the frost line like a foundation. A retaining wall would have to be reinforced or locking in some way to prevent a 'fall over' effect/special locking stones. Rebar...etc..could be used and driven deeper in the ground and taller through the stone.
looks great
Thanks! It gets a lot of compliments and the arch is holding up great! Lots of high winds and a few small quakes and she's still holding!
...And to those who keep asking why I did not use rebar... I did...go back and watch the first and second videos.
I don't know nothing about this type of work why do you go past the frost line? here is is 24" do I need to go 24" down any help in understanding would be greatly appreciated
+iwantosavemoney If you are planning a house, room addition, or wall larger than 2" high of some wt you should have a substancial footers; we go below the average frost line to keep the footings or post from movement in the freeze and thaw. Here is a great website that discusses map zones, and depths for each project properly. I look here before I dig even a deck post!
www.decks.com/how-to/264/deck-footing-frost-depth-map
WHY DIDNT YOU SET THE 2X4 ON EDGE TO GET A MORE STURDY FORM
Because when we raise the forms up for the next 2' of laying we have some surface area to screw the stilts onto when leveling. Makes it sturdier when hammering the stilts/stakes into the harder soil like we have as well. That is in Part 2 which I am posting online today...it's raining here, so I've had time to make the edits. Also, we used a 3/4" plywood to make form more sturdy to begin with. If I was dong a house/barn wall I would build my forms a bit differently. as to get no bows in the house walls. But since you are working in small runs; under 10'-12'...this works well for a garden-type, landscape-type wall set up.
I’ve never had a good experience with plaster board
AWESOME!