Faithfull HWALL Walling / Masons Hammer

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Look at the old wall to see how it was built and try to recreate its style. Use the old stone for rebuilding – don’t clean off old moss and vegetation and ensure any additional stone used is of the same type as the original. Season Walling is hard work: a good craftsman can do maybe three metres in a day, which entails lifting about three tonnes of stone (six if he's rebuilding). The reward – apart from an OK but hardly generous wage – lies in making something natural and sound and beautiful that, looked after, will stand for centuries. Footings (commonly called Foundation Stones): The footings are the stones that make up the bottom layer, or course, of stone upon which the rest of the wall sits. The Foundation Stones are usually the largest stones in the wall, and may be partly or entirely below ground depending on the conditions in which the wall is being built. The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe.

Here, dry stone pieces are only the material used in the construction of dry-stone walls. Where to get the dry-stone walling material? Stones come in all different shapes. The images below show some common shapes divided by how easy or difficult they are to build with. Some stones with difficult shapes can be trimmed (edges or points broken off) to improve there usability. Other difficult stones can be sporadically used throughout the wall, with better stones in between, without adversely affecting the look or structure of the wall. The very worst shaped stones often get smashed up into hearting. It is important to use all the stone in a consistent manner. There is a tendency to use all the nice flat stones right away, and then have a bunch of awkward shapes at the top of the wall. This looks poor and often weakens the wall. Many wallers also use chisels and points when more controlled shaping is needed. Chisels are great for splitting stones along their natural bedding (with the grain), and can be used for trimming and other breaking. While they give you more control, they take more time to use, so most skilled wallers only use them when precise control is needed. Points are like chisels that taper in from all sides to leave a point that can be used for removing high spots. Many wallers choose to work on agricultural, often grant-aided, repairs and this can provide those in certain areas of the country with a decent living. Others feel the need to stretch their skills by undertaking commissions in private gardens and on commercial projects where more complex features, as well as boundary walls, are needed.Build in horizontal courses. Grade the courses so that the biggest stones are near the hillside, but keep the course as level as possible. Start from the bottom and work uphill. Gapping

Smaller buildings are also still being made with dry stone techniques: three have been recognised by the DSWA’s Pinnacle Award for outstanding use of dry stone during the past 20 years. Dry stone shepherds’ huts can still be found in Europe (Croatia and France, for example) and dry stone is used to construct dwellings in parts of Nepal. TRAINING AND TESTING Divide the team into pairs, teaming beginners with experienced wallers. Allocate and mark a two to three metre section of wall per pair, one person on either side. A group of 12 should be able to build around four to six metres of wall per day.

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Use the biggest stones in the bottom of the wall and the smallest in the top. This produces a stronger wall and is easier to build.

First Lift: This refers to the lower portion of the wall, from the foundation to the level of the through stones. This includes the face stones, hearting and pinning. The first lift is made of larger stones than the second lift. If you are working with others make sure you have clear vocal signals and a specific plan before you lift a stone together. Miscommunication is one of the most dangerous aspects of moving stones by more than one person. The topmost stone layer in the dry-stone walling is coping. The role of coping is akin to throughs, holding the stones below together, and provide a decorative element by applying different styles of coping. Step Seven: Finishing Touch in Dry Stone Walling Irregular stone accounts for all stone that is not level bedded. It can be angular or rounded. Irregular stone does not have flat parallel surfaces, and will not usually split so that it does. Granite and marble both break into irregular shapes. There is a continuous range from stone that is clearly level bedded, to stone that is clearly irregular. Most stone is somewhere in between. Irregular stone can also be cut, or split using feathers and wedges, to form regular shapes that it would not form naturally.Foundation: This is what the wall is built on. For field walls it is often the native soil with the turf removed. Landscape and garden walls may be built with a bed of crushed stone or gravel. If you are rebuilding an old wall, rebuilding typically happens in sections 10 to 25 feet long. Each section should be completely rebuilt before moving on to the next section. Starting on the first section, setting up begins by clearing any brush or debris from both sides of the wall. Ideally you want reasonably clear ground for about 10-15 feet on both sides of the wall. Without learning the basics of dry-stone wall construction, we cannot create a quality structure that can last long. Breathing stone dust, particularly the fine dust from running dry power saws should be avoided. While limestone based dust is not directly harmful, silica dust is. Granite, and related stones, along with Portland cement is very high in silica so it is important to avoid exposure. If you have to dry-cut stone wear a respirator. Safe Building Techniques