subject: Garden Wall A Symphony For The Senses [print this page] Custom water walls are great additions to any outdoor garden. They are beautiful and multi-functional. Garden walls are also use as raised beds for planting or protection from erosion. When in comes to designs, garden walls easily blend well with existing outdoor structure in the garden such as brick, stone, concrete and tile.
Creating your garden wall is a lot of fun but careful planning is an important step to having success in this project. During the planning phase, you should already decide what design and style you want for your garden. Wall fountains come in many garden themes 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 creating a symphony for the senses.
Decide the type of construction you would like to use for your garden. The most popular construction type is mortar free construction. 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.
Types of Construction for Garden Walls
Brick is popular material used for garden walls. Just make sure it meets the requirements for grade SW of the ASTM Standard Specifications for Facing Brick C 216 or ASTM Standard Specifications for Building Brick C 62. Never use salvaged brick garden walls unless they meet the SW requirements.
Next to brick is 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.
Another method of construction is combining concrete and mortar. Mortar stonewalls are permanent walls. Proper construction 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.
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 exposed to soil.
The foundation of the wall is also 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
wall, which has a tendency to crack if the foundation is not properly laid at the correct depth. Mortar less walls tolerates extreme weather conditions
Another feature that can add dimension to your garden wall is the use of lighting effects. Lightings near and in the surrounding areas of the garden wall is going to highlight the best features of your garden wall especially at night. Proper lightings enhance the features of your garden and provide an atmosphere that is calming and even romantic.
Most garden walls will have to endure against extreme exposure to all kinds of weather changes - rain, snow, and sun. The durability of the materials you use and workmanship are crucial in the design of your garden wall.
