Cobble Stones

[aaj]

Hi all

In the past, I have used a concrete footing for any retaining wall brickwork that I have layed in the garden.

I'm now building my flower beds using cobble stones as the edging. The Stones are 8" high by about 6" wide by about 14" long and extremely heavy, and in total the perimeter is about 20 foot.

I'm not too bothered about having the tops exactly straight, but I dont want them settling into an uneven mess.

I can think of 3 ways to provide a bed for them.

1) Concrete footings and then cement them in place

2) A sharp sand bed and sit the cobbles in place

3) Sat straight on the (claylike) soil.

Because the cobbles are so sturdy, I can't help thinking number 1 is a bit overkill, and I'm tempted to go with option 2.

Do any of you guys have any thoughts/advice/other solutions

thanks

Andy

[BigWallop]

Is this wall planned as a drystone retaining wall, or are you laying the cobbles on mortar beds?

A good solid foundation is normally the start of any good build, so it is a very important part of making the wall secure and having it last for years instead of months. Cobble, as you've said, are heavy, so need a good footing to hold the weight of many rows. So, depending on the height you plan to go to and the weight of back filled soil against them, you'll need something solid to stop the rocking and pushing against them. Wet soil isn't a light weight item either.

I would have thought a 2 or 3 inch mortar log on solid clay ground to begin your build on would be a god idea, and I don't think it would be over-kill for something like this.

[aaj]

Hi

Thanks for relpy

I should have mentioned that there will only be a single row of cobbles i.e. about 8" of soil behind them

do you think its still worth the mortar bed... (that said, for what it will cost/effort its probably a good idea to put a bed down regardless)

thanks

Andy

[BigWallop]

I'd have thought that even just for levelling the ground and the row of cobbles it would be worth a shallow bed of mortar first. It keeps everything looking pretty. :-0

[Jim Lawton]

And it will cut down on the weeds that will grow up between the cobbles.

-- Jim "a single species has come to dominate ... reproducing at bacterial levels, almost as an infectious plague envelops its host"

[BigWallop]

Good point.

[aaj]

A bed it is

thanks all