Masonry Babylon NY - 7 Wall Ideas for Landscapes
Masonry walls are beautiful, timeless, durable, practical, and like the little black dress, they go with every style. Whether you prefer the look of mortared or dry-stack (mortarless) walls, here are seven masonry wall ideas for Babylon, NY, landscapes.
First, you may wonder, should your new wall be mortared or dry-stacked? This depends on the size and shape of the wall, its intended uses, and personal preference.
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Mortared Walls
As you may guess from the name, mortared walls use mortar to hold the units of the wall together. When designed to become a solid unit, built on a sturdy foundation and backed with a drainage system, mortared walls can be the best choice for large retaining walls that are primarily intended to hold back soil. One of the advantages of a mortared wall is that it can be easier to achieve a flat and consistent finish for a more elegant look. It can also be the best choice if the wall will be used as a seating wall, such as around a fire pit.
Dry-Stacked Walls
Dry-stacked walls would give your landscape a wonderful rustic charm, but they tend to be best used as low (3’ maximum) decorative accent walls that are not intended to hold back soil or be sat or walked on. Dry-stacked walls allow water to weep through, which naturally relieves pressure behind the wall. This can result in wetter parts of the wall attracting moss or lichen, adding to its natural appeal. Although the process of laying a dry-stacked wall may seem straightforward, careful placement of each stone or concrete block ensures stability and a tight fit (the structural integrity of the wall depends on interlocking units and a slight backward/upward slope that puts gravity to work). Dry-stacked walls don’t require a conventional foundation, and they are also known to be easier to repair than mortared walls.
Wall Design Ideas
Now that you know what types of wall are suitable for specific uses, here are a few design ideas:
Comfortable seating around a fire feature. Mortared walls can take the weight of people without shifting. Add a masonry backrest for even more comfort.
Raised planter beds: The ledge will need to be wide enough to sit on comfortably while gardening.
A custom water feature or fire feature: Your new firepit or outdoor fireplace, or waterfall or pond, could be designed around your personal preferences and your choice of material.
Flower bed: Your new flower bed could be surrounded by a low dry-stacked wall for rustic charm plus flexibility if you later want to change the shape, size, or location of the structure.
Beautiful weathered appearance: Imagine a small meditation nook/zen garden with a dry-stacked wall that will weather and develop a beautiful patina over time.
Add a wall along a front entry walkway: A mortared wall could offer a formal and elegant look here while a dry-stacked wall would achieve a casual rustic appearance.
Create a backdrop for a garden statue: A short section of either mortared or dry-stacked wall behind a garden statue would make for a stunning focal point.
Masonry walls bring to mind the need for patience and expertise. These qualities are required to achieve a structurally sound and attractive result. Fitting stone and achieving natural joints is exacting work, whether your wall will be dry-stacked or mortared.
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