Retaining Wall Rebuild

Our customer approached us about rebuilding some dilapidated sections of his walls and fixing up the set of steps to make them safer and more approachable for his aging mother. Shortly after we started, he was so happy with the transformation that asked us to rebuild the whole wall. Using the stone from the old wall and other stone already on the property, we removed the old walls, dug and installed a clean stone base and rebuilt in a dry stack style.

Length of the old wall

Length of the old wall

Old steps

Old wall partially deconstructed, old steps removed, new base and heavy tread steps set and beginning to rebuild the corners.

Rebuilding the cheek walls and wall length

Running in a length of the new wall. Solid stone, held together with mortar but kept back from the face of the wall to achieve the dry stack look. Working under a heated tent to keep going in the cold temperatures.

Length of the new wall

Tight fit, dry stacked style.

Lower wall rebuilt. Preparation for the upper wall underway.

Rebuilding the upper wall

Rebuilding

Rebuilding part of this old silo foundation

Finished

New Steps

Finished

Plants in full bloom

Repointing in Palmyra

Our customer was interested in exposing the stone on his old limestone farmhouse

First we had to chip off all the old plaster and mortar joints.

Once we had the joints out, we used a leaf blower to clean all the dust out of the joints and pressure washed the walls to clean the old plaster residue off the faces of the stone.

Now it is time to start putting the new mortar joints in.  Using a grout bag we fill all the empty joints with the new mortar.  After it has set a while, we go back and tool the joints into the crown joint shape that the customer chose.  

After all the new joints are in, we let it sit a few days to give the new mortar joints time to cure. Lastly, we acid wash the whole wall to clean up the edges of the new joints and any old mortar residue that may still be on the faces of the stone.

Finished product wall detail of the crown joint