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

"aaj"  wrote in message
news:1121670829.d7cc7fbe4d9877c5b39c85146acb8a58@teranews...

> 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
>
>

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.

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"  wrote in message 
news:dXMCe.72193$G8.5866@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

>
> "aaj"  wrote in message
> news:1121670829.d7cc7fbe4d9877c5b39c85146acb8a58@teranews...
>> 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
>>
>>
> 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"  wrote in message
news:1121758186.9244fdda8d69904206d346ac59ac2a5a@teranews...

> 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
>

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

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:09:33 GMT, "BigWallop" 
wrote:


>
>"aaj"  wrote in message
>news:1121758186.9244fdda8d69904206d346ac59ac2a5a@teranews...
>> 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
>>
>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


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" 
http://tinyurl.com/c88xs

"Jim Lawton" <ucan@use.your.initiative> wrote in message
news:4mtpd1hig1ubeo803gjfi72f2841u1johk@4ax.com...

> On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:09:33 GMT, "BigWallop" 
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"aaj"  wrote in message
> >news:1121758186.9244fdda8d69904206d346ac59ac2a5a@teranews...
> >> 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
> >>
> >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
>
> And it will cut down on the weeds that will grow up between the cobbles.
>
> Jim
>

Good point.

A bed it is

thanks all


"BigWallop"  wrote in message 
news:UO6De.72980$G8.24895@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

>
> "Jim Lawton" <ucan@use.your.initiative> wrote in message
> news:4mtpd1hig1ubeo803gjfi72f2841u1johk@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:09:33 GMT, "BigWallop" 
>> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >"aaj"  wrote in message
>> >news:1121758186.9244fdda8d69904206d346ac59ac2a5a@teranews...
>> >> 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
>> >>
>> >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
>>
>> And it will cut down on the weeds that will grow up between the cobbles.
>>
>> Jim
>>
> Good point.
>
>