'Welcome... to a new dimension in time... welcome to the Twilight Zone'. I know that is not quite the right way that Rod Serling introduced the Twilight Zone, but it fits for us. Why? I haven't got the faintest idea. I just couldn't get that line out of my mind so I put it in. (My boss told me that when I do these articles that I am supposed to have fun doing them and you are to have fun reading them. So, are you having fun yet? No? Party-pooper!)
Alrighty then, let's get down to the basic information on stonescaping. There are two basic systems for stonescaping, or building walls with natural stone: Using mortar or drystacking. Now we're going to talk mostly about drystacking stone, because once you get the principles of this, then you should be able to tackle building walls with mortar. We will touch occasionally on patios and using slate pieces, because we have discussed this so much in the past. And since I am the writer, I get to choose.(The power... I love the power!)
Stonescaping is becoming incredibly popular, and the demand for unique stone is causing companies like ours to search across the nation to find distinctive stone. For example, we truck in stone from Montana and Oklahoma, and even Pennsyvania as well as locally. We consider purchasing stone only from companies that can supply us for many years with consistency and quality.
Drystacking stone is a very simple process and can be very affordable. Once you get the hang of it, you will find that your equipment list isn't all that extensive, and you can purchase many of the items at Cascade Block, or find used tools at flea markets. (Isn't the English language a hoot? A flea market... what a flea would do at a market with a tool, though, is beyond me.) If you buy at a flea market, then you may have to plan on several trips. Buy from us and if we don't have it in stock, we can order it for you.
You will need to move your stone, so you will need someone with a weak mind and a strong back, or own a wheelbarrow. If you are going to move large stone, a dolly or handcart will become extremely useful. One thing to consider is to purchase a heavy-duty, two-wheeled cart because some of your stone can be quite cumbersome and awkward to handle with a standard one-wheeled wheelbarrow.
Basic tools should also include shovels. That's right, plural. You should get the round-pointed shovel for basic digging; the square-nose shovel for leveling and moving material; and a turning spade--that's the one with a long square blade, which is really handy for getting into tight spots. You should also get a mattock, which has a miner's pick on one end, and a digging spade on the other. In-fact, get two of them--one short light-duty and one heavy-duty mattock. This tool is great for cutting out roots, loosening packed earth and adjusting stone. Next is the pry bar, or cheater bar. This is a long piece of metal, about five feet in length, with one end tapered, and the other pointed. It should weigh about 30 to 40 pounds. You can use it for adjusting large stones or for prying stone out of the ground. (Or for a javelin practice or for throwing it at the neighbor's cat-you know like dodge ball, only call it dodge cat. By the way, if you get in the middle of this game and lose your cheater bar, then grab a wiener dog; those little dachshund really fly nicely.) Also, you might want to get a small crowbar or even a cat's paw (seriously, that is a real tool) for moving and adjusting stone.
There are really a lot of hammers that you could get, but for the basics, you need a mason's hammer (16 ounces is the smallest) and a mashing hammer, which is a short, small sledgehammer (possibly called this for the ease of mashing thumbs as well as stone). If you have a large stone to cut and shape, then you might need a 5 or 10 pound sledgehammer. Also you can get a blacksmith's forging hammer, which is nice for shaping and chipping stones.
Next week, more on stonescaping. So until then, see ya'!
Originally published in the Daily Courier August 10, 2000