mountain boulder retaining wall

Build A Mountain Boulder Retaining Wall

mountain boulder retaining wall

What to do when neighbor’s weeds are infringing on your property.

Build a mountain boulder retaining wall. It prevents them from skipping over that hard surface. No, really. It’s another option for retaining walls that we offer. There’s always a place and time for big boulders. Boulder walls can give a beautiful look to the landscape. The mountain boulders are  harvested locally in the mountainous region of Western North Carolina.

Creating a Firm Foundation for a Mountain Boulder Retaining Wall

In building a mountain boulder retaining wall, the slope and grade have to be considered.  The maneuverability to get the machinery into the space to lay the boulders and stack will be measured. If mountain boulder retaining walls are an option for the area, grading may be preliminary to the job as well as cleaning the surface of the terrain. Our forestry mulching equipment along with excavators and a skid loader can carve out and grade and clear the specific area. Footers for the boulder walls are dug. The boulders are divided out between the small, medium and large. The bank is blanketed with a heavy landscape fabric to prevent erosion and sediment from running off. The wall is then carefully constructed using fine assortments of harvested creek stone.  Some boulders will have moss and lichen and be of a mixed size and variety. The wall is started by choosing the larger, flatter stone to establish the first base course. The jagged and imperfect side is left face down to act as an anchor in the soil. The second course is ready, and the flat layer is positioned upward continuing with each course.

The Details Matter

Boulders are moved with the CAT skid loader and a mini-excavator. The mini-excavator with a thumb carefully handles each stone in stacking. Attention is given not to scratch and scar the boulders or knock the moss and lichens off. This preserves the aesthetic look of the stone. The lichen embellishment gives the appearance as though it’s always been in place. As the boulders are stacked, the stones are placed like a jigsaw puzzle pieces and layered tightly, so the joints are minimal. As the wall goes up, graduated sizes of mountain boulders and rock are placed strategically. Once the wall is completed, the gaps are filled in with smaller boulders and rock. As the layers are being placed, stone and soil backfill is being packed behind the boulders. Finally, a level top course is set, and the finishing touches to the rest of the area are performed such as plantings or mulch and edging.

If you’re perched on a hillside and getting too much soil running over to your side of the mountain, it might be time for a mountain boulder retaining wall. Give us a call, and we can give you the details.