Add a Stone Focal Feature to Your Landscape Design

June 3rd, 2019 Posted in Natural Stone
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Every landscape design should have a focal feature that draws the eye – it can be something fully functional or just for aesthetics, but it should draw attention. Stone is a perfect material for building a stunning focal feature that will blend with the natural atmosphere and last for many years. Here are some ideas for stone features that can become the focal point of your landscape design.

Stone Waterfall or Water Wall

Flowing water over natural stone is a gorgeous addition to any yard, providing beauty and relaxing sound as a focal feature. A tumbling waterfall over rocks or a solid stone water wall can enhance your landscape design and add an elegant touch.

Outdoor Fireplace or Fire Pit

A flagstone or fieldstone fireplace or fire pit are a wonderful way to warm and light up cool nights, but also can be the centerpiece of your outdoor space.

Retaining or Sitting Walls

Stone is perfect for creating retaining walls to secure slopes or shape your yard, both functional and a wonderful focal feature. Sitting walls made from natural stone are also functional and add a lovely look to any outdoor living area.

Dry Creek Beds

Drainage for your yard can also be a focal feature. Dry creek beds made with varying sizes of stones can provide adequate drainage for your property and create an interesting style for your yard.

Find ways to improve the beauty of your yard and landscape design with a natural stone focal feature. Visit a local quarry to view varieties of natural stone to give you ideas for your next project to enhance your property with style and function.

Posted on behalf of:
Alliance Stone
5420 Campground Rd
Cumming, GA 30040
(404) 759-0617

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5 Factors to Consider for Retaining Walls

August 30th, 2018 Posted in Stone Retaining Walls
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Retaining walls can add support, beauty and function to your landscaping, making them a popular hardscaping project. However, this is a project that needs some planning and preparation before you jump in. Before you head to the landscaping supply store for materials, here are some factors to consider for your new retaining wall.

  1. Weight. If your retaining will be used for functional support for a slope or hill, you need to determine the weight and pressure that will be against the wall.
  2. Foundation. All retaining walls need a solid, level foundation for the best results. A leveled area with compacted sub-base or gravel should be used in the foundation, with stable, heavy materials used at the bottom of the wall.
  3. Materials. Retaining walls can be made from wood, concrete or dry-laid stone. Natural stone or pavers are the most popular, offering strength, durability and beauty for the project.
  4. Drainage. Many retaining walls fail due to water pressure caused from inefficient drainage. Gravel fill in the foundation or piping to allow water behind the wall to drain can prevent drainage failure issues down the road for your retaining wall.
  5. Slope of wall. If building a retaining wall for soil or erosion support, sloping the wall back into the hillside can garner better results, referred to as a batter or cant.

Creating a plan for your retaining wall can reduce the chance of premature failure. Decide the dimensions, materials and design before you make your trip to the landscape supplier in your area. This will save you time and ensure you get everything you need for supplies before you begin building your new retaining wall.

Posted on behalf of:
Alliance Stone
5420 Campground Rd
Cumming, GA 30040
(404) 759-0617

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Choosing Materials for Your New Retaining Wall

March 13th, 2016 Posted in Natural Stone
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If you are adding a retaining wall to your property, you want to use a material that is easy to work with, looks great and is durable enough to last for many years. The good news is that there are several options to create an attractive, yet functional, retaining wall. The bad news is now you much decide which is best for your project. Here are some of the most popular materials for retaining walls and their attributes.

  • Modular blocks. Want a sturdy material that is made to stack nicely? Modular blocks are made to create walls, fitting together easily. They are also inexpensive in comparison to natural stone products.
  • Field stone. For a beautifully rustic retaining wall, field stones are an aesthetic option. Since these stones are in various shapes and sizes, mortar often is used to cement the rocks together.
  • Natural stone pavers. For the ease of a modular block with the beauty and durability of natural stone, choose natural stone pavers. These stackable natural stones work great for creating retaining walls, often without the need for mortar.
  • Wood. Wood can be used to create a retaining wall. However, compared to modular blocks or natural stone, wood will not last nearly as long. Wood will rot when exposed to soil and will need to be replaced in only a few years.

The decision is made even tougher with the many varieties of each type of material. The best option is to visit your local stone supplier to choose the material that is right for your project and budget. They can point you in the right direction.

Posted on behalf of:
Alliance Stone
5420 Campground Rd
Cumming, GA 30040
(404) 759-0617

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Retaining Wall Types

November 16th, 2011 Posted in Stone Retaining Walls
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Stone retaining walls come in an endless array of shapes, sizes, styles and types. They can be purely decorative, or they can combine beauty and function by helping to level an area, support a sloping area, help with erosion control, break up a section of yard into smaller areas, create a garden area, and many more uses.

Common types of retaining walls include gravity, semi gravity, cantilevered, and counterfort.  A gravity retaining wall relies on its weight to hold back the soil.  These are constructed in a shallow cone shape with the base wider than the top.  In some cases the wall is angles slightly back toward to help improve its stability.  These types of walls can be made from dry stacked, mortarless stone although the height will be limited.

A semi gravity wall is essentially a gravity wall that has been reinforced with steel rods.  These are a little stronger than pure gravity walls and need no additional reinforcement.

A cantilevered retaining wall has a base or footer that extends under the soil.  Viewed from the end, a cantilevered wall has an L shape with the foot of the L buried underground.  These walls can be thinner than a gravity wall and rely on using the weight of the soil on the footer to hold the wall in place.

Counterfort walls are similar to cantilevered walls except that they supports that tie the end of the footer to back of the wall.  These supports are buried underground so counterfort walls look the same as cantilevered walls.  If the supports are placed on the face of the wall where they would be visible, they are called buttresses.

Anything beyond a low, dry stacked gravity wall should be designed by an engineer.  Otherwise you are risking potential serious injury due to collapse of the wall.

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