When planning the construction of a fence, you must first decide on the material that will be used for this. And if stability, strength and durability are considered the main quality criteria, then stone is the best possible option.
Stone fences have been used by people since ancient times. They were powerful walls that could withstand the onslaught of bad weather and delay the enemy. They were built over the years by thousands of people!
What if you decide to build yourself a reliable defense too? It is quite possible to build a stone fence with your own hands! So you will get not only protection from any unwanted intrusions, but also a beautiful element of the landscape.
Varieties and advantages of stone fences
So why should you opt for this type of fencing? Consider its pros:
- stone is a natural material, which means it is safe and environmentally friendly for nature and others;
- service life is not limited, it will only depend on the quality of the mortar used for construction;
- large rangeprices;
- stone fence can be installed alone;
- high fire safety;
- the appearance of the fence will harmoniously fit into any landscape surrounding it.
Natural stone
The price for such a stone fence is quite affordable - 1 kg of material costs about 4 rubles. The cheapest option is boulder stone or cobblestone. Despite the fact that it is cheap, it has a very high strength. Of course, you can save money by assembling it yourself, but this way you get a fence in the only gloomy gray color possible. But it's up to you, and as they say, tastes differ! The stone of red-brown color, having a rounded shape, looks beautiful. It gives the fence a slight roughness. If you want to have a fence with a perfectly smooth surface, you need to break the stone with a sledgehammer.
Pebbles
The least commonly used materials are gravel and pebbles. Since they are small in size and the construction of a fence from such material requires a lot of time and labor. In order for such a stone fence to be strong enough, its base and corners are made of brick. But, it should be noted that this combination of stone and brick looks quite interesting. The cost for 1 kg is an average of 15 rubles.
Limestone
It can be of several types: bryozoan, shell rock, marble-like. The cost for 1 m of cladding is about 250 rubles. This is a fairly soft breed, it is easy to work with it. But before erecting a stone fence of this type, it is necessary to pre-treatits hydrophobic agent. Since limestone absorbs moisture and quickly deteriorates in damp and cold climates.
Rubble stone
This stone is often irregularly shaped. For example, the length of one rib can reach 50 cm, and the other - 10 cm. It is obtained from limestone, sandstone and dolomite. Used for construction and cladding. In addition, now there is an opportunity to choose whether this stone will be wild or processed.
Sandstone
Sandstone has been used for a long time, and it is also quite popular. Such a fence made of stone is durable, moisture resistant, perfectly tolerates frost. The surface can be polished and hewn. In addition, it can be specially chipped material.
Artificial stone fence
Today, artificial stone is becoming increasingly popular, since it is much cheaper than natural stone and is essentially ordinary concrete, which has been given the appearance of a natural material. Such a fence "under the stone" will last at least 50 years. But it should be remembered that the level of wear resistance of the material will be slightly lower than stated if it is used to build a fence near a road or in lowland areas.
If you are not a professional, it is unlikely to distinguish such a stone from natural. On the market, you can choose an artificial stone of any texture and color (chipped, smooth, torn, rough, etc.).
French stone
Recently, French has become widespreada rock. By choosing it, you can save on material and build a beautiful artificial stone fence. This type of cinder block gained immense popularity directly in the Crimea, making it a serious competitor to the shell rock.
Profiling
A fence made of corrugated board "under the stone" looks like a stone wall. This is an inexpensive material used for finishing various surfaces. Externally, the flooring does not differ from natural stone due to offset printing. A pattern is applied to a galvanized sheet covered with a transparent protective layer. It turns out such a fence is quite colorful!
Building a stone fence with our own hands
If you are planning to build a stone fence, then you need to know that this process is quite long, hard and laborious.
Building technology:
- we mark the fence;
- laying the foundation;
- building fences.
It seems to be easy, but let's look at the above steps in more detail.
The first stage does not depend on the material used and is the same for each type of fence. It is necessary to make a preliminary drawing, choose the length of the fence, determine the amount of materials needed. In parallel, we identify the height level on each side of the site.
The construction of the fence involves the construction of a solid strip foundation, with waterproofing, with a reinforcement frame. Then they make formwork for the construction of supporting pillars. It is better to make it from boards. Furtherinstall the formwork on the foundation, attach it to the grillage and make the masonry.
If you build from cobblestone, then pick up stones of the same diameter. We make a bonding solution in the following way: mix sand with cement in a ratio of 1: 3. For beauty, you can add a dye of the desired shade (4 tablespoons for 10 buckets). The finished mixture should not spread. The shape of the stone in the course of work can be adjusted with a hammer.
We put the mortar on the foundation, then we set the stones on it, fitting them tightly to each other. The voids that appear must be sealed with a solution. But this must be done very carefully so that the solution does not get on the front of the stone. It is very difficult to clean the frozen mixture! And in this case it is better not to use water, since there is a risk of its penetration into the stone, and this will lead to the loss of its natural color.
After completing the laying of the 1st row, you must wait at least a day before proceeding to the second. The solution should harden well. Until you complete the row completely, you can not stop work. But if you still suspended it, then you need to constantly water the masonry so that it does not freeze in any way.
Having completed the construction of the fence canvas, you can carry out the jointing. It will give the fence attractiveness and volume. This is done with a narrow spatula 1-1.5 cm. For beauty, you can make an arch above the gate.
It will take about forty days for a specialist to erect a 100 m fence. Fromsandstone, dolomite, limestone will be faster as they are better machined. It's entirely possible to build your own fence, but don't be too lazy to find yourself some help!
