How to build a stone fence

The purpose of a stone fence is not only to separate and protect, but also to enhance the beauty of your property and increase its value. Anyone can build a stone fence with a little bit of knowldege.

First of all you must know that the following materials and tools are required: a shovel, gravel, cut stone, mortar, a GPS (Global Positioning System) and protective eyewear and gloves.

Then, you should follow the next steps:

Decide the height and length for you stone fence. In order to make the measurements easier, use the hand-held GPS unit while walking the line that indicates the position of the fence.
Now that you know the size of your fence, start looking for types of stone that best fit you needs, considering both the aesthetic and financial aspect. You can keep to your budget if you choose stone available in you region instead of exotic stones brought from greater distances, which can be really expensive. Some of the best known stones used for fences are granite and limestone.
It is best to buy stones in different shapes in order to create an interesting pattern on your fence. To do so, you should look for pre-cut stones or supply companies that offer cutting services.
To prepare the ground, dig a ditch with a six inch depth along the line where you want to put up your fence and fill it with gravel. Choose very flat and large stone to place on top of the gravel to form the fence footer.
On top of the footer start placing stones, one row at a time. You should allow a slight inclination of the fence to provide rainwater running off.
As you add more rows to your fence, check that you overlap the joints of stones below to make sure that the construction will be solid. You can use mortar between stones to make your fence more stable.

If you want to personalize your fence you can add planters, medallions, decorative tile or other accessories to obtain special design.