How to Work With Stone & Cement

Work With Stone

1). Gather stones and stack them next to where you will be using them. Plan well ahead for projects and accumulate stone in the right locations over long periods; this will make the labor less overwhelming.
2). Build garden and exterior dry stone walls by digging a shallow trench and seating the bottom large stones in the trench. Fit the stones together as you build with them to minimize the amount of space between them. The more tightly the stones are fitted together, the more durable the wall will be.
3). Build durable, permanent and waterproof walls by using mortar between the stones. Don't use the mortar as an excuse to not fit the stones together carefully. By fitting the stones and using mortar, you can make a strong and durable wall.
4). Create stone decks and patios by seating flat stones in a bed of packed sand, leveling their tops and putting mortar around their edges and between the stones.

1). Mix cement by hand in a wheelbarrow with a shovel for small jobs. For larger jobs, you can rent or buy a cement mixer or have mixed cement delivered to your job site by a mixing truck.
2). Build forms to hold the cement. Cement is heavy, and forms must be strong to resist its outward pressure. The higher the wall or structure that you are building, the stronger the forms must be because the pressure at the bottom will be greater.
3). Work with cement when the temperature is between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Slow the curing time of the cement by covering it with wet burlap or by periodically spraying it lightly with water. The more slowly the cement cures, the stronger it will be.
4). Combine cement and stone work, and save money on cement, by working stones that are not going to be used for other projects into cement pillars, pads and walls. Be sure the stones are completely submerged in the cement so they don't create bumps after the cement dries.