How to Maintain Stone Walls
- 1). Inspect your wall carefully each spring or after a storm. Look for stones that have fallen out of the wall, as well as any growth on or near the stones. If you wall is mortared, inspect that as well to make sure it is in good shape.
- 2). Make the repairs needed on the wall. On a wall without mortar, rearrange the stones, restoring any that have fallen out of place. On a mortared wall, if the cement is crumbling, chip it away with a chisel. Mix up cement, pouring water slowly into the mix until it is the consistency of oatmeal. Smooth cement onto the fallen stones, using a trowel. Put the stones back in place and place more cement in the open spaces if necessary. Avoid smearing the face of the wall with cement.
- 3). Remove brush, invasive vines and saplings. Cut saplings at the base with pruning shears, where the roots join the stem. If you try to pull out the sapling, you could disturb the soil underneath and make the wall unstable.
- 4). Pressure wash the stone wall every few years. Start at the top of the wall in one section and work your way down. Keep the pressure washer moving as it is very powerful and may chip the stone or mortar. Move to the next section when you have finished the first, again starting at the top and working your way down.