Should I Glue Stack-able Wall Stones?

When you begin working on a wall in a landscape or hardscape project, there are a number of things to consider. The answers to a variety of important questions will give you guidance on the direction you should take regarding a variety of facets associated with the job. Here, we will consider some of those questions. As we do, we will move toward the explanation of whether stone bonding adhesive is needed for wall stones.

What Matters When Constructing Landscape Walls?

If you are constructing a wall in a landscape or hardscape for the first time, it is important to understand exactly what kinds of factors affect the requirements. There are several aspects of a project to consider before you decide on the approach. And even after you have determined the answers to all of the questions involved, you will want to be sure you have a thorough grasp of exactly how to construct a strong, safe landscape wall. Now that we have covered that, let's look at considerations that are needed before beginning.

There are some factors that will affect just how much weight a landscape wall can retain. The amount of weight behind the wall is not directly related to whether you should use glue. In fact, retaining walls can be built to hold back a lot of weight without using glue. However, understanding how these factors contribute to the strength of a wall does help with the overall project.

Wall Height is a Factor

One of the factors that affect how your wall is constructed is its height. The height of a wall that will have ground behind it matters because the higher the wall is, the more weight it will need to be able to hold back.

If the wall will be low it will not hold back as much weight. This means that it will be somewhat easier to construct and the issues involved with ensuring the wall retains massive amounts of weight are not as critical. Walls that run up a slope, may be tiered to trace the slope. However, very high walls must be properly constructed since they will have tremendous loads on them.

Type of Stone Makes a Difference

The type of wall stone that you select will make a difference in the choice too. You can construct retaining walls using a number of stone types. Cinder blocks, pavers, bricks, and even stack-able wall stones are among the types of material used for building walls in a landscape or hardscape. After ensuring that the wall is able to hold the weight behind it using a reinforcement method (we'll get to this later), there may be a need for glue to be used for cap stones or for securing the individual stone so they stay lined up the way you intend.

Stone Reinforcement Matters

Reinforcing a wall built with stone will require various methods for reinforcing the structure. Some materials may be reinforced with rebar. Other material, such as stone blocks, may be filled with an anchoring substance. Still yet, some wall stones have a lip that hangs over the back of the course just below it. This causes the wall to gradually move backward as each course is added to the wall. Again, the type of stone you decide on along with the other factors we have discussed (the height of the wall, and the reinforcement method) all work together to produce a wall that will stay standing and resist falling from the weight it holds back.

What is the Best Glue for Wall Stone?

Deciding which glue to use for bonding wall stone is as flexible as the answer to the question, "should I use glue for wall stone?" For the most part, the use of the adhesive will be for keeping the wall stones in place. There are differences in the various type of glue. But choosing a cartridge glue that is roughly the color of the stone you are using is often a good approach.

Another factor to keep in mind is that not all bonding adhesive is the same. Some is made for indoor and outdoor use and other is made only for outdoor use. Furthermore, some cartridge glue resists temperature change better than other.

It all boils down to choosing a bonding adhesive that works in the environment in which the wall will be standing. So, once you determine that you will be bonding the stone of your wall, be sure to read up on the stone glue that you are considering and verify that it will hold up in the environment you build it. If your question is, "Do I need to glue stacked wall stones?" You should now have enough information to know how to proceed.