Natural stone retaining wall
Use natural stone instead of concrete pavers for your patio or walkway.
A flat wedge (a simple inclined plane) is one of the simplest and most powerful tools ever used by man.
Wedges can be pounded in horizontally in the natural seams within the rock or vertically along cracks that have formed over time from uplift and decay, freeze-thaw, or the extreme pressure exerted by tree roots.
The work is nearly done...let me just rest my back a bit...
Stones of all sizes (flags, steppers, and small filler) are used when stacking to ensure the promised square footage.
In extremely hard stone, feather wedges are pounded into drill holes until a crack is wide enough for flat wedges to be pounded in.
Stones are sorted by thickness and color. Here is a pile of 2-3inch lighter stone.
After sorting, stones are neatly stacked on a 10 square foot pallet.
After splitting, cutting, and shaping, stones are ready to be stacked.
Each stone is cleaned and finished so that each face and edge is as neat as possible.
After splitting, stones are hand-cut down to a manageable size.
Splitting your sandstone takes patience and a good knowledge of the stone being worked. Usually a seam will have to be struck using a 12 pound sledge and a 4 pound splitter (wedge-headed hammer).
Sandstone is laid down horizontally in layers of varying thickness.
Each layer of stone changes laterally and vertically so that different colors and textures are revealed.
Sandstone was once a layer of sandy sediment (like on a sandy beach) that has been compressed over time into sedimentary rock.
Sandstone Layers
Wedging Stone
Splitting and Cutting Stone
Sorting and Stacking Stone
Delivering Stone
Pallets can usually be delivered very close to the job site.
A finished pallet is topped with a few extra stones and is ready for a customer.
Pallets of stone are unloaded using a rough-terrain pallet jack lowered by a heavy-duty winch.
Large orders up to 20 tons are sent out on a flatbed truck.
Stone can be loaded on your truck or trailer. Most 1/2 ton trucks can fit one ton in their bed or pull 3 tons on a solid trailer.
The road to the quarry is marked by a retaining wall and monument.
Anne will answer your questions about your order and delivery.
Your stone was wedged, split, cut, cleaned and stacked by Finn.
"When you call...you talk to one of us."  Anne and Finn
The quarry has horizontal beds of sandstone that vary in thickness and color.
About half of our stone is delivered personally by Finn. The rest is picked up at the quarry or shipped via tractor-trailer.
Learn about...
Gottschalk Sandstone Quarry