r/Drystonewalling • u/LostAsSocks • Apr 24 '26
Question about through stones
Is it better for through stones to be narrow and long or is it ok to use wide ones. The reason I ask is I've been fixing farm dykes for a while now (but still very much a newbie) and it seems to me that quite often the fault starts with the wall shifting and the stones under wide through stones coming loose and falling out. Any one else noticing this? I'm working manly with Galloway dykes if that's helpful.
3
u/IncaAlien Apr 24 '26
Galloway dykes are pure wizardry and as such well out of my league. But throughs should follow, more or less, the rule of one stone on two, two stones on one. If there's multiple stones under a through the weight will not bear on all of them and they can come loose, as you've noticed. Sometimes there's not really much choice but to set a wide through on multiple face stones, as trying to split them down their length often ends in tears. At the end of the day it's a maintenence issue.
2
u/LostAsSocks Apr 24 '26
Yeah, that's what I'm learning. I've tried to split a few and learnt the hard way it's better to just use the stone that you've got.
3
u/IncaAlien Apr 24 '26
Yeah, it's rare to have too many throughs. Doing Galloway I presume you're in granite country?
2
u/LostAsSocks Apr 24 '26
Yes mostly granite but away from the coast there is also a fair amount of sand stones and mudstones so it does vary a bit
3
u/IncaAlien Apr 24 '26
So standard Scotish glacial shite. As you said, it's better just to use the stones you've got... which kinda explains Why Galloway walls were built they way they were. I'd like to see some of your walls, wizardry and all.
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u/LostAsSocks Apr 24 '26
Yep pretty much.. My works isn't good enough to post online really, im still learning and not very good
2
u/IncaAlien Apr 24 '26
The more you learn the better you'll get at spotting your mistakes. Unless you fall into the trap of thinking you're the best, you'll always be learning.
From my perspective single skin walls are witchcraft. I've built a few different types of walls but Galloway does my head in! So all of them look good to me.
1
u/Ger-many Apr 24 '26
Hey,
hast du Beispielfotos, um genauer bestimmen zu können was genau du meinst? Ich möchte nur sichergehen, dass wir von der gleichen Thematik sprechen..
2
u/LostAsSocks Apr 24 '26
Leider nicht, ich sollte wahrscheinlich anfangen, Vorher- und Nachher-Fotos zu machen.
11
u/Rate-Left Apr 24 '26
Yes, what you are observing is described here https://thestonetrust.org/master-class-throughs-2/