Creating a stone lamp post out of rock out of your personal homestead isn't only Green developing but additionally low-priced. Apart from the wire, lamp,metal conduit along with a small mortar, the post supplies themselves are lying on stone walls everywhere. My area has an abundance of nice flat, one to two inch thick slates. Numerous significant pieces were quarried for sidewalks within the cities and towns nearby inside the 1800's and are nonetheless in use these days. You are able to cut the rocks naturally but if you want all weathered faces, you may must choose them from the tops of your stone walls for materials.

A good sized post could be made from stones about twelve inches square or so. When the post is to be a great deal bigger, you need only have a single or two very good edges on the stones. Save one bigger flat stone for the top of the lamppost. Excavate a footing hole about two feet deep in warm climes and four feet in snow locations. A twelve inch square post need to have a concrete footing about sixteen inches square plus a foot thick. Four pieces of 1/2 inch reinforcing bar cross sensible will give added strength.

You are going to need to have 1 semi specific piece of equipment. In the event you usually do not have a hammer drill with a a single inch bit you can require to rent 1 to get a day or two. Each stone has to possess a hole drilled within the center prior to it is actually laid in place. Have a regional electrician put a ninety degree bend using a two foot leg and an eight foot straight section of 3/4 inch rigid conduit for you personally. Place this conduit inside your concrete footing ahead of you pour. If the conduit is placed two feet down inside the ground (greater than code depth) the vertical portion will stick out above ground six feet. More than adequate for a lamp post. Starting together with your biggest, flattest rock, location some mortar around the footing and set the very first stone down more than the conduit.

Now with alternating layers of mortar and stones, proceed up the lamp post column. You might quickly discover that you can not do it all in a single day. Stones don't lay like brick or cement blocks with good sharp edges. With irregular faces the stones apply stress in distinct ways to the stones laid below. Based upon the wetness from the mortar plus the weight in the stones, attempt to get two feet or so laid daily. Let it dry thoroughly. You might at this point wish to pull your 12 gauge Romex wire cable by means of the conduit to assure it's cost-free and clear. Coil the prime finish at the fixture location and leave the rest from the roll inside the box at the bottom.

As you attain the major of the post with your stones, strategy ahead just a little. When performed you wish about 1/2 inch inch or so of conduit showing above the stone itself. Appear at the fixture you bought ahead of performing the top stone. Does it have to have a junction box? Does it affix directly for the conduit? You should know now. Once that situation is determined you'll understand how a great deal conduit to leave exposed above the major stone.

Ensure the prime stone is completely secure within a good bed of mortar and doesn't rock. In the event the stone features a slightly downward beveled look so much the far better for water runoff. Melting snow and water will run away from the fixture and not lay against it causing it to rust and rot away.

Run your electrical feed and set up the light fixture. Back fill around the post and plant some flowers. A photo cell can turn your post on and off in case you overlook about your new lamp post.

While most municipalities usually do not demand a building permit for these types of minor landscape improvements, it can be normally best to ask your nearby constructing department first. Some communities have their own sets of restrictions as to what might be added for your yard so be sure you check with all the homeowners' association also if you have a single.