Had to lay a curved garden wall with no string line last week

The client wanted a gentle curve for a flower bed, but my usual string line method was impossible with the shape. I ended up using a garden hose to lay out the curve on the ground, which gave me a perfect, smooth arc to follow. I dry-laid the first course along the hose, adjusted it until it looked right, then used that as my guide. It saved me probably two hours of fiddling with stakes and trying to eyeball it. The mortar set up nice and the curve came out looking really clean. What's your go-to trick for laying out a curved wall when you can't run a line?

3 comments

3 Comments

river_scott23d ago

Oh man, that hose trick is brilliant. I've been in that exact spot, staring at a weird shape with no clue how to start. Using something flexible you already have on the truck is just smart problem solving. It's one of those simple fixes that makes you wonder why you ever overcomplicated it.

walker.jana10d ago

That hose method is solid, but you gotta be careful with extension cords. The plastic coating can get cut up on rough ground pretty easy, then you've got a safety hazard. A cheap rope or that plastic marking tape is a safer bet for the same trick.

perry.nancy24d ago

My buddy got stuck on a job like that last fall. He ended up using a long piece of that orange extension cord from his truck. Just laid it out in the shape he wanted on the grass and weighted it down with a few bricks. Said it worked like a charm because it held the curve without any kinks. He did the same thing, dry set the first row against it. The wall turned out great, and he still uses that cord for rough layouts.