I'm so frustrated that I can't see the pictures of Laura's rocks! I think this technique is exactly what I've been searching for. I want to make a couple of fake stone chairs that will be similar in shape to beanbag chairs, but with rock markings. I think the wire armature will work for me. I'll build it, then put something under it and sit on it to make the seat indentation! Then I'll add the quickcrete. Based on reading lots of websites about hypertufa, I was thinking I'd have to make the concrete or tufa much thicker than you've made yours. Am I right in thinking it's the fibers in the initial layer of quickcrete that make your structure strong enough to hold 400 lbs w/o after the armature is removed?

I built a planter from rip rap rhyolite (12" average diameter lighter type stone) and masonry mix. The planter is 8'x3'x18". I spent a half day making forms out of plywood only to find out about all the good they did was helping be a guide for a straight line with the rocks. I'm just now prepping a 12'x12' area that I'll build another planter with dolomite rock. This time I will use pegs as guides, dig below the surrounding ground maybe a few inches so the first stone layer is slightly embedded, hand apply my masonry mix by globbing it down, then lay the next layer of stone and fill in the holes again by hand. The whole process is labor intensive moving the rocks but the masonry mix part to me is fun. My planter from last year doesn't have any cracks so I think I did ok with my mason mix water ratio. Things I learned last time. Forms hardly seem worth the time. Regular cement has rocks in it which are ugly, mason mix is smooth and cheaper than the vinyl concrete that is your other smooth alternative. Mason mix applied with cement tools is more work and no prettier than laying it by hand, mason mix also will not squeeze out a homemade pastry squeezer. I also gave up on wearing protective gloves, the mason mix dries out your hands a bit but I didn't care, much simpler. This is a project that doesn't require being done in one day. If you want to work in small doses just mix small doses of mason mix. Rock for building projects doesn't have to be expensive, I buy my rhyolite for $3.50 a ton. Last time I had 16 tons delivered which unfortunately included too many small tocks. This time I'm going to drive to this place and hand pick my rocks. I figure I need 3-4 tons which will cost me $15 for the rock and probably $16 in gas for the driving. I love rocks for planters, not rotting, no chemicals and rocks are beautiful. As for a circular wall, most rocks are ideal for this as they are round, your flat rainbow rock (don't know what that is) is perfect for layers though. Perhaps the rainbow would be a good topper rock so you could have a flat spot to sit.

Actually I did setup a few raised beds with cinder blocks. I used 8"x8"x16" blocks - standard building size and overall I'm fairly happy with it. Like I said, we have pretty strong winters and even though the holes in the blocks were filled with dirt - none of them cracked! And, for the most part, they even stayed pretty well in place. I was concerned that the dirt in the inner body of the bed would freeze and push the blocks outward. This has happened a little, but not very much. This past winter was the worst for that, but still not so bad that I'll have to re-lay the block - I just tap them back into place once the soil thawed. I did not use mortar between the blocks - they are dry stacked and loose. I can't say for sure, but I think with the little movement we have experienced, mortar would probably end the moving around - BUT maybe I'm wrong and that hard, static position would fail to the freeze/thaw of the soil. Anyway, I think I like them loose - then I have options. If I want to do something different, I don't have to bust it all apart to change my layout. One thing we have experienced is that a lot of perennials don't like being in the block holes over winter. Some of them have made it a year or two, but I believe the roots/bulbs/etc... are just too exposed to the freezing temps this way. I mean, you only have about an inch of concrete and then the soil, which is only 5 or 6 inches wide - which really doesn't protect the roots from a freeze very well. Maybe the most interior side of the hole would be somewhat protected, but it's just not the same as being 5 or 6 inches down in the ground with a mulch layer on top. About the only thing that has seemed to handle it very well are some Asiatic lilies. We've tried tulips, crocuses, a few kinds of non-bulb flowers (can't remember their names right now), a few kinds of ground covers, etc... but none have held up for long. Part of the problem is that the soil freezing and thawing causes the soil to heave up and then in spring it thaws and settles. I don't think the plants like this much. Strawberry plants have done fair, but generally after a winter, they're almost lifted out of the soil. Our soil tends to settle as well - I'm sure it's our mix, as there are a lot of organics that I think still continue to degrade, so the soil level drops - so over the period of a year or two the soil that was 1/4" below the top of the block might be 6 inches lower. So, that strawberry plant that was getting nice sun, ends up in the shade down in a hole. So, trying to use the outter holes for anything other than annuals has been difficult to impossible. Our soil mix BTW, is 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat, and 1/3 vermiculite. This makes a nice light soil that retains moisture pretty well and has a nice nutrient mix. Very easy to pull the occasional weed from. You can drive your hand right down into it. Lastly, when you prepare the ground for using cinder blocks, you really need to spend time initially making sure that you have the surface where the blocks will set very square (I mean 90 degree angles - not a square shape), level, and flat. I tried eye-balling it at first, but it became apparent very quickly that things were not lining up properly - leaving gaps vertically and horizontally between the blocks - which will make them less stable and a potential for losing soil and water. Then I had to move all the blocks, star over, and then re-set them up. I didn't make that mistake with the remaining beds! I think the bed shape I like best so far is 2-1/2 blocks by 4 blocks (you could go longer, but I like the 2-1/2 wide dimension). This is wide enough to plant a batch of stuff and not have it too crowded. We did a couple of beds 1-1/2 blocks wide, but the center growing area is only 8" wide - I fee like it's just too small - but that was all the space we had to use, so no choice. This thinner design has done ok with lettuces and some smaller items, but they can get crowded so easily. The main point is that is has been a success in my view. No busted blocks. It's easier to maintain (I don't have to be down on my knees at ground level working). I think it helps keep weed seeds from getting into the beds as easily since they are up higher. Etc... About the only thing we have to do is to add more soil each year as our soil mix degrades and settles more. Hope this has been useful information for you.

(Why, oh why, didn't he just dig down 1.5 more feet???) Likely because he didn't want to undermine the retaining wall. And he might well have done that anyway. We are wondering if it would be worth it to attempt to dig another 1.5 ' out ourselves, by hand? We would have to chop out the cement floor, and would we have to pour yet another retaining wall around the first retaining wall? Before you dig any further or pull out basement posts, have a structural engineer analyze what can or can't be done and how. The dampness may be high humidity that can be handled by a dehumidifier. The rest is pretty straightforward: insulate the walls to at least the minimum recommended R Value for your region. Since the ceilings will be open, I think painting the concrete floors and using low pile non-rubber backed rugs would be an appropriate and economical way of finishing the floor. With a 77" clear height, I wouldn't want to lose any headroom. Beware that finishing basements for living space in many parts of the US requires the installation of an egress window.