Thank you very much for your comment. Unfortunately, the wall is freestanding, there is no concrete or mortar between the rocks. I agree with your thought that the best way to tackle this is just to have it rebuilt. I appreciate you taking the time in responding.

Gabions might be an interesting way to go, if you have a lot of rocks laying around, they could be reused. I have not used this company, but they offer design services and you may be able to DIY to save money. (This is NOT my company and I have no relationship to it, just saw it recently on the internet.)

The word "freestanding" only describes that the wall has air on both sides of it, as opposed to a retaining wall, which retains earth at one side. It doesn't imply whether it is built with mortar, or not. That would be "mortared" vs. "dry-stack."

Dry stack walls can have interesting rustic character, more so if done with skill. These walls might have been tolerable as retaining walls with the tension between the wall and some soil, but will they stand on their own? Had any earthquakes lately? You might take a swing at one with an implement and see if it holds up? If so, why pay more?

Ask yourself, do you want walls there? (yes, no) If yes: If the walls are solid despite their ragged looks, is that adequate? (yes, no) If no: Can you spare the expense to remove them or replace them? These are not complicated questions. It's a sort of logical progression to an end: to keep, or not to keep.

I have seen dry stone walls that have been standing for centuries, if done properly. Can be repaired too. I love the look.

The people who built walls that stand for centuries spent centuries developing a knack for it or learned from others who did. One of the things they learned in order to make small walls last, was to make them about 2' thick.

You have a very nice home. I'd be less concerned with the lower wall and more concerned with an overall landscaping plan. You could beautify the area and take your time with deconstructing the non-retaining wall. The wall was a hobby for a previous owner but it isn't solving any problem that I can see. Just refer to it as "the ruins" if anyone asks about it.

I agree. I would be looking at the overall landscaping, including the wall, trying to determine how to make the big picture look better. It's likely the case that the wall would need some reconfiguration. It's a great material source. Rocks could be used to make some parts better. Other parts might be eliminated altogether if their existence does not really make good sense.

If you don't like the wall --- it looks fine to me, plant a spiller over it. I have phlox and dianthus spilling over my dry stone walls. I live in Maine, so am not up on Texas plants, but flowering plants spilling over walls is a gorgeous look.

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