Constructing a stone lamp post out of rock from your personal homestead is just not only Green constructing but additionally cheap. Aside from the wire, lamp,metal conduit along with a little mortar, the post materials themselves are lying on stone walls everywhere. My region has an abundance of good flat, 1 to two inch thick slates. Lots of huge pieces have been quarried for sidewalks inside the cities and towns nearby inside the 1800's and are nevertheless in use currently. You may cut the rocks naturally but if you'd like all weathered faces, you will need to pick them from the tops from the stone walls for supplies.

A good sized post may be produced from stones about twelve inches square or so. If the post should be to be a lot bigger, you will need only have one particular or two excellent edges on the stones. Save one particular larger flat stone for the top from the lamppost. Excavate a footing hole about two feet deep in warm climes and four feet in snow locations. A twelve inch square post must possess a concrete footing about sixteen inches square in addition to a foot thick. 4 pieces of 1/2 inch reinforcing bar cross smart will give added strength.

You will want 1 semi special piece of gear. If you usually do not possess a hammer drill having a one particular inch bit you are going to have to have to rent one particular for any day or two. Each and every stone has to possess a hole drilled in the center ahead of it can be laid in spot. 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 in your concrete footing ahead of you pour. When the conduit is placed two feet down in the ground (greater than code depth) the vertical portion will stick out above ground six feet. More than sufficient for a lamp post. Starting along with your biggest, flattest rock, spot some mortar on the footing and set the initial stone down over the conduit.

Now with alternating layers of mortar and stones, proceed up the lamp post column. You are going to immediately find that you can not do it all in a single day. Stones do not lay like brick or cement blocks with good sharp edges. With irregular faces the stones apply stress in unique methods to the stones laid under. Based upon the wetness from the mortar and also the weight from the stones, attempt to acquire two feet or so laid every day. Let it dry completely. You could at this point want to pull your 12 gauge Romex wire cable by means of the conduit to assure it truly is no cost and clear. Coil the prime finish in the fixture place and leave the rest of the roll inside the box in the bottom.

As you reach the top of your post together with your stones, plan ahead a bit. When carried out you'd like about 1/2 inch inch or so of conduit displaying above the stone itself. Look at the fixture you purchased just before doing the top stone. Does it need to have a junction box? Does it affix straight for the conduit? You need to know now. Once that condition is determined you may understand how a lot conduit to leave exposed above the prime stone.

Be sure the prime stone is completely secure within a superior bed of mortar and will not rock. If the stone includes a slightly downward beveled look so much the superior 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 install 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 call for a constructing permit for these types of minor landscape improvements, it can be generally very best to ask your nearby developing department initially. Some communities have their own sets of restrictions as to what could be added to your yard so make sure to verify together with the homeowners' association also when you've got one.