How To Build A Retaining Wall

The building and construction of retaining wall may look complicated, but given the right tools and help from your neighbourhood you could actually shape and build up your own retaining wall. Among the common retaining wall materials are stone (natural and precast), bricks, concrete, hard wood, steel, or railroad ties. The material to use depends on the purpose of your retaining wall. That is to say you need bigger stone blocks or concrete masonry if you're leveling a steep sloping yard, and you need smaller stone blocks if you're only building a garden retaining wall.


Here's how to build a retaining wall for a raised flower bed.

1. Outline the shape of your garden retaining wall: circular, rectangular, rectangular with curved edges or what have you.

2. Mark your outline with a spray paint or stake and ropes and measure the dimension.

3. Take the measurement to your favorite construction store and order your customized pre-cast concrete stone block with lip lock system that conforms to the shape of your retaining wall when assembled.

4. Dig about 12 inches deep trench ensuring that it’s as level as possible. Lay leveling sand or patio paver base in the trench compacting it with hand packer to ensure a level solid base. Use your ground leveling tool to check if the solid base is perfectly leveled.

5. Lay each base row blocks ensuring that it's flat using a carpenter's level. Repeat the process until all base row blocks are laid before checking the level again with a ground level to check if it's aligned and perfectly flat. Perfectly leveling the base row saves you time later when you're laying the top rows.

Tip: Knock the flange off using a chisel and a mallet for the base blocks for easy leveling.

6. Lay the top rows with the joints staggered with the lower row. You may need to cut a block in half using a masonry wet saw to make this happen. Ensure that the lip at the back of the block interlocks with the top of the lower row. Lay all the top rows to achieve the desired height of your flower bed and - voila - you just built your garden retaining wall.

Tip: Install a perforated pipe for a higher retaining wall to ensure proper drainage of your flower bed.

Building a retaining wall is made easier with pre-cast stone blocks you can buy from landscaping or home improvement stores. Now, there's no excuse why you can't add a focal point in your garden with a retaining-wall-raised flower bed.

How to Build and Install a Retaining Wall


 

Retaining Wall News:

 

CRMC to allow retaining wall along Matunuck Beach Road - The Providence Journal

CRMC to allow retaining wall along Matunuck Beach Road
The Providence Journal
By Richard Salit SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI -- Reversing course, the Coastal Resources Management Council voted on Tuesday night to allow the town to build a retaining wall along Matunuck Beach Road to protect it from rapidly approaching beach erosion.
RI council reverses course, allows Matunuck wallBoston.com

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Best choice for a short retaining wall | Fine Homebuilding | Breaktime
I want to build a 3' high, 60' long retaining wall in well-draining soil. The wall needs to have a very gentle curve to it (the radius might be 50'). I have come up with three potential ways to do it. One is a CMU wall on a footing, ...



An orange caution fence is not what an Omaha family had in mind for their back yard, but a neighboring apartment complex has been slow in replacing a collapsed..


Retaining walls need to meet license requirements - Hillsboro Star-Journal

Retaining walls need to meet license requirements
Hillsboro Star-Journal
By BEN KLEINE Marion County Planning and zoning director Tonya Richards asked the Marion County Commission on Monday about creating a license for the construction of retaining walls. Walls in several locations at Marion County Park and Lake have .

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Radnor board OKs SEPTA's access to lot
The Radnor Board of Commissioners agreed Monday to a license agreement with SEPTA to access part of its municipal parking lot at Glenbrook Road while the transit authority rebuilds a retaining wall...


B&D | Retaining Wall Designs | B&D Rockeries
Retaining wall designs are an elegant way in which you can adorn your backyard and make it look more prominent and quaint...


Portion of retaining wall collapses in Hornell, no one hurt
A portion of a an outside retaining wall at 66 Adams Ave. in Hornell collapsed Thursday, sending debris into a neighboring driveway. No injuries were reported...


Retaining wall | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Haley and Gwen · Flowers · Retaining wall · Tree bridge · This tree lost its friend. Tags. east rochester · ny. Show machine tags (0) Hide machine tags (0). Additional info. Uploaded using Flickr Uploadr 3.0 (Mac). License ...


Troubleshooters: Homeowner Battles Builder and City Over Retaining Wall - KZTV Action 10 News

Troubleshooters: Homeowner Battles Builder and City Over Retaining Wall
KZTV Action 10 News
The notice from the Development Services Department says the family has until Friday, May 11th to pull permits to build an engineered retaining wall in the backyard of their Calallen home for drainage purposes. The two homes next to the Davis' home .

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