How Do I Build A Concrete Retaining Wall
Using a tape measure decide the length and the width of your retaining wall then mark off the area with the garden stakes and string.
How do i build a concrete retaining wall. The interlocking retaining wall block can be used to build walls up to 24 to 36 inches high depending on the size of the block. Follow the block manufacturer s instructions for wall height limits. To do this you ll need to drive stakes into the ground where you dug the footings. Retaining walls can be constructed using a variety of materials from poured concrete and large timbers to natural stones even bricks.
Concrete blocks are ideal for building walls to hold back the soil after you dig into a slope for a pathway patio or another landscaping project block retaining walls are generally the same as freestanding block walls but with a few important differences. Materials tools and site. Then pour your concrete inside the form using a chute or hose attached to the mixer. To create a solid foundation dig a trench for the first course of your interlocking retaining wall blocks to sit in and make sure the ground remains even throughout.
It took a day to rip out the old collapsing retaining wall to dig farther into the hill to provide room for the backfill gravel and to help unload materials. When installed properly concrete offers much more room for customization than any other retaining wall material. Here are the steps tom ralston owner of tom ralston concrete in santa cruz ca follows when pouring a retaining wall. Poured concrete retaining walls can be colored textured accented with embedded objects and much more.
The spacing between the stakes will depend on how thick your retaining wall will be and the thickness of the wooden planks used as the forms. To form a concrete wall first set up plywood boards on either side of your concrete footer and attach them together with wire. The wall we built was a weekend long project and an exhausting one at that. Avoid having downspouts pointed at the retaining wall and if it s against the house keep soil and mulch well below the siding.
Do choose a material you can easily work with. To make the wall as strong as possible pour the concrete in layers no higher than 20 inches working from 1 end of the wall to the.