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Here is my situation. I have a mess in my back yard. I won't even get into the reasons why, but let's just say it slopes and there is erosion and we don't have $25,000 to sink into getting equipment and people in to do a retaining wall.
So we are going to put another section of deck in and on the other corner, I would like to do a retaining wall w/ those interlocking blocks you see at places like Lowes.
My question is - has anyone else done this? How hard was it? What types of materials did you get? I want something grey-ish, not brown or red. Do you have to use cement on the first row? Or do some kind of "footings?" Or do you spread gravel for drainage and lay the first layer on that? (Sorry if I am using the wrong terms).
I need to find the most cost effective and easiest way to do this.
There are many designs of those interlocking blocks, some are better than others.
In general the requirements are sort of tailored to the site. A major consideration is how high is the wall. One common requirement is how the drainage system is designed behind the wall. The beauty of the systems, the walls can move a bit, even if they should fail, can just be restacked. Some systems "Tie Back" into the earth better than others.
Some block systems are designed to "Step Back" each course, others are not. The one critical requirement is they all must have some way of draining water from behind them, usually they also have a fabric type barrier to prevent soil wash between the block but in some cases that might be accomplished with fine gravel.
Most lower walls, you bury the first course and provide a tamped earth footing, maybe a mix of fine Earth and cement, or sand or whatever. This is a sort of critical point to get the foundation firm and level at the starting point. In some cases a bedding sand might be used. The higher the wall the better / deeper the foundation usually is.
I would look at other manufacturers and avoid folks like Lowes. Just research for them on line. Most will have a typical installation type video or instruction set for their products. Probably cheaper, maybe a better system. If you do all the labor, the beauty in the process, you can afford to fail. The better systems probably have the bigger type blocks. Beyond the block, usually you do need some source of gravel at the minimum. Must have enough newbie skills to get it modestly level or tailored to the site as intended. Is a good DIY type project. I've done some of your typical home type walls using the blocks. Each project was a bit different depending on what each site required.
Those type blocks are also used a lot for building on site drainage collection basins. They typically are a curved type block and the result looks a bit like an igloo when you get done. None of it is Rocket Science. More like birth control. You don't do much baby making after a hard day in the field.
The big trick if there is one, get the block delivered and distributed as close to where the wall will be as possible. Carrying those suckers is the hard part.
Great post! I think I can get the drainage system worked out using some gravel and gravity, LOL. And leveling it . . . that is gonna be plain ole hard work . . .
But I am curious as to why you suggest NOT looking at Lowe's. ???? You dont like the systems they have - or I can get stuff cheaper elsewhere?
Also- I knew exactly what you meant when you referred to that "igloo" look! I thought that was so amusing - b/c I have found myself staring at those configurations - so odd looking to me, LOL.
My DH got a hearty laugh out of your comment re: rocket science/birth control.
I really appreciate the info - thank you so much for your encouragement, too.
No, I do not like those folks like Lowes or HD. Usually they overcharge, the selection is small and the service is never quite up to par. If you are in an area where there are specialized suppliers, they are far better. Most bigger cities have a masonary type supplier. They usually have a far better selection, better prices and sometimes far better equipment for delivery and handling. A boom truck is used many times or some even have a small Hi-Lift on the back of the truck. They will be far more able to put it where you want the block. Lots of times the truck can not get to where you want, they can be wary of driving over grass or softer ground. Probably been stuck a few times too many. My general overall experience with those box stores is dismal as suppliers for contractor type projects.
If you have a site with lots of water, it might be best to put some perf pipe behind the bottom coarse and route that to drain the wall. The other thing to be aware of, in many locations, walls over a certain height require a fence or barrier at the top to prevent some dolt from taking a fall. Generally they have a limit of ~ 3 feet unprotected. You can get around those requirements by building a series of smaller stepped walls with strips of ground in between.
another code to keep in mind is the height of the wall. some retaining walls, where failure would result in someone getting hit in the head, are required to be performed by licensed/bonded masons. depends on your local ordinances. lower ny is stricter for instance because fatalities have already been established (and yes, a mason got put in cuffs for a 6 o'clock news perp walk).
I'll be terracing my backyard which is sloped (what isn't sloped in WV?) but was warned by my inspector that I shouldn't breach the 45 degree angle of earth relative to the footings or I'd risk making the foundation of the house unstable. Better to add fill to terracing than shift it from top to bottom.
My sis did some interesting work in SC making her own concrete forms. It's incredibly slow but worked for their budget. One of these days it might be finished! lol
another code to keep in mind is the height of the wall. some retaining walls, where failure would result in someone getting hit in the head, are required to be performed by licensed/bonded masons. depends on your local ordinances. lower ny is stricter for instance because fatalities have already been established (and yes, a mason got put in cuffs for a 6 o'clock news perp walk).
I'll be terracing my backyard which is sloped (what isn't sloped in WV?) but was warned by my inspector that I shouldn't breach the 45 degree angle of earth relative to the footings or I'd risk making the foundation of the house unstable. Better to add fill to terracing than shift it from top to bottom.
My sis did some interesting work in SC making her own concrete forms. It's incredibly slow but worked for their budget. One of these days it might be finished! lol
Hee Hee - really appreciate the post - and totally identify w/ your sis in SC (and I am in NC, so that hit home, LOL!!!) I can only imagine your slope in WV!!!
Here is my situation . . . we already have one deck (large) on ground level. To extend our back yard use, we are going to build another simple deck to tie in w/ the existing deck. This new deck will extend a few feet over the slope. To level up the yard some and give us four to five extra feet of useable yard, I want to put in a retaining wall from the edge of the deck to the end of our property line, wh/ is about 16 ft. The height of the wall would be about 3 feet. I am trying to figure out how to engineer under the deck to allow for drainage while keeping the soil now there intact. And I am no engineer, Hee Hee. But I learn from others . . . so I have been researching that (as has my DH). So far it looks like some pipe, some gravel . . . this is evolving, LOL.
Our next move will be to decide on the type of interlocking block to buy and how to install that. And then of course, the tedious job of filling in the area w/ dirt. That will be a real challenge b/c we have no space to get equipment into our back yard. Anything from the front has to be brought by wheel barrow to the back. SIGH. We are gonna most likely be on the same extended time table as your sister!!!!
Last edited by brokensky; 05-04-2008 at 09:27 AM..
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Just a thought. Would it be possible to make a feature out of your slope by terracing it and adding 2 or 3 ponds and having water spill from one to the other.
anifan the locals here warned me to keep as much vegitation as possible on slopes to avoid erosion problems because their annual rainfall is significant. WV has it's fair share of sandstone and shale, especially on the southern tiers. They don't get the mudslides northern cali gets, but slipping foundations seem common.
Your soil and climate might be different, but the second deck might make things worse if you're already experiencing a runnoff problem by choking out beneficial vegitation. Aren't yall kind of clayey? (sp?) I remember cherokee red soil all along the nc mtns near smokey mtns/blue ridge stretching towards georgia. Beautiful country as I recall.
cecilia rose- I can picture it in my mind, yes. Not sure my neighbor at the bottom of the hill won't get nervous though LOL
Please be awarw that these blocks are heavy (IRRC about 35 pounds) and you will be moving a LOT of them. Take it easy at first and condition your body or you could hurt yourself before the job is even one quarter done. Wear steel toe safety boots and be careful. Move blocks in a cart or wheel barrow and do not lift over chest high.
Hee Hee - really appreciate the post - and totally identify w/ your sis in SC (and I am in NC, so that hit home, LOL!!!) I can only imagine your slope in WV!!!
Here is my situation . . . we already have one deck (large) on ground level. To extend our back yard use, we are going to build another simple deck to tie in w/ the existing deck. This new deck will extend a few feet over the slope. To level up the yard some and give us four to five extra feet of useable yard, I want to put in a retaining wall from the edge of the deck to the end of our property line, wh/ is about 16 ft. The height of the wall would be about 3 feet. I am trying to figure out how to engineer under the deck to allow for drainage while keeping the soil now there intact. And I am no engineer, Hee Hee. But I learn from others . . . so I have been researching that (as has my DH). So far it looks like some pipe, some gravel . . . this is evolving, LOL.
Our next move will be to decide on the type of interlocking block to buy and how to install that. And then of course, the tedious job of filling in the area w/ dirt. That will be a real challenge b/c we have no space to get equipment into our back yard. Anything from the front has to be brought by wheel barrow to the back. SIGH. We are gonna most likely be on the same extended time table as your sister!!!!
for a height over 30" you are going to need to contact your local building department and find out if it needs to be professionaly engineered, and if railing is required to conform to the IRC or UBC codes in place in that juridiction.
I know that the 2006 IRC requires that any retaining wall over 30" must have 34-36" railing. And most city's might require a structural engineer to design the wall to hold back soils to prevent collapse and injury
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