Building A Retaining Wall With Blocks

Anyone with a strong back can stack up a bunch of blocks and build a pretty retaining wall.

Building a retaining wall with blocks.

There are many things that need to go into building a retaining wall before the first shovel of dirt is ever moved. Design and build your retaining wall to slope at a minimum rate of. Tie a string to a stake at the wall s desired height and stretch across to opposite stake or stakes. If the distance is greater than 8 drive additional stakes so that the gaps do not exceed 8.

Use the plan design menu above to check out all of the information we have on how to build. I am going to build a retaining wall that is going to be 3 5 feet in height how far should the gravel go back and will 4 inch slotted tubing with cover for the drain be a good enough for the drain. But for diyers retaining wall blocks made of concrete are the best solution. 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.

Retaining walls can be build of many different materials including wood timbers bricks or natural boulders. Lay the foundation on this base and use a rubber mallet to level the blocks. Dig a trench then tamp down the soil and lay a base layer of rock dust. By using the information we have on building retaining walls you will get everything you need to plan design and build the perfect retaining wall project.

To build a retaining wall begin by planning and marking out where you want your wall to be. The blocks i was thinking of using are the 57 pound block size is 16 inch in length and 12 inches in depth and 6 inches in height. Using a shovel mark the ground where the retaining wall will be built. A wall that leans into the soil it retains is less likely to be pushed outward by soil pressure than a plain old vertical wall.

Avoid having downspouts pointed at the retaining wall and if it s against the house keep soil and mulch well below the siding. 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. The success of your retaining wall depends on a level base. Heavy retaining wall blocks the blocks we used in our demonstration weigh 14 pounds each keep the soil at bay with their weight.

Drive long wooden stakes into the ground at each end. But it takes skill and planning to construct an attractive wall that can also handle immense pressure shrug off the forces of gravity stand for decades and laugh in the face of mother nature.