If you’re looking for the perfect way to get a retaining wall, look no further than dry stack retaining wall construction. Dry stack retaining walls are easy to build, look great and last a lifetime. They will also add value to your property and make it more attractive.
Dry stack retaining walls are so popular because of their simple design and ease of installation. You don’t need any special skills or tools to build one of these walls, making them ideal for homeowners who may not have a lot of experience with home improvement projects. The most common materials used to make dry stack retaining walls include stone or concrete blocks, although many people also use bricks or stones found on sites such as granite and limestone. This allows you to personalize the appearance of your wall by choosing colors that match those already present in your backyard landscape or home exterior design scheme.
The entire process starts with choosing which type of material will be used for construction purposes. Concrete block is one option that most people prefer over other types because it’s less expensive than other options like brick or stone blocks but still looks nice enough that visitors won’t think twice about using them in their own yards later down the road.
Dry stack retaining walls are a great way to improve the look of your home, increase the value of your property, and make it more functional for everyday living. Dry stack retaining walls are also incredibly easy to build, so long as you have access to basic construction tools and materials. In this article we will discuss what dry stack retaining walls are made from, why they are constructed in this way (rather than built with mortar), where they can be used on your property and how much time it takes to construct one yourself.
What is Dry Stack Retaining Wall?
A dry stack retaining wall is a low-maintenance, cost-effective wall that can be built from recycled materials. Because it’s easy to build and doesn’t require any mortar to hold the stones in place, a dry stack retaining wall can be constructed with minimal tools. These walls come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you don’t have to worry about finding the right one for your home. Once you’ve decided on what kind of design you want for your yard or garden area and where you’ll place it it’s time to start building.
Uses of Dry Stack Retaining Wall
A retaining wall is a structure that’s used to support soil or other materials on a slope. Retaining walls are built to keep soil and other materials from falling down steep slopes, from moving due to erosion, or from sliding down due to gravity. The retaining wall needs to have dead weight at the bottom that is stable enough to prevent the wall from overturning or collapsing under its own weight.
Reasons for Dry Stack Retaining Wall Construction
There are many reasons why you should choose dry stack retaining walls. These include:
- They’re cheaper than other types of retaining walls.
- They’re easy to build and repair, as well as customized in shape and size.
- You can build them just about anywhere, from your backyard to a large construction site with no problems at all.
The retaining wall needs to have dead weight at the bottom that is stable enough to prevent the wall from overturning.
The retaining wall needs to have dead weight at the bottom that is stable enough to prevent the wall from overturning. This can be achieved by stacking concrete blocks or pouring concrete into a trench in the ground, creating a foundation for your wall. The ground needs to be stable so that it will not shift, otherwise, your stacked stone retaining wall could fall over.
The height of your stone retaining must be greater than the width of your base materials so that there is no risk of overhang during construction; however, you should also ensure that it isn’t too tall so as not to cause any problems with visibility on either side (i.e., if someone drives by).
The height also depends on how much soil needs to be retained behind it; if this amount is small then there’s no need for an overly large structure (unless aesthetics are important).
Steps involved in Dry Stack Retaining Wall Construction
- Excavate the area where you want to build your retaining wall. This step is necessary, as it will allow you to dig out the dirt and stones that will be used in building your retaining wall.
- Build a concrete footing for your retaining wall. This should be built with concrete blocks in a rectangular shape with an 8” depth and about 12-15 feet long (long enough to go around the entire perimeter of where your retaining wall will be). You can also use other materials such as steel or wood beams if desired, but this may not be ideal depending on where you live since these materials may rot over time during wet seasons or from exposure to moisture from rain water runoff from nearby roofs or streets/pavements above ground level near your home property line area where there are no sidewalks or curbs installed yet installed yet due lack of funding for projects like street repairs/maintenance work being done within state budget allocations because legislators voted against spending money on anything useful instead preferring spending government funds instead on things like arming teachers with guns despite overwhelming evidence showing such measures do not prevent school shootings–they simply make them more deadly when they do occur–and thusly would prefer using something else than concrete blocks since those tend last longer under damp conditions . . .
With the footing in place it is time to build the wall itself.
With the footing in place it is time to build the wall itself. We do this by placing the first course of blocks on top of the footing, making sure they are level with each other and spaced evenly apart. If you’ve done your preparation correctly, this will be easy to do; otherwise, you will have to adjust your blocks until they stack up evenly. Once your first course is level and spaced correctly, it’s time to start laying more blocks above it so that they can interlock with those below them (see Figure 1).
Check for levelness by placing a long straight edge against one side of the wall; if everything looks good then move on to adding another course of block or two before checking again for levelness.
Lay a concrete footing and level it so that your retaining wall is straight.
- dig a trench for the footing
- pour the concrete
- level the concrete with a straight board, ensuring that it’s perfectly straight and level.
Once the blocks are all in place it’s time to backfill.
Once the blocks are all in place, it’s time to backfill. Backfilling is the process of filling in the space between your blocks with soil and gravel to hold them together. This step is important because if you don’t do this, your wall will be susceptible to erosion or collapse during rainstorms as water will pool up behind each block, eventually causing it to fall over.
Soil should be placed first because it provides a base for later layers of gravel that will help prevent erosion on top of your retaining wall. Next up is a layer of crushed stone (gravel), which helps create drainage channels through which water can run off from the surface down into the ground where it belongs. Watering this mixture helps settle everything into place so that no loose material remains at the bottom after settling occurs and as we know from science class: “Loose stuff is bad.” Repeat these steps until you’ve added enough soil and gravel so that there’s no more room for either one in between your stacked retaining blocks and then repeat again until finally reach desired height for each side (2 feet per section works well). Then simply level out each side with a rake by hand or another leveling tool before adding another row above those sides’ baseline; repeat until finished.
You will want to fill the hollow cores of each retaining wall block with gravel before you start laying them to ensure good drainage.
The hollow cores in each block are designed to be filled with gravel, which will do two things:
- Prevent water from getting trapped inside your wall and damaging it.
- Prevent the blocks from sinking into the ground over time. If a block were to sink into the soil beneath it, this would create a gap between that section of wall and any other sections that were still at ground level. Having these gaps can cause problems when you’re trying to install fencing or other structures on top of your retaining wall because they make it harder for them to stay stable in place without slipping down as well.
Use long 2-by-4s as spacers, placing two on either side of every other block and four on either side of all others.
- To begin, lay out 2-by-4s as spacers. Place two on either side of every other block and four on the sides of all others. This will ensure the blocks are aligned properly and that there are no large gaps between them.
- Fill in any remaining gaps with gravel to ensure that your wall is stable and solid.
- Next, place a cap block into each row before pouring concrete over it—this ensures your walls are straight up and down before they’re covered with concrete (an important step if you want them to look good).
When your next level reaches the last row of blocks on the previous level, fill any large gaps with gravel, then insert a cap block into the final row.
When your next level reaches the last row of blocks on the previous level, fill any large gaps with gravel, then insert a cap block into the final row. This will help to prevent water from seeping through and damaging your retaining wall.
Cost of Dry Stack Retaining Wall Construction
On average, the total cost of a dry stack retaining wall is about $16 per square foot. This includes materials, labor, equipment rental and permits. However, the price can vary depending on the size of your project and if you hire contractors or do it yourself.
Here are some factors that affect what you’ll pay:
- The length of your retaining wall (the longer it is)
- The height of your retaining wall (the higher it is)
- How many layers you want to add
Materials needed for Dry Stack Retaining Wall Construction
Materials needed:
- Concrete blocks
- Mortar (either bagged or a mix)
- Grout (store-bought or DIY)
- Gravel
- Spacers (if using mortar in place of bags)
Tools needed for Dry Stack Retaining Wall Construction
The tools you’ll need for dry stack retaining wall construction include:
- Shovels and wheelbarrows for moving dirt around. Try to get shovels with flat blades so they are easier on your back.
- A concrete mixer, can be rented from most local home improvement stores or ordered online. They range in size from a small unit that only holds five gallons of water to the big guys that hold up to 40 gallons of water at a time. If you’re building a small retaining wall, such as one that’s around ten feet long and four feet high, then a smaller model will work just fine. But if you want something bigger and more stable (such as one that is 20 feet long and eight inches thick), then invest in something larger like an industrial model that holds up to 100 gallons. Just remember: If you go over 25 cubic yards per hour (the suggested maximum amount) then it might be worthwhile renting one instead since these babies aren’t cheap.
Benefits of Dry Stack Retaining Wall Construction
Dry stack retaining walls are a great way to improve your property and increase its value. Similar to concrete retaining walls, dry stack retaining walls use the weight of materials placed behind the wall to hold it in place.
The main difference between dry stack retaining walls and traditional concrete construction is that dry stack walls do not require any mortar or grout between the blocks or stones that are used as building materials.
This type of construction is ideal because it is less expensive than using mortar or other types of adhesive material during construction. It also helps reduce the amount of time required for installation because there aren’t any additional steps involved with installing these types of walls on your property
Maintenance tips for Dry Stack Retaining Wall Construction
- Keep plants and grass away from the wall. They can grow into the joints of the blocks and eventually cause a crack.
- Keep the wall clean and free of debris. Brush off dirt, leaves, or plant clippings that may collect on top of or in between your dry stack retaining walls.
- Don’t walk on your dry stack retaining wall as you could dislodge some blocks and create cracks in them. For example, if someone is walking across a flat section of a wall where they would normally be able to step over one block (of course) at a time don’t do it. Instead, find an alternate route around that section so that you don’t have to stand up on any single block while walking across it because this puts too much pressure on those blocks which might cause them to crack or fall out completely.
Building a dry stack retaining wall is a great way to improve your property and increase its value.
Dry stack retaining walls are easy to build and can be built in a variety of styles and sizes. You can choose from a number of different materials, including concrete blocks, stone or brick pavers, and even wood planks. Dry stack retaining walls are inexpensive, durable, long-lasting, and require minimal maintenance once they’re constructed.
In Conclusion
Dry stack retaining walls are a great way to improve your property and increase its value. They’re also easy to construct and can be made from a variety of different materials, including concrete blocks, bricks or stones. The main thing to remember about dry stack retaining walls is that they require careful planning before construction begins so that the finished product looks exactly how you want it too.
