Building a retaining wall is a great way to add some flair to your yard and make the perfect spot for planting flowers, building a garden, or holding back dirt. Retaining walls can help you create different levels in your yard and prevent erosion while also making your yard more visually appealing.
Planning Your Wall
- Choose a location. A retaining wall is not just an aesthetic addition to your landscape—it serves as an important functional element. Before choosing a site for your wall, consider how it will be used and what your goals are for the space.
- Decide on the height of the wall. Retaining walls are typically built in tiers so that they can be stepped or terraced into sloping ground at different levels. It’s important that you determine how high you want this first tier to be so that you know where to start building when laying out your design.
- Consider drainage and soil type: You’ll also need to consider how well-drained your site is (the amount of rainfall it can handle), as well as its topography and soil type—all of which may impact how large or small (or sturdy) a retaining wall should be for stability purposes
Architecturally designed back yard.
Before you start building a retaining wall, it’s important to have a good plan. You can use an architect or computer program, but there are other ways too.
You can use a book with step-by-step instructions for building different types of retaining walls, or you can ask a friend who has built one before how he did it.
Add a block retaining wall to increase the grading of your landscaping, create separate zones in your lawn, and contain soil in areas with compacted soil.
A retaining wall is a structure that is built to support the soil behind it. They are commonly used to build raised beds, contain soil in areas with compacted soil and enable landscaping grading to slope away from buildings and foundations. If you are planning on building a retaining wall, there are some things that you should consider before getting started.
- Make sure you have permission from your local government. Some counties or cities may require permits for projects like this one, so check with them before beginning the project if you’re unsure whether or not its permitted in your area.
- Choose materials based on how long-lasting they’ll be and how well they will work with the type of soil where they’ll be installed (e.g., concrete block). Materials such as brick make excellent choices because they’re easy to install but do cost more than other options like blocks made from recycled plastic bottles which may look great but aren’t as durable over time due to wear & tear caused by freezing weather conditions during winter months when temperatures drop below freezing point (32 degrees F), heat waves during summertime months when temperatures rise above 85 degrees F inside houses/buildings where most people live/work nowadays.
Laying out the wall.
Laying out the wall:
A level surface is essential for this type of retaining wall. If you’re building on a hill, use a laser level or transit to ensure that your ground is flat. If you’re working on level ground, you can use stakes and string or mark with chalk lines to identify where each section of block will go. Make sure to keep in mind that the blocks need room (5/8″) between them so that dirt has a place to settle in between them once they’re installed. Use a tape measure, level, plumb bob or other device to accurately mark the corners of each section.
Digging the trench.
First, you’ll need to dig a trench. The width and depth of the trench will depend on the size of your blocks; but it is suggested that they be at least two inches apart. You will also want to make sure that there is enough room between each block so that they do not overlap when joined together.
Dampen the soil by wetting the trench with a hose. This will prevent any settling and cracking once the blocks are in place.
As you get started, it’s important to take care of one last preparation: wetting the soil. Wetting the soil will prevent any settling or cracking once your blocks are in place, so make sure to keep your hose handy and use it to dampen the dirt at least 2 days before you start building. You’ll want to keep your trench damp until you’re ready to build with interlocking block retaining walls; if possible, try not to let it dry out completely during this time period.
It’s also important when working with interlocking block retaining walls that you don’t over water your trench, which can lead to a soft base that isn’t sturdy enough for this type of structure. Soaking too much could cause problems for your project later on—and definitely make things more challenging.
Number each block as you place it so you can remove it if you have to make an adjustment later.
Number each block as you place it so you can remove it if you have to make an adjustment later.
This is important because you may not be able to keep track of what block is where as easily if they are all in a jumble and not labeled.
Setting up a laser level or transit to ensure the ground is level goes a long way toward ensuring that your project is successful.
Setting up a laser level or transit to ensure the ground is level goes a long way toward ensuring that your project is successful.
Throughout this guide, we’ll be using a laser level for our alignment purposes. It’s an instrument that emits light along an axis, allowing you to see whether or not something is flat and level with the ground.
You can use a transit as well, which is essentially just another type of surveyor’s tool—but some may find them more difficult to use than lasers because they require more advanced mathematics and geometry skills in order to get them set up correctly.
However, if you want to go the traditional route by using a transit instead of a laser level (and have fun with math), follow these steps:
You can build your own retaining wall with interlocking blocks
Building a retaining wall is a great way to increase the functionality of your outdoor space and give it new life. Interlocking blocks are easy to install and can be used in many different ways.
You will need:
- Interlocking block retaining wall kit (a variety of block colors may be available)
- Wire brush, screwdriver, rubber mallet or hammer
Conclusion
While it may seem tough at first to build a retaining wall, with the right materials, tools and planning you can create beautiful structures that are durable and provide an aesthetic element. The key is to ensure you will have enough material by doing measurements and planning in advance. Make sure as well that you follow all safety guidelines when using power tools such as drills
