How To Build Interlocking Block Retaining Wall

Retaining walls are great for creating attractive landscaping. They prevent soil erosion, provide extra seating, and can add to the value of your property. But they can be expensive to build and difficult to maintain. That’s why many homeowners choose more modern retaining wall solutions that use interlocking concrete blocks instead of traditional wood or stone. These blocks come in a variety of shapes and sizes so you can create beautiful landscape features yourself without breaking the bank.

You will need a retaining wall to help keep your soil, dirt and rocks from spilling out of your hillside.

A retaining wall is a structure that is built to support the earth and soil behind it. It keeps these materials in place so they don’t collapse, allowing you to use them for other purposes. For example, you may want to build a garden with retaining walls around it so that when your plants grow bigger they don’t push out of the dirt or spill into another area of your yard.

Retaining walls come in all shapes, sizes and materials. They can be made out of concrete blocks, bricks or stones (like cobblestones). They may also be made from wood planks stacked one-on-top-of-another – this type is commonly called “log cabin” style because it looks like logs stacked on top of each other!

They are also an effective way to stop erosion.

Retaining walls, as the name suggests, are used to hold back soil and rocks from falling down hillsides and into streams. They can also be used to keep soil from washing away during heavy rains.

When you build one of these walls it is important that you make it strong enough to hold back the soil and provide ample support for the earth around it.

When you build one of these walls it is important that you make it strong enough to hold back the soil and provide ample support for the earth around it. If you do not make sure that your wall is strong enough, then there is a chance that your wall will fall over and could cause damage to either yourself or someone else around you.

There are many different ways that people can build their retaining walls so they are able to hold back soil and provide ample support for their earth around them.

Luckily, interlocking block retaining walls are fairly simple and easy to build for most people.

Luckily, interlocking block retaining walls are fairly simple and easy to build for most people. They’re also quite affordable. These walls can be built using a few different materials which we’ll discuss in a bit, but the main component is interlocking blocks (also known as drystack or patio blocks). These are used to create a solid wall with very little labor on your part.

The first thing you’ll need is some basic tools: shovels (one long-handled and one short-handled), pickaxes, wheelbarrows or carts (depending on how much material you have), rakes (for leveling soil) and stakes if you’re building your own forms or if the ground isn’t completely level where you’re working. You may also want to invest in safety goggles, gloves and dust masks depending on what kind of situation you are working in.

Step 1 – Excavate Area

  • Excavate the area where you want the retaining wall to be built. Make sure it’s deep enough, and lay out a straight line along your property line that will be easy to follow while building. You can use a flat shovel to get a straight line on top of the hole by first digging out some sand at one end, then creating a ramp that leads back in toward your property line (upward).
  • Put down stakes into each corner of what will be your foundation for each block in order to keep everything level when laying out blocks later on in this process.
  • Pour water from your garden hose into the trenches until they are full enough so that no more water pools up anywhere around them—this is called “levelling” the ground surface prior to building anything onto it; levelling helps prevent cracks or other problems later on down its life cycle as well as now during construction!

The first thing you will want to do is dig a trench along your property line where the retaining wall will be built.

The first thing you will want to do is dig a trench along your property line where the retaining wall will be built. This trench should be as deep and wide as the height you plan on building your wall, so that it can properly support itself. If possible, dig this trench at least 3 feet deep so that water does not build up behind the wall and potentially cause it to collapse later on down the line. Once the trench has been dug out to these specifications, fill it with water until it is about half full of liquid; any less than this may leave too much room between each individual block for them to be stabilized appropriately.

Once this step has been completed and all of your blocks have been laid out into place within their designated spots along both sides of your property line (this process takes time but is worth doing correctly), begin filling each hole back up with dirt until they are completely covered over again by dirt once more before applying mortar mix between each block so that they stay in place while being held together by cementing paste or adhesive sheeting around edges where appropriate areas meet one another

Be sure to use a flat shovel so you can get a straight line on the top edge of the hole.

You may use a flat shovel to dig the trench and make it square. A square shovel is also ideal for making the trench straight. A flat shovel is also great for making sure your water retaining wall is level, deep enough, and straight on top.

Once you have dug deep enough, you can simply fill up the trench with water from your garden hose until it is all wetted down.

The first step is to dig out an area for your retaining wall. A bit of advice: you want this trench to be deep enough that when the concrete is poured, it will come up above ground level so that you can plant overtop of it. You’ll also want it deep enough so that the walls don’t have any risk of caving in or cracking from too much pressure on top of them.

Once you have dug deep enough, you can simply fill up the trench with water from your garden hose until it is all wetted down. This will help prevent dirt from caving in as well as keep cracks from forming in your wall due to drying out too quickly (especially if there’s not much sun).

Step 2 – Fill With Gravel

Now that you’ve laid the blocks, it’s time to fill them in with gravel. Gravel is needed to help distribute the weight of the retaining wall evenly and prevent erosion along its sides.

It will also keep dirt from coming out of your trench and sliding down the hill.

Once the trench has been fully dug out and soaked down with water then you can begin placing gravel in between each row of bricks that are going into place.

Once the trench has been fully dug out and soaked down with water then you can begin placing gravel in between each row of bricks that are going into place. The reason for this is that the ground may not be level, or some areas could be softer than others, so it’s important to spread around a layer of gravel to help distribute weight evenly.

You’ll also want to add some more gravel between each brick to help keep them from sliding out of place as well. This will help keep things steady overall and prevent your wall from sinking into the ground over time if you decide not to put any additional dirt back there after laying all these bricks down.

You may also want to consider adding a bit more powdered mortar before laying down any bricks—especially if they’re going over grass or dirt—so that they don’t shift around when being set down on top of one another during construction; this will ensure stability throughout construction stages as well as long-term use once finished being built!

This will help distribute weight evenly when laying down heavy objects later on.

You’re going to need a level. You can buy one at any hardware store, or you can use a piece of wood and some string.

If your bricks are not straight, you won’t be able to make them all level. If your bricks are not level, it will be harder for them to interlock properly later on. And if your bricks aren’t straight and level… well… how should I put this gently? They’ll just look bad!

Step 3 – Place Bricks

Once you have the first row of bricks in place, it’s time to continue building your wall. Start with another row of bricks, making sure each brick is level with its neighbor and facing inward toward another brick. The second row should also be level with the first. Repeat this process for as many rows of bricks as necessary until you’ve reached your desired height or are satisfied with how tall your wall is (remember: every additional layer of interlocking blocks adds about 2″ to 3″).

In addition to making sure that each block is aligned horizontally and vertically, make sure they are all the same size (e.g., if one block is 1″ x 2″, then all other blocks should also be 1″ x 2″). This will ensure a uniform look while creating a strong foundation on which future layers can rest securely without tipping over when stacked together closely enough without any gaps between them!

Now comes time to place the actual bricks! If there are no straight edges then just make sure they are all facing inward toward each other so they lock together properly during construction process (and don’t fall out).

Now comes time to place the actual bricks! If there are no straight edges then just make sure they are all facing inward toward each other so they lock together properly during construction process (and don’t fall out).

The next step is to lay down a 8″ of concrete in between each block. The best way to do this is by using some sort of wheelbarrow or cart and moving it along one side at a time until you’ve covered every block. You should also use a trowel for smoothing out any bumps or uneven areas that arise from the wheelbarrow method described above.

Once all your cement has been applied and smoothed out, it’s important at this point not too give too much pressure while putting on your first layer because we need enough room between layers so that when we come back later with another layer underneath it will also be able to settle into place nicely without pushing down too hard on top.”

Conclusion

Now that you know what features are available for interlocking blocks, you’ve become an expert on how to build a retaining wall. Contact us today to see how we can help you with your project.

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