Using your retaining wall as a stepping stone is an excellent way to increase the height of your home, but how do you make them look great? To make a stairway with a retaining wall, follow these steps. Check the slope of your retaining wall. Calculate the number of steps you need and place the blocks on the base course. Once the retaining wall is level, you can install the stair tread material.
Install stair tread material
There are several options when it comes to selecting a stair tread material for your retaining wall. Bricks and small pavers can both be used as stair treads. After calculating the space necessary for the tread, cut the pavers to fit the space. Next, secure the front row with landscape block adhesive. Use a capstone at the front of the tread to provide more depth. Lastly, you will want to make sure that the materials you choose for your retaining wall are compatible with your local building codes.
You will need the same materials as you would for a regular staircase, so you’ll need to plan your materials carefully and determine the number of steps needed. The first riser is set at the center of the stairway, and the base material for the subsequent stair risers extends six inches behind the retaining wall block. Once the stairs are built, you’ll need to install the rest of the stairway.
Place a two-by-four on the slope of the retaining wall and mark the level. Then, lay the second set of stair steps, ensuring that the first one is parallel to the front base course. You can use twine or mason’s string to line up the second set. Add six inches of wall rock behind the blocks to create a stair tread base that’s 12 inches deep.
Check slope of retaining wall
Before you start constructing a retaining wall, it is vital that you check its slope to ensure that it will support the weight of your steps and other edging materials. It is important to build a wall at a slope of one inch for every foot it rises. When building a retaining wall, the first row of stone should be placed across the bottom edge of the previous block. Continue adding blocks in this fashion until the wall is as high as you need it to be.
Next, you need to level the area where you’ll build the retaining wall. Once you’ve done this, you can start laying the blocks one by one. Make sure you level the blocks and push down firmly. You need to keep the blocks level as you go. When building the first row of blocks, use a level to make sure every brick is level with the next one. Make sure every brick has the same height to prevent any unevenness or lopsided retaining wall.
Before building the steps, check the slope of the retaining wall. You need to build the steps at a sloped area so that they’ll remain level even when the slope increases. Make sure the retaining wall has a drainage area for water to flow through so that it won’t ruin your steps and other structures. If there’s a chance that water could pool at the top of the wall, you can install gravel backfill or pipe drains.
Calculate number of steps
When estimating the number of steps in your retaining wall, start with a rough estimate of the total length of the wall. Next, calculate the height of the wall and divide that figure by the height of the blocks you plan to use. Then, divide that figure by the number of steps in the first row. To create the right number of steps, use a Paver Calculator. Then, use your calculator to estimate the number of blocks you’ll need.
A retaining wall calculator can be confusing at first, but following the directions is very easy. Input the height of the block and its length in order to determine how many steps your wall will have. You’ll then need to calculate the slope and determine how many steps you’ll need to build the wall. Once you have calculated the slope, you can divide that number by the number of blocks. Next, input the number of steps needed, including the total rise of each step.
Before you start excavating, you’ll need to determine the number of steps you need. First, excavate the area where you plan to put the stairs. Mark the center of the stairway. Then, excavate the base area to the required depth for the base material. Once the base trench is ready, use a compactor to compact the soil. Replace organic soils with granular materials.
Place blocks on base course
To build stairs, you will need to create a retaining wall that’s a similar height to your base course. The base course will define the height of the steps. Once you have a basic height for your steps, you’ll need to determine the number of steps. For example, if you plan to build two steps, use the same base course and stack the blocks one on top of the other.
First, you must level the ground on which you will build your steps. This can be done by digging, scraping, or cutting out large chunks of soil. Then, you must check your work by using a level to ensure that you have the correct amount of soil. Then, you can start placing the blocks one by one. Make sure you place half blocks in between each row, which will make the steps look more natural.
The first block will set the tone for the entire project. Make sure it’s sitting flat on the base course without pushing on loose material. Next, use a level to ensure the blocks are level from front to back and side to side. Even the smallest differences in these blocks will have a huge impact on the next row and level. You can also use a level to ensure every brick is level and flat.
Set base course
To build steps in a retaining wall, start by setting a base course. When building steps, all blocks must be the same height. Then, stack the blocks directly on top of each other, with the top row of blocks straddling the joint line of the two blocks below. Next, stagger the steps and finish by setting backfill. Set the base course with a second course of blocks.
Once the base course is set, add the capstones, which are the stones that make up the top layer of the wall. To secure the capstones to the wall, use building adhesive and allow each to dry before applying another layer. Set the remaining cap blocks, using masonry adhesive, and then backfill the wall with crushed stone. Then, add six inches of loam on top of the wall.
Set a base trench under the retaining wall. The base trench should be at least 6 inches deep and 24 inches wide. Make sure the base trench is the same height as the first course of blocks in the retaining wall. This will allow you to set the first step in the wall in a way that will keep the wall level, and it will make setting pavers easier. Once you’ve finished setting the base course, you can proceed to the steps.
Backfill retaining wall
Before building steps, it is important to level the wall face along the path. If the step faces are not level, they will look awkward. To correct this problem, remove any flanges from the wall with a 3-pound hammer. Place glued blocks flush with the wall faces. Repeat the process for the remaining steps. Once finished, the steps should merge seamlessly into the retaining wall. In order to build a retaining wall path, you must follow the steps construction process as described below.
First, fill the voids between the steps. You can fill the voids with wet sand or geotextile fabric. Then, build the flanking walls. You will finish them with cap blocks. Make sure to stagger the seams so that the step blocks will be level. Make sure the wall’s upper portion crosses over the steps. When constructing steps in a retaining wall, the process should follow the same sequence as a foundation wall.
Next, you must determine the height of the retaining wall. You can either build steps that project out from the wall or sweep along it. In either case, you must ensure that they are level. You can also make use of two-by-fours to measure the height of the steps. The height of each block is important because it affects the length of the steps. If the slope is steep, you should use steps with a minimum of 8 inches of rise. On the other hand, if the slope is not too steep, you can use any length of tread for steps.
