sloping hills

[Anonymous]

I want to buil my railway along the fence in my yard .I am hoping to have my garden beds higher along the fence (aprox 3')and slope tward the front edge .What do you do to protect the fence , mine is made of cedar .I dont want to use bricks or stones cuz that would be excessively expensive . Can I use something else such as concerete drywall or treated plywood to rest the soil against ?Any ideas will be appreciated .

[Anonymous]

Blue Aster, I would first check to see how strong the fence is and possibly dig down next to one of the fence post to see how far down it goes. If you built the fence you may already know, It is common practice by alot of fence building companys here in Ohio to only dig down 24" instead of 36" where the frost line is. Then people call on me or others on how to fix a crooked fence due to frost heave. I have seen fences that have had a small rock garden leaning against them (only two foot high) and the weight has caused the fence to lean in that spot away from the rock garden, soil especialy wet soil is heavy. Concrete drywall or tile backer board would still need to be coated with a water proof thin set type mortar at least on the dirt side of fence and tape any joints in the process, this will keep water from wicking towards the out of the soil. ever see a stucco house after it rains and the stucco a day or so later looks wet? They probably didn't use a " sonoboure" additive in their mix to keep this from happening. The house will sometimes rot away from beneath the stucco.
Cedar is an excellent wood for exterior however it is very soft and non structural against weight. O.K I ran along enough, I would recommend using railroad ties[:D] and making sure to staggar the joints far apart and pin each course with rebar and hold the first one back a 1/2" form the fence and the next course a 1/2" from the first tie and so on. This will create an air pocket so the fence will dry out
and at three foot high( approx 4 ties high) you would be 2 " away from the fence
This will also curb the weight of the dirt away from the fence. I would also recommend putting 6" of stone underneath the first tie for drainage. The ties are treated but I would also spray a termite killer( find at home depot or garden center) just as an added precaution. Then you could fill in dirt to the top of the tie
and slope away. Any questions regarding my diarhea of the mouth? I'll check back and answer.

[Anonymous]

Hi Mr. Blue;
My layout is built next to a six foot cedar fence also and I had to face the same question. My solution to the problem was to build "fero-cement" mountains with pockets of soil built in like flower pots for my trees etc.
If you would like to see my layout go to the F.Y.I. thread and look way down at the bottom of the page for my link.
OLD DAD

[vsmith]

I would suggest using concrete blocks as a retainer wall that your soil "hill" can be bermed against, leave at least one inch of airspace between the blocks and the wood to help prevent dryrot. You could also use a timber system to do this (railroad ties?) DO NOT berm soil directly against the fence or risk a real mess when it rots away. even with a "lining" the wieght of the soil will pu***he fence over. You will need a retaining system.

[bman36]

blue aster,
I like the idea of railway ties. Where I live they are very cheap and stack nicely to make a barrier. If cost is an issue then stay flat for now. You can always make changes later as funds permit. All the best in your design! Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Before using railroad ties check with your city to see how complicated disposal of the ties will be once your finished with them. Around here old railroad ties are considered hazardous waste and require special handling which can be expensive. Down the road old ties may become impossible to get rid of so check before you use them to build anything.
OLD DAD

[bman36]

OLD DAD,
Good point on those ties. We have a company here that specializes in reclaiming ties. Any you want to get rid of they will take away for free! They truck tons of them across the line, maybe even to where you live. BTW the snow is gone and the thaw is on!!! Later eh...Brian.