I really like a wall-stone made by Anchor, it has a variable of three different stone sizes to look more like cut stone and some is available with both sibes finished to look like cut stone for those areas that can be seen from behind. Use an outdoor adhesive for concrete even if they have a hole to pin them together with. Use a minimume of 8" of gravel compacted and topped with 3-4" of sand tamped with the first corse below ground level. Backfill the hole with gravel but be sure nto install a 4" slotted and socked drain pipe near the first and second coarse with an exit through the wall for drainage.
Check out some back issues of Snow Creek Railway built by Bob Treat. He uses aluminum foil as a form for concrete that create the effect of rock outcroppings. He backfills with rock and soil so plants could grow BUT the concrete seems to kill the plants for some reason.
To make the wall retain as much as 2' of backfill, you will want to dig a trench for a footing. It sould be down to some solid ground and, if you have freezes, below the frost line. Quickcrete mixed in a wheelbarrow is poured in the trench to create a footing. Use a couple of 1/2" reinforcing bars from Home Depot in the footing, keeping the steel 3" from soil below and to the sides. Bend some 3/8" rebar into 90 degree angles with 8-12" legs and place them at about 2' on center so that one leg sticks up where the retaining wall will go.
You can slip some 4" or 6" "hollow tile" or Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) over you upright steel while the footing is setting up or "wet set". Since you are only going up 24" the edges don't need too much attention but "buttering up" the joining edges will help the wall act as a single unit and protect the steel from water. Once the first layer is in place tie another peice of 3/8" rebar to the first sticking up with some wire and fill those cells with concrete. The next two rows of CMU can be placed and filled with concrete as you go. If you want to make the wall look like a mountain then the concrete rock molds are filled with grout mix and let set until "green". When firm enough, butter them with more grout and stick the pieces to your wall. Later the gaps can be filled with more concrete to blend them together.
Before you backfill the wall be sure to add a perferated drain tile with a little slope from the center to the ends or end to end. Use clean rock fill around the drain to keep it from clogging up too soon. Go a step further and set the whole business in weed matting and wrap it up like a burrito after backfilling and cover with soil or railroad!
Have fun.
Hello, thank you for your response, I live inland in New Jersey where we have a lot of trees and rocks, the retaining wall that I built was kind of a joke. I used pieces of tile that go on the outsides of peoples houses and glued them together with liquid cement, I know it was a very stupid idea but I'm still new to the hobby. The new retaining wall will need to range from 6 inches too 2 feet. I wish to make it look like a mountain using rocks or other material like rocks.
I am a landscape designer and installer in Florida and if you can tell me where you live, inland or coast, and some thing about what you had and about the soil, sand or clay or muck, how tall it needs to be it would help. Also, if there is a type of look that you hope to achieve.
First thing as mentioned above, check the building codes.
You might check the DIY network and/or the HGTV websites. They have articles on retaining walls. With some good practices.
Here in N. California and Nevada many people use pre-cast concrete retaining wall blocks. There are several brands carried by home store like Lowe’s and Home Depot. The blocks I use are 12” W. x 4” H x 8” D. and weigh 27 pounds each. On the back bottom there is a lip that holds each course in place. I’ve used them on a drainage ditch along the road across the front of our property, retaining walls around the house and garden railroad and have never had any problems. I start with the lowest course and built up from there backfilling with gravel for drainage. California requires retaining walls higher than 4’ to be engineered. The beauty of this method is I can buy a couple of dozen blocks at a time. The 27 pound blocks are easy to handle, but have enough mass to stay in place. The pre-cast blocks come in a variety sizes (up to 100 lbs ea. with locking pins) and colors.
I hope this helps, Rob
Hi If I was building a wall I would use block walling that has a hole though it, into this I would have a spike driven 2-3 feet into the ground. If the hole in block is wider than the spick fill hole with cement or what ever you atr going to use BUT NOT soil or rubble as this tends to move over time. Hope this helps
Age is only a state of mind, keep the mind active and enjoy life
We need some more info here.
How tall a retaining wall do you need?
How much of a slope is it holding back?
Why did your retaining wall fail and what was it constructed of?
I have built retaining wall of dry stack stone, modular concrete block and PT and recycled timbers up to 5 feet tall with never a failure.
-Brian
A few years ago I had to put up a retaining wall in my back yard - 36 inches above ground, 40 feet long. Thanks to local codes, it had to be built strong enough to support a freeway shoulder - massive L-shaped footing, concrete block with rebar in each void, poured full after laying in place, behind-the-wall drainage, weep holes of specified dimensions on six inch centers...
If I had NOT complied with code (and had all the necessary inspections) the city would have come around and told me to tear it out. They regularly check satellite photos to spot unauthorized construction. A friend of mine found this out the hard way.
How much did it cost? Professionally done, about $125/running foot. My checkbook runs off and hides every time it's mentioned.
Chuck (Who thought about outdoor HO, then retreated to the garage)
Hello, recently my old retaining wall has failed me on my garden layout. I built it last summer and winter has took its toll. I need some help on what to use to build a good retaining wall. This retaining wall is going to cost me a hefty amount of money and i want to know what makes a good retaining wall. I live in northern New Jersey and any information would be helpfull.
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