5 More Tips for Building the Perfect Retaining Wall

The Cottage on the EDGE is built on the side of a hill, hence, a few retaining walls are required to maintain the grade on the 'cliff' side of the hill -- specifically to ensure the rain does not wash away the ground on two sides of the foundation.

I am fortunate to have a son that has practiced the art of landscaping for a number of years, and is a bit of an expert on building retaining walls.  Here are a few tips he passed on to his Dad:

TIP #1:  Use 10-foot lengths of either 4x4 or 6x6 pressure treated lumber.  From experience Egin has found that these are the optimal length for larger retaining walls.

TIP#2:  Use 1/2 or 3/4-inch rebar to secure the bottom row.  Drill the appropriate size hole and drive at least a 3-foot length of rebar ever 4 feet.

TIP#3:  Secure each row to the one below it with a 8-inch spike.  Drilling pilot holes just smaller than the spike will make this go much easier.  Again drive these every 4 feet making sure to offset each row by 2 feet.  There should be a spike on each row at the corners.

TIP#4:  Use a "T"  anchor when the retaining wall is over 3 rows.  This T-anchor should be installed in the second last row and be at least 4-feet into the bank.  Drive rebar through each end of the cross of the 'T'.

TIP#5:  Try not to make any retaining wall higher that 7 or 8 rows high.  It is better to have a series of retaining walls to retain a large depth than one big one. This will resist the weight of the grade by spreading the pressure over a greater distance.



Related Posts: 
5 Tips for Building a Strong Retaining Wall
5 Tips to creating a Great Retaining Wall
;-)