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
;-)

The Fall Routine: Splitting Wood

Las weekend I cut, split and stacked all the firewood that we cut down late last winter (see More on that coming in future posts) and during the summer.

While I have rented a log splitter in past years, I found a 4-ton electric log splitter on sale at Canadian tire and decided to give it a try.  I was concerned that the 4-ton version wouldn't be powerful enough but was pleasantly surprised.  The splitter easily split even the biggest logs over 14 inches in diameter.  The biggest problem was knots but with a bit of clever planning these tough logs can be mastered.

This model is quite compact, and hence, I placed it on our picnic table to get it up to a more comfortable work height.

Safety

There are a few tips to stay safe when using the splitter

1. Wear safety glasses or a face shield
2. Use  as short an extension cord as possible and low guage wire or you will find that you will be constantly tripping a circuit breaker, and over heating the splitter.
3. Be sure to open up the air release value before you start splitting - and close it just before storage.
4. Keep your fingers out of the way
5. Do not defeat the safety interlock system - that is having to push a button and a separate lever at the same time.

Log Loading Tips
Through trial and error you will determine the the best way to load the logs to get the best splitting result.  Here are a few tips to start with:

1. Load the widest end of the log against the knife side of the splitter
2. Load any logs not cut straight with the longest side downwards

Demonstration
I am kicking myself for not video tapping the operation of the splitter but I found a excellent demonstration on the model I have on YouTube:



Related Posts:

Burning Firewood: Not all Wood is Created Equal

Tips to Dry Your Firewood Correctly

;-)

More Store Discounts - this time on shipping....

Greetings Fellow Humans,
The season is flying by and it's time to get ready for the next holiday sale. Starting Wednesday, November 24 to Sunday, November 28 we will be offering free shipping on all orders with a subtotal of $35 or more. Including International!

So stop what you're doing and visit the On-The-EDGE store !

Use the Coupon Code: SHIP2010

Instructions: Enter coupon code SHIP2010 before completing checkout. Discount applies to Super Saver, Canadian, and International Airmail ONLY and does not include products, taxes, or additional charges. This offer may not be combined or substituted with other offers. Coupon valid from 11/24/2010 12:00 am to 11/28/2010 11:59 pm Mountain time.

;-)

Holiday Discounts at the On-The-EDGE Store...

My supplier is offering a special holiday (American Thanksgiving...) discount which applies to everything in the On-The-EDGE Store.  The discounts will work up to and including November 20, 2010.

There are 3 coupon codes that you can use in the Store.  Use the one that corresponds the size of your purchase:

Coupon Codes:
FALL2010 $5 off subtotal of $25+
HARVEST2010 $10 off subtotal of $50+
AUTUMN2010 $20 off subtotal of $100+

Disclaimer:
Please enter coupon code FALL2010, HARVEST2010, or AUTUMN2010 before completing checkout. Discount is applied to the subtotal and does not include shipping, taxes, or additional charges. This offer may not be combined with other offers. Coupons valid from 11/14/2010 12:00 am to 11/20/2010 11:59 pm Mountain time.

Go to the store here.

 ;-)

Lattice Creates a Finished Look

While not an urgent thing the empty space under the deck surrounding the cottage always looked out of place (for me anyway).
I installed lattice on the deck superstructure everywhere the deck was not at least 6 foot high.  It just completes the aesthetics of the cottage and hides away the bottom part of the concrete walls under the deck.
I choose cedar lattcice for the following reasons:

• Cedar so it would weather the same way as the rest of the deck
• Lattice so the air would move freely under the deck, and thus not be a temptation for animals to use it as a home
• it was inexpensive

Do you agree with me that it finishes the Cottage?

;-)

One Reason Why Cottages Matter

Being a Northern Ontario boy, and now living in the 'City', I have missed the wonders of nature.

And there are many!

Here is one of them -- it is actually really and truly dark at night.  No glow in the distance (except at sunset), it is quiet, and there are so many stars!

My camera doesn't do it justice - take my word for it - it is beautiful!
;-)

Knowing You Have Arrived... Finally a Sign!

A couple of weekends ago the sign for the cottage was erected.  Now it is quite clear when you have arrived!

Previously we didn't even have a street number so our instructions for guests always seemed to include a "well we are the driveway between Number 93 and number 97" somewhere during the directions on how to find the cottage.

Now quests will know they have arrived at the "Cottage on the EDGE" and the partying can begin!

While I needed to purchase two post spikes (my favorite way to dig post holes), and another 4x4 post, the rest of the sign was constructed using scarp lumber left over from construction.  Even the solar-powered sign lights (at the top) were left-over materials from a previous lighting need.
;-)

Another Shed: Adding a Garage

I added one of those vinyl garages to the suite of sheds up at the cottage.  While the immediate need was protection from the elements while refinishing my sailboat, I was thinking ahead for the power toys that will be inevitably arriving at the Cottage:  dirty bikes, ATVs, etc...

While the instructions strenuously suggest that assembling the structure is a 2-person project, I was able to complete almost the entire project myself although it would have been nice to have a second set of hands.  Where I really needed help was in the last step of adding the reinforcing bars at the very bottom of the walls of the garage.  These bars proved the tension to the walls and ultimately for the roof.  This last task cannot not be done single handed.

I purchased this garage from Canadian Tire, on sale (I never buy anything for full price).  The quality is great. and there were several different size models.  This model is the standard model that fits a standard size automobile bu there are other models smaller and/or wider. If you need one of these they tend to come on sale either in the Spring or late Summer.
;-)

A New Addition to the Guest Bunkie

I have a fondness for the bunkie...  It was the first livable structure that I built after the stairs down to the dock, has some great memories associated with it, and it served admirably as living quarters while the main cottage was being built. 

But it did have one annoying feature - the porch on the front was just a pain in the neck to use because it was so small - and I suggest ultimately dangerous.  Plus the was not cover from the elements so the door was taking some abuse from the rain - I just could never get a screen door to last more than a season before it got damaged in some way.

So I re-built the porch this Fall and added a roof. Now there is plenty of room to maneuver on th e porch - in fact more than one person can now actually stand on the deck of the porch.  Luggage and supplies can easily be place on the porch deck from the stairway rather than trekking them all the way down to the lower deck and then up the stairs to the bunkie. 

Not one for immediate aesthetics I reused as much of the lumber from the previous deck to save on cost for the project.  The result is a bit of a mismatch on the colour of the wood in various places -- but give it a year or two and all will be that glorious grey weathered look.  The lattice work was left over material from latice used on the main cottage deck.

Next Spring I intend to add a screen door.  There is also a bit of work left inside the bunkie itself - but that will have to wait until next Spring as well.  There is a bed up in the loft so a retractable ladder needs to be built. Plus all the trim work including baseboards and molding around the windows was never completed in the initial building project - isn't that always the case...

Our plans include bringing clean water down to the bunkie, and an outdoor shower (solar heated of course).  Combined with the nearby outhouse the bunkie can be a private, self-contained vacation get-away.  We are hoping that it will perhaps provide a bit of revenue.
;-)

Holy Moly! Those Anchors are Heavy!

About mid-Summer I made four anchors (see Build the Perfect Swimming Dock Anchor).  I have been wondering how to get them down to the dock ever since.  There are three of them in this picture - can you see them?
Here is the issue - each of these anchors weights well over 300 lbs (160 KGs).  Two big strong males can barely lift them up on edge.  The anchors are tires so once they are up, it is reasonably easy to roll them - but can you image rolling those down 104 step to the lake and the dock? Well my youngest son and his friend manged to get one of them down that way...  It took them over an hour and they were exhausted by then - and we are not talking waif thin puny men - my son is 6-3 and over 225 lbs and strong as an ox.
So the remaining three anchors have languished up on top for a couple months until my son and I moved them last weekend.We did  not roll them down the stairs.
Rather we rolled them up a ramp and into my SUV and drove them down to the back yard of my next door neighbour and rolled them on a relatively flat path and a much shorter distance up onto the dock.  It still took us over two hours, and plenty of huffing and puffing.

I learned a lesson!

Understand the implications of mixing four plus bags of concrete into a tire... and move the bags one at a time to the final location and make the anchors much closer to the dock - maybe like ON the Dock!
;-)

What to do with ALL those Rocks?

We have been collecting a lot of rocks.  Flat Ones, Round Ones, Small Ones, Big Ones, and some really Big Ones!

During the construction and subsequent landscaping there were a lot of rocks that appeared as a result of raking, shoveling, and moving various piles of sand and other types of fill.

Never one to waste we collected these in several convenient (and some not so convenient) places all over the cottage lot.

Collecting for what you may ask...

Well there was method in our madness. We intend to use the stones and rocks to line the cutout for the entrance driveway, and in this way eliminate the constant pruning and weeding of the plants that are constantly trying to reclaim the entrance to the driveway.  We think it will add some aesthetics to the entrance to the cottage as well. 

That landscaping task will start in the Spring -- there is chopping of wood for the winter that needs to happen first...

The picture is kind of a nice Fall picture as well! Don't you think?
 ;-)