The Bunkie on the EDGE

 I really like this picture and thought it was worth sharing with you.

It is a picture of the Bunkie looking up from the stairway down to the lake.  It helps to underline a few things:

• Why we call it the EDGE

• We have not taken down any more trees than we need to build the stairway, the Bunkie, the dock, and in fact, the Cottage.

• It is beautiful on the EDGE

;-)

WOW! Another Deck

My wife said "You must like building Decks!"

I guess I do, or at least that is what I am good at. I choose to build a deck ramp rather than use interlocking stone (it was a consideration) because it fit better with the look of the retaining wall, was easier, and fit with the approach used at the EDGE.

I am sure the project was much faster than learning how to do interlocking stone, likely less expensive and heck, I can do these in my sleep.

We have a bit of a water problem just outside of the bottom gazebo of the Cottage.  A water problem.  Not all the time as the eaves trough seem to be able to handle the volume most of the time.

But this spring and again in the summer we have had some massive rain storms which dumped more water than the eaves can handle.  The result was a lot of water falling through the deck and creating a river that washes sand on to the bottom deck.

The solution was to build a retaining wall to direct the water away from the deck and to eventually place some weeping tile to direct the water.

So a couple of weekends ago I built what you see:  a retaining wall and a new deck.  The deck is more of a ramp from the gazebo out to the top of the stairs that take you down to the lake.

The project is not quite finished as I need to put in the weeping tile which will be installed outside of the the retaining wall and under the new deck ramp.

Coming Up: 
In an upcoming post I will update you on the progress of the drainage system I put in.
;-)

Building Stair Landings the Easy Way

Our stairway from the cottage to the lake consists of 104 steps and eight landings.  Building stairs like this is complicated by the terrain and  the grade.  Simply said it is a real pain in the butt!

I devised a way to build landings that is very safe yet much easier to do than digging holes for sonotubes and dragging down buckets of concrete by hand.  I use four post spikes per landing - one in each corner.

While any brand of post spike will likely work I discovered a type of post spike (sometimes called a ground spike) where the top swivels.  This swiveling capability makes the whole approach work fabulously as it makes up for the inaccuracy of the installation process.  Driving the post spikes in to the right location to match the dimensions of the landing is an inexact science at best.  Sometimes the spike will just not drive down in the location you need it to because there is a buried stone in the way.  At other times it will twist as you drive it in to the ground.  All these ills are mitigated by the swiveling action of the post spike. In most cases the direction of the post can be turned and twisted to match up with the superstructure of the landing.

My Process goes something like this:

Step 1:  Build the super structure for the landing.  Most of my landings were 3x3 feet, 4x4-feet or 6x6-feet square so I would begin by building the superstructure of the landing but NOT install the floor (top) of the landing.

Step 2:  Use the landing supper structure to determine where the post spikes need to be placed.  I plumb bob is really handy for determining the location.

Step 3:  Drive the post spikes in place.  I would install one then temporarily install on post and recheck my placement for the next post spike and then drive it home.  I would continue this process untill all four post spikes are in place.

Step 4:  Install the posts.  Starting with the uphill posts, measure, cut and install the posts into their respective post spike.  A level comes in real handy during this process to level the posts as well determine the level of the landing so that you can determine the length of each post.  When this step is complete, all the posts are cut to size, installed in the post spikes and the landing is lying around the posts.

Step 5:  Install the landing.  Using a level attach the landing to the top of the posts.

NOTE:  Sometimes I just installed the posts in the spike and to the landing and then cut them off afterwards with a Saws-all

Step 6:  Secure the posts to the post spikes.  This generally requires a wrench and a few nails.

Step 7: Install the flooring on the landing.

Step 8:  Get two beers, sit on the landing, and enjoy your handiwork with your helper - yes you will need a second pair of hands to build the landing!

NOTE: The posts usually are secured on the inside of the landing, however, in the landing above they were installed on the outside of the landing superstructure.  This is because I removed a previously built landing and reused it.  In reusing the landing it was easier to install the posts on the outside.

Related Posts:  
Reconstructing the Stairs to the Lake: Part 1
Reconstructing the Stairs to the Lake: Part 2
39 Steps... Heck no we have 104!

;-)

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
;-)

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.
;-)

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?
 ;-)

5 Tips for Building a Strong Retaining Wall

Building a strong retaining wall that will resist the weight of earth behind it as well as hydrostatic pressures is a bit of an art.  I was fortunate to have my oldest son who has been working as a professional landscaper for a number years helping to design and install the retaining walls necessary around the cottage.

A true master with experience installing many of retaining walls, here are the rules of thumb that my son advises:

1. For most residential applications use 4x4 by 10-foot pressure treated lumber
2. Use 8-inch spikes to nail the rows together -using a spike at least every 4-feet
3. Use 3-4-foot lengths of 1/2 or 3/4-inch rebar to secure to bottom two rows of the retaining wall into the ground below.  Place a rebar every 4- 6 feet.  Drill 3/4 pilot holes through the timbers to hold the rebar.
4. Avoid making a retaining wall higher that 6 or 7 rows high.  If you have to go higher than this it is better to have two or more staggered retaining walls as shown in the second picture..
5. Secure the second or third row (from the top) of the retaining wall in to the ground behind the wall with a 'T- bar made of a 6-foot length with a 3-foot cross piece (as shown in the top picture).  Secure the cross piece the same way the lower rows of the retaining wall was with rebar.
6. Interlace the rows of timbers to provide strength of the joint at corners.  Nail a 8-inch spike at each corner.
7. Place a length of drainage tile (pipe) at the bottom of the retaining wall and exit the pipe out side of the retaining wall so that any water behind the retaining wall is adequately drained.

;-)

5 Tips to creating a Great Retaining Wall

Being the Cottage on the Edge, we have some steep issues to deal with...

On the lakeside of the cottage the grade drops very rapidly. Over the summer the rain demonstrated that there will be a erosion problem. I was concerned that waiting to deal with the erosion issues until next year would be a big mistake when the spring run-off comes. So we decided that it had to be fixed ASAP.

The way to fix the problem is to install a retaining wall or a few... to shore up the slope.

The issue was how to do that when there is still a lot of work in the Cottage? When my eldest son is a landscaper -- and he agreed to take on the task -- allowing me to continue working on the Cottage plumbing and insulation.

Last week end, he and my youngest son started the work. Here is a few tips he has learned to ensure a solid retaining wall:


1) Maximum of 7 courses of retaining wall material

Seven courses of retaining wall material, we used 4" x 4" pressure treated posts, will give about 2.5 feet of retaining wall. Any higher and the pressures of the soil behind tend to push the wall. Egin, my son, says going to 9 might be ok.

I was ready to order him 16 foot lentghs of the PT posts, however, he insisted on 10-foot lengths. Through experience he found that he never uses anything much longer even when the wall itself is much longer as he ends up cutting the posts to insert the tie backs anyway.

Each course is nailed to the one below it with 8-inch galvanized spikes.

2) Install drainage

Another trick to reducing the hydrostatic pressure against the retaining wall is to provide a means for the water to drain away easily. He always places weeping tile at the foot of his retaining walls. It also helps in avoiding washouts in the spring and in heavy rainfall.

3) Install bracing

The picture illustrates the construction of tie-back bracing for the wall. This ties the retaining wall right into the soil behind it. The weight of the soil itself holds back the weight against the wall. It is a simple 'T' structure, with the 'T' about 6 feet in the soil.

4) Anchor the bottom course

Another trick is to tie the bottom course into the soil below it by driving 1/2-inch rebar thought the post and into the soil. Egin uses 4-foot lengths of rebar, driven in every 4-feet.

5) Keep it level

Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing but the pressures along the retaining wall will be equalized.

Future Posts:
Egin will be completing this retaining wall over the upcoming weekend, but will also over the course of the fall and next spring be installing more landscaping options. We will post our observation on all of them.