If you live in a hilly area, find out about the landscaping technique that can simultaneously prevent soil erosion and enhance the appearance of your backyard—and how simple it can be to do it yourself with the correct supplies.
Retaining walls have a variety of maple ridge retaining walls, including preventing soil erosion, transforming rocky terrain into a backdrop of terraces, and establishing focal points in the landscape. Indeed, they are some of the most popular methods for fixing issues brought on by hilly locations! Unworkable inclination are transformed into useful outdoor area for the garden by properly constructed retaining walls.
Despite their straightforward appearance, these walls require a lot of planning—and occasionally expert engineering—to maintain their shape. A typical retaining wall (four feet tall and 15 feet long) may have to withstand up to 20 tons of soil pressure due to the weight of soil, especially when it is sopping wet following a recent rainstorm. The soil exerts significantly more pressure for every additional foot in height. If you underestimate the strength of your wall during building, it could bulge or, worse, collapse completely. Retaining walls taller than four feet should only be designed and built by professionals for this very reason.
However, passionate do-it-yourselfers with a basic understanding of construction can build shorter retaining walls. That sounds like you, right? These retaining wall building tips can help you get started if you want to get your hands dirty and improve your landscape with a retaining wall.
ALWAYS make sure you verify with the authorities.
Because the influence of a retaining wall on the natural flow of water may affect your neighbors, some localities demand that homeowners get a permit before work can start. To be sure that constructing a retaining wall won't lead to drainage issues, you might need to submit your wall's drawings and arrange for a site inspection.
DO choose a material that is simple to work with.
Retaining walls can be built from a range of materials, including huge timbers, poured concrete, natural stones, and even bricks. For do-it-yourself projects, choose manufactured blocks with locking flanges along the bottom edges that are made expressly for retaining walls; this ensures a solid connection between rows. These blocks can be bought at almost any home improvement store as well as many garden centers. They come in gray and earthy tones with smooth or textured faces, like these at The Home Depot.
DO lay a solid foundation first.
Your retaining wall's support structure determines how sturdy it will be. A trench filled with three inches of crushed rock will assist prevent the retaining wall from settling and shifting if it is no taller than four feet. The proposed height of the wall will determine the actual depth of the trench, but use this general guideline: An eight of the wall plus three inches should be the depth of the excavation. For instance, you would need to dig the trench eight inches deep to accommodate three inches of crushed rock and around five inches (or an eighth of the visible retaining wall) to start the wall below grade if you wanted your retaining wall to be three feet (36 inches) tall when finished.
