Retaining walls

[Gizmo2]

$1.00 per block?
I used Anchor block and they were just under $6 each, not sure what the tops were. Good point on the geogrid. I used geogrid and considered it cheap insurance. I also installed drain pipe behind the wall and filled in behind the wall with ｾ inch stone two feet back up to the last foot or so then top soil.

 

[RonMar]

The plain retaining wall block can be had for less, but not the "T" anchor block that the OP is using. They are pretty spendy from what I have looked at.

 

[Mustangous]

Great job guys.... So there is no need to pour a footing for these walls? I will have to do one in the furture and have a lot of resaech to do.....

 

[smfcpacfp]

[I never did post pictures of the final product. I am going to do the final landscaping next year:

 

[Gizmo2]

Had to show the wife as she can relate, she says, VERY NICE!

 

[Charlton John]

Excellent work guys! I would love to do some things like this myself around the back of the house. Just need to get some other stuff done first. I will have to reference back to this post for ideas when the time arises for me to do the work. I dont have a B.H. either so this will have to be done a lot w/ shovel and pick.

 

[Charlton John]

Also curious, what did you put under the brick pavers? Thanks

 

[smfcpacfp]

Also curious, what did you put under the brick pavers? Thanks

We put about 6 inches of 1A gravel (a stone rough sand /stone mix), and then 1 inch of just sand to make it easy to level.

We then put cement sand in the spaces between the paving stones.

Went over it with a compactor and put a little more cement sand in any new gaps.

As you can see we had to do a lot of cutting of the paving stones to get the herringbone pattern. By the way, my wife laid all of the paving stones.

 

[MotorSeven]

Outstanding job! I bet you wish that you had widened out the walls just enough so you didn't have to cut that entire row of bricks......been there done that.

RD

 

[smfcpacfp]

Outstanding job! I bet you wish that you had widened out the walls just enough so you didn't have to cut that entire row of bricks......been there done that.

RD

We thought we had, but we made a mistake.

 

[Gizmo2]

Our experience (first time) building our retaining wall is with this type of block it is almost impossible to keep the thought process far enough ahead not to make mistakes. We had plenty.

 

[smfcpacfp]

This last summer:

I guess it is still there. I took this picture today after 190" of snow:

 

[Gizmo2]

Too cool!

 

[rox]

Nice job SMFCPACFP and also to Mrs. SMFCPACFP.
Gizmo2 you and your wife did a great job. It really enhances your home with the new deck and all. Just beautifle, both projects.

 

[PILOON]

Hope you have solid base and lots of drainage behind those walls.

Our city contracted a series of similar retaining walls some 10 years ago and nearly all now need to be redone as frost heaving is doing serious damage.
Mfg specs call for gravel base below frost line with serious drainage and geotextile plus gravel backfill.
Looks great however.

 

[smfcpacfp]

Hope you have solid base and lots of drainage behind those walls.

Our city contracted a series of similar retaining walls some 10 years ago and nearly all now need to be redone as frost heaving is doing serious damage.
Mfg specs call for gravel base below frost line with serious drainage and geotextile plus gravel backfill.
Looks great however.

I have 40 tons of gravel on the outside of the walls and my soil is pure beach sand beyond that, so heaving isn't an issue.

 

[Gizmo2]

I have 40 tons of gravel on the outside of the walls and my soil is pure beach sand beyond that, so heaving isn't an issue.

We did the same with the gravel. Back filled with gravel all the way to the bottom and back about 4 feet and added drain pipe. Only about a foot of dirt on the top of the gravel. Did ours in 2005.

 

[workinallthetime]

Beautiful work, I have done several myself and all the work you do before you lay a stone is well worth it. I have a neighbor whe has decided to tear down a 15 foot tie wall and go back with natural stone he is picking up from around the area. I tried to tell him about soil prep and footing but he will not listen. Its going to be sad to see his house slide off the hill in a couple years due to cutting corners, not doing is research, and the incredible instabilty of clay around here.

 

[5030tinkerer]

The work is amazing. The various block manufacturer reps around Iowa go out of their way to say that having a footing beneath the frost line is not necessary. This never made much sense to me, but certainly saves cash and labor up front. Is the consensus that digging down to under the frost line for a segmented retaining wall necessary?

 

[smfcpacfp]

I didn't dig below the frost line. I didn't even think about it. What do you mean by a "segmented" retaining wall?