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The New Coffee Room

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  2. General Discussion
  3. Anybody got experience building a retaining wall?

Anybody got experience building a retaining wall?

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  • L Offline
    L Offline
    LuFins Dad
    wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 01:46 last edited by
    #1

    I’m putting a block retaining wall for a raised garden bed tomorrow. 24’ L x 18” H (4” will be submerged). I dug a 7” ditch and will lay down 3 inches of paver base tomorrow. While the wall isn’t tall, the combined weight is about 2000 lbs. With a soon to be toddler that will be crawling all over anything, I’m planning on dropping some rebar, too. The question is how much and how deep? Any suggestions? I was thinking of dropping 6 2’ bars halfway down. Is that deep enough?

    The Brad

    1 Reply Last reply
    • M Offline
      M Offline
      Mik
      wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 01:47 last edited by
      #2

      Find an Irishman and ask him.

      “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

      G L L 3 Replies Last reply 3 Jun 2020, 01:50
      • M Mik
        3 Jun 2020, 01:47

        Find an Irishman and ask him.

        G Offline
        G Offline
        George K
        wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 01:50 last edited by
        #3

        @Mik said in Anybody got experience building a retaining wall?:

        Find an @copper and ask him.

        FIFY

        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

        1 Reply Last reply
        • M Mik
          3 Jun 2020, 01:47

          Find an Irishman and ask him.

          L Offline
          L Offline
          LuFins Dad
          wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 01:51 last edited by
          #4

          @Mik I’m Irish. I know for a fact that we won’t do work without whisky or beer being involved.

          The Brad

          1 Reply Last reply
          • J Offline
            J Offline
            Jolly
            wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 01:52 last edited by
            #5

            What is a hill?

            “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

            Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

            1 Reply Last reply
            • L Offline
              L Offline
              Larry
              wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 01:54 last edited by
              #6

              I've seen one of them, but I forget where....

              1 Reply Last reply
              • M Mik
                3 Jun 2020, 01:47

                Find an Irishman and ask him.

                L Offline
                L Offline
                Loki
                wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:05 last edited by
                #7

                @Mik said in Anybody got experience building a retaining wall?:

                Find an Irishman and ask him.

                To play with his son?

                1 Reply Last reply
                • C Offline
                  C Offline
                  Copper
                  wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:08 last edited by Copper 6 Mar 2020, 02:16
                  #8

                  I'm an Irish man.

                  I have built several retaining walls, concrete and wood.

                  One down, two up. That is the rule of thumb. One block underground for each 2 blocks above. I believe the limit for blocks like this is around 3 feet above grade.

                  Make sure you bury some of this stuff behind the wall, you don't want pressure to build up and knock it over:
                  https://www.lowes.com/pd/ADS-4-in-x-10-ft-Corrugated-Perforated-Pipe/50163591

                  The courses are all level, they don't go up and down with the terrain. This lets you put your beer down without it tipping over.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • C Offline
                    C Offline
                    Copper
                    wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:11 last edited by
                    #9

                    Level, like this

                    alt text

                    alt text

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • C Offline
                      C Offline
                      Copper
                      wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:15 last edited by
                      #10

                      And nobody ever regretted having a good 42 inch wrecking bar, you will use it on a million projects

                      https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-42-in-Wrecking-Bar-DWHT55132/202985493?mtc=Shopping-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_1_HAND_TOOLS-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-HandTools_PLA_PrioritySKUs&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_1_HAND_TOOLS-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-HandTools_PLA_PrioritySKUs-71700000067189882-58700005873234876-92700053720272631&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9oz-pcnk6QIVkobACh3hHg0sEAQYASABEgLfCvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

                      alt text

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • M Offline
                        M Offline
                        Mik
                        wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:19 last edited by
                        #11

                        Copper, quit giving the wanker free advice.

                        “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

                        L 1 Reply Last reply 3 Jun 2020, 02:41
                        • L Offline
                          L Offline
                          LuFins Dad
                          wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:39 last edited by
                          #12

                          I just picked up a 36” bar to tear down the timber wall the previous owner had up. That made my life so much easier.

                          The Brad

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • M Mik
                            3 Jun 2020, 02:19

                            Copper, quit giving the wanker free advice.

                            L Offline
                            L Offline
                            LuFins Dad
                            wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:41 last edited by
                            #13

                            @Mik said in Anybody got experience building a retaining wall?:

                            Copper, quit giving the wanker free advice.

                            You’re just upset that I stole all your lucky charms...

                            The Brad

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • M Offline
                              M Offline
                              Mik
                              wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 02:50 last edited by
                              #14

                              😆

                              “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • L Offline
                                L Offline
                                LuFins Dad
                                wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 20:10 last edited by
                                #15

                                This first row is kicking my ass. Once I’ve got it in, it will go faster, but today I’m working my behind like an Irishman trying to earn money for a bottle of whisky.

                                @Copper I am impressed with that wall.

                                The Brad

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • M Offline
                                  M Offline
                                  Mik
                                  wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 20:14 last edited by
                                  #16

                                  If you were really Irish you'd have found a way to get someone else to do it while you drank the whiskey.

                                  “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  • C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    Copper
                                    wrote on 3 Jun 2020, 20:44 last edited by Copper 6 Mar 2020, 20:45
                                    #17

                                    I think I spent a day on the bottom row, then the next 4 or 5 rows in less than a day.

                                    You have to get the first row straight (or the correct shape) and level.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    • L Offline
                                      L Offline
                                      LuFins Dad
                                      wrote on 17 Jun 2020, 16:46 last edited by
                                      #18

                                      @Copper @Jolly @wtg

                                      Okay, the wall is pretty much done. Getting ready to put the caps on top. The wall is only 14” above ground and 6” - 12” submerged (I have a slope in the yard and have an extra row of block for 6ft (1/4 the wall length). The wall is not holding back against natural terrain but is simply one side of a raised garden bed 24’ x 4’. The other sides are bordered by a wooden fence (that is next year’s project) so the pressure against the wall isn’t that high. Still, I dropped a 3’ perforated drainage (ran it from the catch basin from the gutters to kill 2 birds with one stone), and even dropped some rebar down through the block (decorative hollowed cinderblock). It’s perfectly level (except the drainage pipe) and all that’s left is putting the caps on... Except, a neighbor just suggested filling the holes in the block as much as possible with gravel. Thoughts? I don’t want to do this again in 10 years...

                                      The Brad

                                      L 1 Reply Last reply 17 Jun 2020, 16:48
                                      • L LuFins Dad
                                        17 Jun 2020, 16:46

                                        @Copper @Jolly @wtg

                                        Okay, the wall is pretty much done. Getting ready to put the caps on top. The wall is only 14” above ground and 6” - 12” submerged (I have a slope in the yard and have an extra row of block for 6ft (1/4 the wall length). The wall is not holding back against natural terrain but is simply one side of a raised garden bed 24’ x 4’. The other sides are bordered by a wooden fence (that is next year’s project) so the pressure against the wall isn’t that high. Still, I dropped a 3’ perforated drainage (ran it from the catch basin from the gutters to kill 2 birds with one stone), and even dropped some rebar down through the block (decorative hollowed cinderblock). It’s perfectly level (except the drainage pipe) and all that’s left is putting the caps on... Except, a neighbor just suggested filling the holes in the block as much as possible with gravel. Thoughts? I don’t want to do this again in 10 years...

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        LuFins Dad
                                        wrote on 17 Jun 2020, 16:48 last edited by
                                        #19

                                        By the way, it’s taking so long because after I had the first row done, I started working on the drainage system and then we had a ton of rain and work...

                                        The Brad

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • C Offline
                                          C Offline
                                          Copper
                                          wrote on 17 Jun 2020, 16:54 last edited by
                                          #20

                                          I think the gravel is a good idea but with only 14" above ground it might be overkill.

                                          That is just a guess I don't know what the limit should be.

                                          The gravel will obviously help prevent mud from working into the holes and wet mud and ice could cause things to move around. Dry gravel would be better than mud.

                                          L 1 Reply Last reply 17 Jun 2020, 17:03
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