mesh retaining bulwark blocks are good for build a solid bulwark without mortar . Some blocks are made with rim that slip over the rear edge of the predate course ; others rely on a organisation of pins . You do n’t have to practice throwing howitzer or setting occlusion with either type , but you ’ll get an attractive addition to your landscape . The flanges angle the rampart back into the slope for extra strength .
An interlocking retain rampart does n’t require a ground , but for some styles , you necessitate to put the first course in a oceanic abyss to retain the bottom of the wall in place . curve the side back 12 to 15 inch from the rear of the trench to leave room for gravel backfill and a drainpipe — a must for retaining wall . Save the topsoil and apply any extra as filling elsewhere in your landscape .
Expect to spend 10 to 20 hours lay a 3x16 - foot wall . You ’ll involve tofeel comfortable excavation , design a layout , leveling , and laying brick . Before you start out , call your local hotline to nock any underground utilities .
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Materials
Instructions
Lay Out Wall
Spread Landscape Fabric
Starting a foot beyond the top edge of the slope , spreadlandscape fabricdown and over the trench . Put Stone on the top to hold the fabric in place . Overlap the framework edges by 6 inch . tamper 3 to 4 inches of gravel into the trench and back to the bottom of the excavation .
Lay the First Course
Using the melodic line or the boundary of the trench to guide you , lay the first line in the trench . The first form auction block are set back for many styles . Set each lock retain wall block with a rubber mallet . verify each closure is level front to back and with the adjoining auction block . Use a4 - metrical unit levelto stop — shorter levels are not tenacious enough to guarantee truth . If you take less than an intact block at the end of the wall , lie small blocks or trim blocks to fit .
Precast block is bring down the same way other masonry textile are trimmed . If you ’re using substantial block , score the line you want to cut with a brick set and a small sledgehammer . duplicate bump will split the block . Hollow - core blocks do n’t break cleanly . Buy one-half and smaller blocks to fit where you require them , or cut them with a Freemasonry blade .
Set Remaining Courses
Set the remaining courses with the flanges tight against the back of the preceding course . initiate every other course with a half or fond interlocking retaining wall pulley block , so the joint are offset by at least 3 inches or the amount specified by the manufacturer ’s book of instructions . As you process , tally the engine block for horizontal surface . Shim the low end of a engine block with a low piece of cedar tree shingle .
Some blocks have pin - curl systems ( see instance , above ) . One of the most coarse employ vertical and horizontal tholepin . Blocks fit over the vertical pins as you lay them . After laying each course , horizontal pins lock the blocks laterally .
Set Up Drainpipe
After the third course of interlocking retaining wall stop , backfill the surface area between the wall and the slope with gravel , just about even with the second line . Lay in a perforated charge plate waste pipe on the gravel ( hole down ) . permit the piping reach beyond the bound of the bulwark , or lead it into aFrench drainage .
If your paries is designed with corners , the corner block must overlap at the joints to tie the two legs together . Cut half closure and interchange them with whole city block as show , following the maker ’s didactics . Chisel off the sassing of the block if it gets in the path . As you come in the blocking , strengthen the bond paper with a bead of construction adhesive material .
Backfill Wall
As you build the paries , backfill crushed rock behind it at least every other course , extend the pipe and bringing the crushed rock level up just below the top of the last course you place .
Tuck Fabric
Using the same techniques and starting every other row with a partial closure , proceed work up the wall and backfilling it with crushed rock . When you ’re one or two course of instruction below ruined tallness , fold the landscape fabric over the crushed rock and tuck it behind the block .
Tamp Soil
spadeful about2 inches of the topsoilyou removed ( not the subsoil at the base of the side ) on top of the landscape fabric . Tamp the soil lightly with a garden rake and put back the sward .
Apply Adhesive
The finishing touch made for blockage of this or a exchangeable embodiment underwrite the V - shaped gap between auction block in the lower course . Prepare the next - to - last grade by applying a bead of construction adhesive on the surface of each city block .
Place Capstones
Finish Base
If you ’re notbuilding a patioor other structure below the paries , spread and tamp the topsoil you take away from the excavation . fill up in around the basis of the wall and level the grease as far forward from the base as the landscape painting allow . tamp down the grime and supplant the sod . H2O the sod ofttimes until it is well found .
Erin Kunkel
Outdoor Structures to Add to Your Backyard
In some backyard , there ’s room for more than a simple patio . you’re able to install a bower to add nicety to your seating area in a weekend withthis DIY project . If you have a large exterior bulwark of your house exposed , use it to produce a design feature byinstalling a treillage . For a turgid out-of-door infinite , agazebomakes a pretty terminus dapple for quiet relaxation . Designate a garden spot for develop vegetables with adecorative fencesurrounding raised beds or in - ground planting . If function is your goal , add agarden shedto store lawnmowers , rakes , and other equipment to keep your yard looking beautiful .
Credit:Erin Kunkel
