How to Build a Retaining Wall

I'm here with an update on phase 1 of our landscaping redesign.  We've been very busy at the house, and though we aren't quite finished, we've made some great progress.  To refresh your memory, here is a picture of our house before we started.

Our curb appeal was in dire need of a change and change was made indeed.  Here is a picture of the "During" picture.  This is what is looks like now.

We still need to plant some plants on the north (left side standing here) of the house, and split and transplant the hostas near the sidewalk.  We also need to paint the white portion of the door with the little window.  It is looking better already, and this is only giving us more motivation to keep going.

Now for a breakdown on how we built the retaining wall.

We first spray painted lines where we wanted the wall to go.  This helped us  visualize what it would look like before we committed to digging the small trench.  Then we followed these steps:

1. We dug a trench about 5 inches deep and 6 inches wide.  In some areas it was deeper than others as terrain changes in our yard.


2. We added about 2 inches of crushed rock for leveling.  The amount of rock we used depended on the depth of the trench.  Make sure the rock is level before placing blocks on top of it. (For a taller walls- more than 4 blocks- it will require about 4 inches of DRY sand and a cement mixture)
   

   

   
   


3. Lay the first layer of blocks- starting at the lowest point of the wall.  Make sure they are level with a torpedo level.  Some rock may need to be added or taken away.  Then add more blocks on top, staggering them on top of each other.  Add crushed rock to the back side of the wall to prevent settling.  Keep stacking the blocks as high as you want to go.  (If you are building a taller retaining wall- over 4 blocks high, a deeper trench may need to be dug, with some of the blocks buried.  On a smaller wall, your first blocks can be partially buried).

You may need partial blocks when building your wall.  To split a block, use a mallet (or hammer) and a chisel.  First score the block on all sides.  Pound the chisel on the score line on each side until it breaks.  Do this on a hard surface, like your side walk.

Building a retaining wall is not difficult, but it does take time.  I think we put in a full day (8am-10pm) with four of us working side by side.  We love the results so far and can't wait to show you the finale.