Rock Retaining Wall Construction

How to build a retaining wall with a terrace integrate stone steps and a stone retaining wall into a challenging backyard slope to make the space more usable.
Rock retaining wall construction. Dig a ditch the length of the wall that is about a foot wide and 8 to 12 inches 20 5 cm 30 5 cm below the ground level. This lets the walls lean and push against the fill. The rock themselves are very dense. A retaining wall is a special kind of wall.
This makes your rock wall into a 50 year wall. Try to cut the ditch into native soil rather than loose added soil as the former provides a more stable foundation for the wall. The wide base needs to go back into the slope at least half as wide as the wall is tall. This ditch will act as the wall s footing and prevent the rocks from sliding forward due to pressure from the earth behind.
Anything taller should be handled by professionals. Building a retaining wall is suitable for diyers as long as the wall is a maximum of 3 feet tall in most areas. It sincerely breaks my heart every time i see a wall built with stone blocks courtesy of big box stores inspired by diy cable tv. Here are three key principles in building any solid retaining wall.
Choose high quality stones. This footing is similar to a concrete retaining wall just not as engineered. Large boulders will either require you to have a piece of mechanical equipment or you have to master using gravity to help you lift the stones in place. Bury the bottom course or courses of the retaining wall one tenth the height of the wall to prevent the soil behind from pushing the bottom out.
Rock retaining wall construction can be very challenging. Big small retaining free standing. And i love rock walls. The easiest way to build a stone retaining wall is to use the dry stack method that requires no mortar between stones and does not need a concrete footing like mortared walls do.
It s not unusual for a cubic foot of rock to weigh between 150 200 pounds. Step back the blocks rocks or timbers to get gravity working in your favor. It has to not only support itself but actively hold back pressure from the material behind it as well. This 2 retaining wall is a great architectural element that also serves a purpose to keep dirt from a sloping yard from going into the driveway.
How to build a natural dry stacked stone free standing or retaining rock wall. Without this simple footing the rocks have a tendency to move.