In addition to being visually pleasing and representing solid construction and design, retaining walls prevent soil erosion in landscape designs. A well-placed retaining wall may create more usable space in your yard, especially if it is naturally hilly or inclined. Today, we’ll show you some tips on constructing a retaining wall out of concrete blocks.

6 Tips for Building a Retaining Wall

Planning is crucial in constructing a retaining wall. To ensure solid construction and design, think through your objectives and the design that best meets them before starting the project.

For instance, the purpose of your retaining wall will vary depending on whether you’re using it to build raised vegetable beds or to stop soil erosion. Take into account your property’s dimensions as well. Make sure everything is in check before you start your project.

If you find the planning process too complicated, you can always contact professional contractors like Solid Construction & Design. They can handle the entire process as you lay back and enjoy your new retaining wall.

For those who still want to go full DIY, you must recheck the following components.

1. Materials Needed

Understanding the materials required for your project is another essential planning component. Either way, research and determine the materials most appropriate for your requirements. Ensure the materials you select can tolerate exposure to various weather extremes, including heat waves, frosts, and runoff from rain.

Some projects may be best suited for concrete sleepers because of their low cost and simplicity of installation, but others might prefer more organic choices like big boulders or stones that can be found nearby. It is critical to understand that every choice has pros and cons, so research beforehand.

2. Site Preparation

To ensure that a retaining wall project with solid construction and design is successful, site preparation is essential. To guarantee consistent height and length, start by designing and laying out the site with pegs, twine, and a tape measure.

Following regulatory regulations, such as the 811 “Digline”, it is crucial to confirm with local utilities that there are no pipes or wires in the digging zone. After removing the utilities, start the excavation process by creating a trench about 1 foot (30 cm) deep and somewhat broader than the intended wall. Make sure the level of the trench is examined.

To fit a level paver foundation, enough room must be set aside for burying the bottom row of blocks. It is recommended to provide at least 1 inch (2.54 cm) of space for every 8 inches (20.32 cm) of wall height. Following excavation, use a soil tamper to crush the dirt and lay down a paver base, ensuring the depth is between 4 and 6 inches (10.16 and 15.24 cm).

Patio paver bases are advised due to their stability and good compacting properties. After raking the paver foundation to ensure even covering, check the trench area’s height once again with a level and make any required modifications by adding or removing the paver base.

To provide a strong foundation for the design and construction of the retaining wall, tamp the trench bottom one last time to compact the base.

3. Foundation Construction

Any retaining wall’s foundation is the most important component overall, highlighting solid design and construction. Your wall will eventually become too weak to withstand the earth’s and water’s pressure if it doesn’t have a solid enough base.

Excavating a trench is the first step towards constructing a strong foundation. This will provide you with the gravel base’s required depth, which is crucial for stability.

After marking the area where you want to dig your trench, dig down to the necessary depth with an excavator or shovel. Remember that the ditch has to be twice as broad as the sleepers on your retaining wall.

Now, it’s time to put your gravel base after you’ve dug your trench. A strong, well-compacted gravel base is essential for retaining wall stability. It keeps soil erosion at bay and aids in the uniform weight distribution over the wall.

Using at least 6 inches of ¾” minus road gravel as your base material is advised. Place this gravel into your trench at intervals of two inches, then use a big compactor to crush each layer fully.

Consider it similar to layering a cake; before placing a new layer on top of the previous one, each layer must be compressed and leveled. One layer can become unstable and finally fall over if it is not packed securely enough or is thicker than the others.

4. Wall Assembly

To uphold the idea that every layer is different from the one below it, make sure your second layer is started in a staggered manner that offsets the seams between the top and bottom layers.

For example, start the following layer with a half-block if the wall has straight edges at the ends. Place the blocks onto the foundation to evaluate their location and see whether any large cuts are required before adding glue.

Organize a single row completely before moving ahead. When using blocks with flanged tongues, make sure the top block’s female groove lines up with the lower block’s male groove.

After a layer has been loosely arranged, coat the bottom blocks with the suggested glue and slide the top block over to ensure a tight fit with the one below it. When the retaining wall reaches the appropriate height, keep adding layers.

For walls taller than three feet (.91 meters), space each new row slightly apart from the one underneath it to improve soil retention and stability. Add drainage pipes to walls taller than two feet (60 cm); they should be perforated and placed lengthwise along the wall, with breathable backfill placed over them to allow for appropriate drainage.

Make sure that water drains from the pipes, either through an outlet in the middle or at the ends.

5. Drainage Considerations

An integral part of any retaining wall project is adequate drainage. Water can accumulate behind your wall without proper drainage, which, over time, may cause it to move or even collapse.

Thankfully, you can do a few things to ensure your retaining wall gets the drainage it requires to be sturdy and steady. For best results, ensure the pipe is positioned at the same level as your wall’s gravel foundation.

Additionally, you need to ensure that the philter cloth is placed in between the soil backfill and your gravel base. This fabric obstructs the migration of soil particles into the gravel, keeping your drainage system clear. Make sure to secure the cloth in place using landscape staples while building.

A sturdy retaining wall also requires well-drained soil. Consider this: constructing a retaining wall on top of saturated, wet earth is akin to attempting to balance a massive Jenga tower over an unstable table. On the other hand, having well-drained soil beneath your wall is equivalent to having a strong, stable base for your tower.

Regarding drainage, some individuals might be tempted to skimp and backfill their retaining wall with whatever dirt just so happens to be available. However, this might cause major issues later on and undo all of your hard work on the other portions of the project.

Early investment in high-quality drainage materials is crucial if you want your retaining wall to survive for many years.

Backfilling Techniques

In order to build a durable and secure structure, the sleepers must be stacked and filled with backfill during the retaining wall construction process. It is important to ensure that the sleepers are level and properly aligned. Using a straight edge as a guide during construction—such as a long piece of metal or wood—can assist in ensuring alignment.

This makes the wall more consistent and safe by guaranteeing that every block lines up with the one before. While stacking the sleepers, verifying for levelness is critical to avoid any future structural problems regularly.

For additional support and stability, some people choose to use mortar between the sleepers; however, depending on environmental conditions and personal desire, this might damage the wall’s natural look and increase building time and effort.

After the sleepers are positioned, the wall is strengthened against water and gravity pressure by backfilling the area surrounding them with the earth.