Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jan 31, 2016 10:48 pm Hello everyone! Thought i would get opinions on having a high retainer wall at the back of my lot.
I have chosen a lot i like which falls in a nice quiet cul-de-sac, but because the lot behind me is much higher, i have to face having a high retaining wall (~1.8m for about 4/5 of the width of the lot and ~3.6m for the remainder) at the back. There will be a 1.8m fence sitting on top of the wall too. Fortunately, the sun's facing the opposite side of the house. I have been getting mixed responses from people (i.e. family and friends), and thought i would get (more informed/accurate) opinions from people who have had experience or who have better insights into this topic. I was hoping to seek more insight in terms of ways in making use of the retainer wall to my advantage (if any), future re-sale value and general people's perceptions. I am building for the first time and this will be either be an investment or a house i might be living in, depending on circumstances. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 2Jan 31, 2016 11:17 pm I think a 1.8m wall with a 1.8m fence may be a bit much. I would probably go for a 900mm wall on the boundary and then a 3-4m terrace before another 900mm wall. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 3Jan 31, 2016 11:53 pm bashworth I think a 1.8m wall with a 1.8m fence may be a bit much. I would probably go for a 900mm wall on the boundary and then a 3-4m terrace before another 900mm wall. Hi Bashworth, thanks for your reply. I forgot to mention, the lot is bought off an estate plan from a developer, so as good of an idea you have brought forward, i can't change it. Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 4Feb 01, 2016 12:18 am Our back of our block has a 1.8 metre retaining wood wall which we have covered with cement sheets and I'm currently rendering , and about 10 inches back a fence of 1.8 metre on top, we have put plants right along the top of the retaining wall in the 10 inch space, I love the privacy factor. Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 5Feb 01, 2016 2:07 pm You'd want to be satisfied by the integrity of the wall. If it needs repairs in the future, it could be costly, and in terms of resale there'd be some people who'd worry about a wall like that failing. It would be worth checking how much land you lose to the wall. Retaining walls will often have a slope on them, and the face of the wall may not be exactly on the boundary. Depending on the local geography, the wall may have an impact on whether you get cooling breezes into the house and yard. Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 6Feb 01, 2016 4:38 pm Joker Our back of our block has a 1.8 metre retaining wood wall which we have covered with cement sheets and I'm currently rendering , and about 10 inches back a fence of 1.8 metre on top, we have put plants right along the top of the retaining wall in the 10 inch space, I love the privacy factor. Thanks for your input Joker! Yes, privacy is what some people have been claiming too. I love your ideas! Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 7Feb 01, 2016 4:44 pm oneJohn You'd want to be satisfied by the integrity of the wall. If it needs repairs in the future, it could be costly, and in terms of resale there'd be some people who'd worry about a wall like that failing. It would be worth checking how much land you lose to the wall. Retaining walls will often have a slope on them, and the face of the wall may not be exactly on the boundary. Depending on the local geography, the wall may have an impact on whether you get cooling breezes into the house and yard. I agree! The retaining wall is being provided by the developer, so i'm hoping it will be a good solid one. I went down yesterday and had a look. They are huge limestone blocks with an earthy colour. I did think about the cooling breezes aspect side of things, but did not go into too much detail. Thanks for the insight! Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 8Feb 01, 2016 8:34 pm My retaining wall is engineered and on a slight backward slope with heavy steel posts, built way better than a similar wall we had in a previous house which at 15 years old showed no signs of wear and tear. Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 9Feb 05, 2016 1:26 am I guess it probably depends how big your back yard is, will you still get sunlight and how close will it be to your house... We have a retaining wall at the backside of our house that is roughly 1.5m high with 1.5m fence on top (concrete sleeper retaining walls done be developer) and on the back of our property in the corner it's a good 2m high retaining wall with 1.5m fence, but we still get plenty of sunlight... The biggest thing to ensure your builder includes is proper drainage at the bottom of the retaining wall, if you're downstream of the natural flow of the land then you have to accept to run off from storm water... Side of yard... Grass gets direct sunlight around midday... So have just laid Palmetto buffalo grass as it does better in shady potentially damp areas... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Back yard.. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 10Feb 05, 2016 2:12 am waynesaw I guess it probably depends how big your back yard is, will you still get sunlight and how close will it be to your house... We have a retaining wall at the backside of our house that is roughly 1.5m high with 1.5m fence on top (concrete sleeper retaining walls done be developer) and on the back of our property in the corner it's a good 2m high retaining wall with 1.5m fence, but we still get plenty of sunlight... The biggest thing to ensure your builder includes is proper drainage at the bottom of the retaining wall, if you're downstream of the natural flow of the land then you have to accept to run off from storm water... Side of yard... Grass gets direct sunlight around midday... So have just laid Palmetto buffalo grass as it does better in shady potentially damp areas... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Back yard.. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Mate how much did it cost you build this retaining wall. It would be really appreciated if you can tell me per sqm cost. Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 11Feb 05, 2016 2:35 am h.p74 waynesaw I guess it probably depends how big your back yard is, will you still get sunlight and how close will it be to your house... We have a retaining wall at the backside of our house that is roughly 1.5m high with 1.5m fence on top (concrete sleeper retaining walls done be developer) and on the back of our property in the corner it's a good 2m high retaining wall with 1.5m fence, but we still get plenty of sunlight... The biggest thing to ensure your builder includes is proper drainage at the bottom of the retaining wall, if you're downstream of the natural flow of the land then you have to accept to run off from storm water... Side of yard... Grass gets direct sunlight around midday... So have just laid Palmetto buffalo grass as it does better in shady potentially damp areas... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Back yard.. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Mate how much did it cost you build this retaining wall. It would be really appreciated if you can tell me per sqm cost. No idea. They were engineered by the developer as part of the site preparations. I'd imagine a lot tho lol Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 12Feb 05, 2016 10:19 am You can do this type of wall yourself. Checkout www.concretesleeperscanberra.com.au for ideas/prices. (I'm building roughly 75m of walls with this stuff). Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 13Feb 05, 2016 7:15 pm I have a large retaining wall at the back of our block, its over 2m high abd then has a fence on top of that. Its a concrete type wall and was completed by the developer. Its going to be nice and private in our back yard and not overlooked Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 15Feb 06, 2016 2:30 pm I looked at a house like that and didn't like it at all. Felt like a prison. Custom knockdown rebuild Newcastle NSW viewtopic.php?t=78271 Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 17Feb 07, 2016 12:04 pm We have a limestone block wall about 1.7m with a 1.8m fence on top at our rear. We have created a feature out of it by hanging screens on it where you can see it from a bedroom and from our outdoor alfresco we've created a climbing wall with lights shining up into the limestone, so it's become a feature piece really. Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 18Feb 07, 2016 2:08 pm Beazley77 We have a limestone block wall about 1.7m with a 1.8m fence on top at our rear. We have created a feature out of it by hanging screens on it where you can see it from a bedroom and from our outdoor alfresco we've created a climbing wall with lights shining up into the limestone, so it's become a feature piece really. Wow . would love to see the pictures Re: Having a high retainer wall at the back of the lot? 20Feb 07, 2016 5:19 pm Beazley77 We have a limestone block wall about 1.7m with a 1.8m fence on top at our rear. We have created a feature out of it by hanging screens on it where you can see it from a bedroom and from our outdoor alfresco we've created a climbing wall with lights shining up into the limestone, so it's become a feature piece really. Yes, hello fellow Perthian! I like your ideas! Yes, screening the wall is definitely on the list, but with so many choices and suggestions it's crazy! (but in a good way ) Apart from hanging screens, someone also suggested planting ornamental pears to screen the retaining wall which i thought was a good idea. What colour and type is your wall btw Beazley77? 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