Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Dec 05, 2007 4:24 pm I thought this may be of interest to some people..
At my old place I had a rear lawn which sloped down towards the side and back fence. So I decided to build a treated pine retaining wall to level the yard. First the support posts were quickset into place (as straight as I could). For every metre they stuck above the ground, they went down a metre. This is going down the side of the house. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Here you can see the support post in place along the rear boundary. Just where the colorbond fence meets the paling fence, there is a drainage pit. I had to build the retaining wall such that access to this pit was retained. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Here are the wall support posts along the rear boundary. Pretty straight huh? The shed looks a little wonky though. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The top row of palings went on first to get the correct wall height. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Heres the top row of palings pretty much finished. You can see where it goes around the drainage pit. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is along the rear boundary again. You think the extension lead is a OH&S issue? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ My kids admiring my work.. kind of. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Here is the finished wall along the side boundary. Turf has just been laid.. along with some conifers. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is how the retaining wall got around the pit. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We planted plants in this gap later on. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Our finished lawn. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ That could be my wife in the window. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is the other side of the house. I didn't build this retaining wall. It was done professionally using sandstone. I did do the formwork and laid the steel for our patio area though. Over 100m2 of it. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Our finished yard. It since had a pergola built over it before we sold the house. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 2Dec 05, 2007 4:31 pm Mark, that's a very nice job there. The kids are cute too - nice touch....going for the kiddy vote!!! Did it take long (from start to finish) to complete? Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 3Dec 05, 2007 4:35 pm **Phoenix** Mark, that's a very nice job there. The kids are cute too - nice touch....going for the kiddy vote!!! Did it take long (from start to finish) to complete? The wall itself took 3 full weekends. Laying all the topsoil took a weekend. Laying the turf took another weekend. Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 4Dec 05, 2007 4:39 pm Did you hire a post hole digger or dig each and every hole yourself???? Do you have any final pics with the plants and pergola??? Real estate pics maybe??? Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 5Dec 05, 2007 4:44 pm **Phoenix** Did you hire a post hole digger or dig each and every hole yourself???? Do you have any final pics with the plants and pergola??? Real estate pics maybe??? Dug all the holes by hand. Had a couple of mates help out. We have some pics on my wifes computer.. it's in storage under a mound of crap. Remind me in 9 months after we unpack everything. Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 6Dec 05, 2007 4:50 pm Ouch, i can just see/feel those blisters as you say that.....how many posts in total??? - Not that you care to remember i bet???
I'll try and remember in 9 months to remind you to upload the pics - but please don't hold your breath...... Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 7Dec 05, 2007 4:59 pm Very nice Cookie and a good job you did as well!
Was it a kid catcher???? Nice little gutter there for balls and children. By the way….the kids are cute! Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 9Dec 05, 2007 7:17 pm Nice job, you got the posts very straight in line.
I personally would have put the rails on the inside of the posts - much stronger. The weight of the soil behind when wet can easily push those bugle out of the posts. Also, did you reseal all your cut ends on the timber??? Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 10Dec 05, 2007 8:13 pm _Al_ I heard you mostly supervised and left the heqavy work/cutting to others. And the design phase was undertaken interstate. Any truth to these rumours? Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 11Dec 05, 2007 8:15 pm Dukekamaya Nice job, you got the posts very straight in line. I personally would have put the rails on the inside of the posts - much stronger. The weight of the soil behind when wet can easily push those bugle out of the posts. I wanted a nice clean wall. Seemed plenty strong enough. It's still standing. Quote: Also, did you reseal all your cut ends on the timber??? Yep. Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 12Dec 05, 2007 8:23 pm Hey Cookie, who cares if it's still standing - it's your old place and you sold it... And hopefully got a good price for it - because of the fantastic back garden of course!!!!
Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 13Dec 05, 2007 8:37 pm SORRY COOKIE, i moderated myself due to my own idiocy.... that comment was meant for V. Drinking too much vodka tonight....
Keep posting though, Vanderlay's catching you fast........ Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 14Dec 05, 2007 8:49 pm **Phoenix** SORRY COOKIE, i moderated myself due to my own idiocy.... that comment was meant for V. Drinking too much vodka tonight.... Keep posting though, Vanderlay's catching you fast........ Phew! I thought I was drunk.. and Im not even drinking. Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 15Dec 05, 2007 9:01 pm No it's me who's been drinking tonight - sorry!!!! Made you think though didn't i??? Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 16Dec 06, 2007 6:11 am **Phoenix** No it's me who's been drinking tonight - sorry!!!! Made you think though didn't i??? There's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 18Dec 06, 2007 8:29 am **Phoenix** SORRY COOKIE, i moderated myself due to my own idiocy.... that comment was meant for V. me??? what comment??? Built Porter Davis "Dromana" 2007. Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 19Dec 06, 2007 8:40 am royalblue So how's the head this mornin, Phoenix? My head's fine this morning Ash - thanks for asking. V - don't worry about it - you keep working on your posts - still need to catch Cookie. Cookie, sorry IOU written up - 5 minutes then. Re: The Retaining Wall Cookie Built 20Dec 06, 2007 8:49 pm No worries if your selling the house
For anyone elses reference - the correct method for a timber retaining wall is to have the 'retainers' (sleepers) on the inside of the load bearers (posts) Thanks for your reply! All valid points and I agree with you on many of them. I am in QLD, any recommendations on a construction lawyer would be helpful 3 2637 Thank you again Simeon.. I will call my certifier for that. Have a good day 4 5179 Thanks for the insights, that makes perfect sense, and yeah, I will be leaning on the experience of the excavator operator entirely. 6 16142 |