When you think about landscaping your home, consider adding retaining walls to your design. Now, we’re just starting a landscape process in this yard and one of the first things we’ll do will be to create a retaining wall that contains a raised flower or plant of bed. It is easier than you think.
We’ll make our wall with interlocking wall blocks. Now, this versatile concrete blocks are easy to use because there’s no motor involved. The lip at the back of each block simply interlocks it to the next. You’ll find a wide variety of shapes, colors and textures in your lawn and garden area.
Installing retaining wall requires some lifting and cutting of stone and check your local building codes. If you don’t feel comfortable in installing your retaining wall, contact the professional for help and it’s a good idea to have any utility lines mark before you dig, dialing 811 will connect to your local utility company who will mark these lines for you free of charge.
The first step in creating your retaining is to flat and measure the bed size and shape. You need stakes, nylon mason’s string, a garden hose, ground marking paint and a tape measure. The basic shape of ours will be rectangular with curve dents about 12 feet x 3 feet and about 12 inches high. When positioning a bed next to a house like we are, be sure to keep the soil level will below the siding. We mark the shape with stakes and string. One way to make random curves is to create the shape on the ground using a garden hose. Lay your hose in the desired curve pattern, cover with sand and then lift it out of the way. The sand will mark the shape after the hose has been removed, so you know where to dig.
Now, we’ve created the radius of our simple curve by tying a piece of string to stake that has equal distance from the two adjacent edges. Tie the other end to the strong through your can of marking paint you just need a compass. Spray from one edge to the other pivoting on the stake forming a curve at the corner. Then mark the area with marking paint. Using the measurement to bring to the store, a Lowes associate can help you estimate how much you’ll need of the following construction supplies, block, patio/pavers based, leveling sand, landscape fabric, four inch perforated drainage pipe and topsoil.
Also, while you’re at the store, ask about convenient delivery of all your materials. You’ll also need a wheelbarrow, a hand tamper, a garden rake, a three or four inch chisel, a three pound mallet, a rubber mallet, construction adhesive and caulk gun, a broom, a shovel, a carpenter’s level, chalk or mason’s crown, a rented masonry wet saw and your garden hose. And don’t forget safety, be sure to have safety glasses, work gloves, a dust mask and ear protection.
Begin by excavating the entire areas six to 12 inches deep and about four inches wider than the perimeter of the blocks. If the ground slopes step the trench up or down to keep the base level. Check it with your carpenter’s level. Compact the bottom over the trench with the plate tamper. You can find one just like this at Lowes.
Now, lay down three to six inches of patio pavers base this will give you walls stability. The patio pavers base is three quarter inch and smaller gravel that compacts well, we sale it in bags that are easy to transport. Once the gravel is in place, rake it checking again and its level. Compact it with the tamper, ready? Let’s start building.
If our bed was circular, we can start anywhere but if we’re making a rectangular retaining wall we’ll need to start with the cornerstone. We’ll place directly on the paver’s base, lining it up against the wall. By the way, if you’re using plants blocks not the plants off the first roadblocks with the hammer and chisel. They’ll sit better on the base. Level the block with the carpenter’s level and make any high adjustments as you go with small amount of sand and a rubber mallet.
Leveling of the first course of block is critical. If done correctly, the rest of the job will go quickly and easily. To make our curve, we don’t have to cut any blocks but to make a sharper curve you may have to cut the blocks in a pie shaped. Simply marked the blocks along the radius and cut with amazing results. Be sure to wear, ear and dust protection.
When the first drill is complete sweep the top clean of any debris depending on your design, you may find that you need a partial block to complete the first row. To create one just marks a full block to the correct length. Then cut it with amazing result.
Now, even if you don’t need the cut of block to finish your first row. You’ll definitely cut one and a half to start your second row because you want to make sure that they joints are staggered like this.
Now, if your wall is two feet or over you should have dreaded pipes to keep water from building up behind the wall. Ours is less than two feet so drainage is not an issue. Back fill every two rows with gravel, glue the top ruin place with construction adhesive following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Now, place the filter fabric over the gravel, to create a barrier between it and your topsoil. Since this is going to be a raised bed we built the last 12 inches without backfilling. We’re leaving room here for topsoil. Finally, add some flowers and shrubs and before you know it, you’ll have a terrific new focal point for your yard. And to create opportunity for change with planning some Lowes season to season year to year.
And for more home improvement projects, check out the other how to videos at Lowes.com/Vidoes.
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