HOW TO BUILD A RETAINING WALL ON A SLOPE?

Are you wondering how you can build a retaining wall on a slope? Or how high you can go without hiring an engineer? We have the answers for you.

Retaining walls can be used to help with erosion and water drainage as well as creating a beautiful usable garden space or play area. However, building a retaining wall can appear like a very tough job, particularly when the wall must be built on a slope where special features must be built in to keep the wall solid and long-lasting. Here are the steps on how to build a retaining wall on a slope.

1. Laying out and planning
   Layout the concrete stones at the site where the wall will be built. Using the stones as a guide, spray two paint lines on the ground, about eight inches behind the stones and three inches in front of the stones.
   
2. Digging the trench
   Dig a 12 inch deep trench between the spray painted lines. Add crushed limestone to the trench about six inches deep, to enable proper drainage of the wall and prevention of the wall from shifting. Using a rake level the crushed limestone and tamp down the layer of limestone.
   
3. Adding stone or pavers
   Now place the stones or pavers, making sure the stone’s front edge is about three inches from the front of the trench. Keep adding stone until the base of the walls is completed. Then add some crushed limestone in the trench behind the stones and allow the limestone to slope toward the area where the water will drain.Cover the limestone with landscaping fabric and then cover the with drainage aggregate about one inch thick. Cut a stone in half using a saw and then apply a thick bead of masonry adhesive to the top stone. Place the other half on top of the adhesive, in such a way that the next row will be staggered.Place more stones on the second row from the half stone using masonry adhesive between the two rows. Continue adding rows of stones, using the staggering technique until the wall reaches the desired height.
4. Height of the retaining wall
   There is however, a limit as to how high a retaining wall can be without engineering requirements. Most retaining walls average between 3 and 4 feet in height. As a general rule, for any wall that is over 4 feet in height, you should contact a structural engineer to test the soil and help you plan your retaining wall

Where to go for retaining wall services and materials?

Concrete Sleepers Sydney are a leading supplier of garden step kits, retaining walls and sleepers of all kinds We have several years of experience working with concrete sleepers and retaining walls, providing low-cost, affordable, quality concrete retaining walls to our customers. Browse through our extensive product range or call us on 1 800 960 656 or send an email to info@concretesleepers.sydney for more information.