| |
You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Exterior Decorating > Landscaping & Design > Retaining Wall
Expert: S. D. Ward
Date: 8/16/2008
Subject: Retaining Wall
Question
I live in Orlando, Fla and my back yard is made up of mostly sugar sand. I
would like to build a two level retaining wall but I am concerned about the
erosion. what kind of base material should I use and should I build it of pavers
or PT wood. the length would be about 100' feet and it my understanding that i
don't need to pull a permit if its less than 3' in height.
Answer
Please forgive my tardiness in getting back with you. I am on extended vacation and do not have regular access to the Internet in the remote locations I am traveling to.
A strong foundation is required for anything that is lasting in life, and something even as small as a 24 inch retaining wall is no exception. I strongly recommend that you have a foundation commensurate with the height you are building to. In your specific location where sugar sand is so prevalent, our company always installs a monolithic wire meshed reinforced concrete foundation with upright rebar installed every 24 inches that is at two inches below the top cap of the wall. The foundation should be placed as 6 inches below grade and be no less than 6 inches deep and 30% wider than your proposed wall.
I realize that this is probably not the news you were hoping for, but I would not want to be remiss in my advice when it comes to something so important to the beginnings of a landscape garden that could last years beyond the memory of all the hard work you will put into building it.
May I suggest a very economical way to build this wall of yours that might be considerably cheaper? Consider using recycled city sidewalk or house foundation that has been excavated as your retaining wall. It is very easy to install and does not require a footer for it. the base pieces become the footer. We use this often in place of block or brick using the same mortar mix that we use with block or brick. When necessary, we will use a sledge hammer to break up larger pieces or a concrete saw to get the shapes and sizes we want. Once of the nice aspects of using this medium is that the thickness is almost always the same.
As you know, municipalities often replace sidewalks around their cities. Many construction or demolition companies break up and remove sidewalk and foundations to homes on an ongoing basis. I would check on this possibility if you would like to get some free materials, as most companies and cities would rather not pay for dumping or hauling costs that require them to travel any great distance. This is also a way to leave a small carbon footprint on our land since concrete and brick both require a great deal more energy to make and deliver than that of already manufactured materials that are just as decorative and useful.
We have taken sidewalk concrete walls and covered them with various climbing vines (Ficus Repens, Algerian and English Ivy, latticed honeysuckle and confederate jasmine, etc.) to cover the wall, and it has been extremely popular.
Please let me know if I can be of any further help or encouragement in your construction of the retaining wall you endeavor to build. And again, please forgive my tardiness in getting back with you.
Yours for a more peaceful and greener garden walk,
David Ward
sdward79@hotmail.com
Add to this Answer
Ask a Question
|
|
