Making A Concrete Retaining Wall

If you want to build a concrete retaining wall you should consider pouring the wall rather than making it out of concrete blocks.

Making a concrete retaining wall.

Over time the bags will degrade and you will have an elegant and permanent retaining wall. The interlocking retaining wall block can be used to build walls up to 24 to 36 inches high depending on the size of the block. That s right the idea is that. A poured wall is much stronger and generally last many more years than a block wall.

A simple cost effective way to make a retaining wall is to stack 60 lb. Poured concrete retaining walls can be colored textured accented with embedded objects and much more. Constructed correctly a form for a homemade wall will not only retain the concrete. How to build a concrete wall prep work.

When installed properly concrete offers much more room for customization than any other retaining wall material. To make the wall as strong as possible pour the concrete in layers no higher than 20 inches working from 1 end of the wall to the. For diy purposes opt for manufactured blocks that are. Pouring a concrete retaining wall is not that difficult and this easy to follow how to guide will show you just what to do.

Materials tools and site. It took a day to rip out the old collapsing retaining wall to dig farther into the hill to provide room for the backfill gravel and to help unload materials. Follow the block manufacturer s instructions for wall height limits. To form a concrete wall first set up plywood boards on either side of your concrete footer and attach them together with wire.

If the form is constructed incorrectly the concrete can blow out the form breaking it apart and creating an enormous mess while wasting much of your money. When doing your own concrete work knowing how to form a homemade concrete wall is an essential skill. Then pour your concrete inside the form using a chute or hose attached to the mixer. There are block retaining walls stone retaining walls and poured concrete retaining walls but these can be quite complicated and expensive.

So diyers have come up with an interesting trick. Block retaining walls are generally the same as freestanding block walls but with a few important differences. Here are the steps tom ralston owner of tom ralston concrete in santa cruz ca follows when pouring a retaining wall. Without a pressure relief system the weight of the water in the soil would crack or even buckle the wall.

Avoid having downspouts pointed at the retaining wall and if it s against the house keep soil and mulch well below the siding. Rather than messing around with mortar they lay the walls down like lego pieces using concrete while it s still in the bag. A retaining wall must provide a way to release the water that builds up in the slope behind it.