Ledgestone retaining wall building in Colorado: Why you should split blocks for a rough finish. If the end of a block will be visible, and you’d like it to match the other rough surfaces, use a block splitter. You can probably rent a splitter like this for less than $100 per day. Use a gas-powered cutoff saw like this one for a smooth cut. This saw can cut with or without water. Water eliminates the dust but creates a messy slurry that can permanently stain surfaces like driveways and sidewalks. You can rent a saw like this for about $80 per day. If you don’t use water, make sure the dust doesn’t blow into the house or on a neighbor’s house.
If the block Retaining wall is more substantial as in a metre high or more then the fence would have to be behind the wall instead of through or on top. Most Segmental Retaining Wall blocks do not have a big enough cavity or void for the fence post to be directly concreted inside them and would lack the strength to hold the weight of a fence. Generally, most walls are built using an aggregate (Gravel) backfill or in some circumstances No Fines Concrete (NFC). Because of this, an allowance has to be made for the fence post at the early construction stage such as installing PVC Piping as a sleave for the fence post to fit into, this would require some forethought and good planning.
We also repair existing retaining walls. Many railroad tie walls or older concrete retaining walls which may or may not include rocks or boulders are beginning to show signs of failure. Often times a homeowner will build a DIY retaining wall that needs help after years of service. Colorado Retaining Wall specializes in the building and repair of retaining walls. Whether the wall is for a backyard or driveway of a residence or a commercial Shopping Center, we design and build large block walls for all Earth retention requirements. We have the ability to fortify the wall with shotcrete or soil nails which would include helical tie-backs or micropiles. Nearly every wall we build requires engineering and we have deep relationships with engineers that work hand-in-hand with our foremen regardless of the size of project. Please read our reviews and look and our photo gallery. See even more info at Colorado Retaining Wall Builder.
Yards are like people, they come in all shapes and sizes. Some folks are fit, others are flabby. Some yards are flat, others are hilly or sloped. And, like people, some yards could use a little work. When necessary to create a level surface on a slope, building a retaining wall has been the answer for thousands of years. These walls literally retain the earth to create flat, appealing lawns and stepped areas of land. Depending on the weight the wall must support, a wide variety of materials can be used to construct a wall, from brick and mortar to landscape timbers. In the South, many yards even feature garden-style retaining walls built from discarded railroad ties for a rustic, country appearance.
DO start with a good foundation. Your retaining wall will only be as strong its support system. For a stacked-block retaining wall that’s no higher than four feet, a trench filled with three inches of crushed rock will help keep the wall from shifting and settling. The exact depth of the trench depends on the proposed height of the wall, but follow this rule of thumb: Dig a trench to be an eighth of the wall plus three inches. For example, if you want the finished height of your retaining wall to be three feet (36 inches) tall, you’d need to dig the trench eight inches deep to accommodate three inches of crushed rock and about five inches (or an eighth of the visible retaining wall) to start the wall below grade.