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Small retaining wall

andrew.gibsonandrew.gibson Posts: 2
in Problem solving
We have a small garden with a slight slope in the middle. I want to level off the garden and it needs a retaining wall at the bottom. I haven't measured it precisely but I think it needs to be around 10-15cm high. I'm thinking of building it out of brick, so won't need any more than two rows of bricks. My question is does a retaining wall this small need a foundation and what's the best way to build it?

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Normal bricks with soil behind, will get damaged badly by frost.  They need to be leaning in to the soil at the back, a straight wall gets pushed over by the weight of the soil behind. For a small wall, dry stone looks nice.  If you are going to use bricks, use ones intended for garden walls, and put them on a concrete base.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    The easiest way to build the foundation is to lay a row of concrete blocks lying on their sides. Take time to get them properly level (use a sand bed), mortar them in and then the brick wall above will be much easier and neater.

    One way to avoid the frost problem is have a wedge of large gravel chippings - narrower at the bottom, wider at the top - immediately behind the wall. You may need to find a way to drain that out - depends what your soil is like.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited May 2019
    Do you like wine?  We made a bottle wall up to knee height so just right for sitting on.  A base trench was dug and filled with ballast - broken bricks, stones and some gravel and cement and then we laid tall, straight sided bottles on top and capped it with old marble slabs taken from fireplaces we dismantled in our last house, an old, Belgian farmhouse.  

    The round shape is very strong and needed no mortar except on top to hold the slabs in place.  We had temperatures ranging form - 32C (one exceptional winter) to +38C and no bottles damaged.   Great talking point too and lots of teeny crevices for invertebrates to hide and shelter.

    If you don't like wine or can't drink that much, just ask your friends to save their bottle or ask a local restaurant for their empties.  Fun to build and no brick laying skills required.


    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
     For that height have you considered sleepers? Could lay it direct on a hard-core/ballast base, so the bottom few inches end up buried, held in place with ground pins. 
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Is brick the look you're going for? Mini gabion baskets are cheap enough (£20-30/metre) and can be filled with interesting stone and planted up. Link them into shapes or curves and maybe add a seat if you want extra interest.


    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    10-15 cm is more like an edging course than a retaining wall. What about a concrete bed (sharp sand and cement) and any edging you like (concrete blocks or edging, bricks placed facing up, granite blocks, recycled paving slabs etc.). Depending on the style of your garden, you could also use natural stones (which could be cheap to get from someone who needs to get rid of them).
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    The answer to your question - would a retaining wall around 6 inches high ie 2 bricks, need a foundation - is yes, it will but more so you start off level than anything else. So RG's idea of using concrete blocks as the foundation is a cheap and easy solution. Although I would lay them flat rather than on their sides. You could lay the first row of concrete blocks half under the bottom level and lay another row on top, staggering the joins, and hey presto, there is your wall for little effort. I would use the 'heavy' concrete blocks rather than the 'light' concrete blocks. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • andrew.gibsonandrew.gibson Posts: 2
    Thanks everybody. I was thinking of brick because we're having grey decking installed and I thought a grey brick retaining wall would match in with it nicely. But now after looking at photos online I think sleepers are the way to go.
  • Dave HumbyDave Humby Posts: 1,145
    edited May 2019
    andrew.gibson said:
    Thanks everybody. I was thinking of brick because we're having grey decking installed and I thought a grey brick retaining wall would match in with it nicely. But now after looking at photos online I think sleepers are the way to go.
    Go for reclaimed and they’ll compliment your grey decking nicely. New ‘sleepers’ (they aren’t sleepers just large profile timber) will grey over time but, personally, they’re not for me. 

    Reclaimed will also also last longer. 
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