Small retaining wall - ideas welcome
Bidz
Posts: 4
Hello
I'd welcome any advice or guidance on the following:
I have a back garden that drops away from the back of the house by 30-40cm. Given the size of the garden this doesn't make for a steep slope or anything too disagreeable however I really want a flat lawn. I therefore intend to make a low retaining wall (28-35cm high) using standard brick. I expect to ensure the whole thing is level using a layer of sand as base foundation and then use loose gravel to ensure some drainage on the retaining side of the wall.
My question is whether I can dry lay the bricks or whether they will need to be cemented in order to take the weight of the soil/water. As I say, this isn't a high wall so if I can get away without cementing that would be ideal.
Thoughts/suggestions welcome.
p.s. cost is a factor...I've also considered wood but I'm not happy with the lifespan of such a solution.
Posts
Firstly if you do what you have described, it won't last 5 minutes. If it's going to retain soil it needs a proper foundation and cement, especially if there is any weight behind the wall, and wet soil is heavy.
Have you thought of railway sleepers or scaffold planks instead. It really depends on what you want and the look you want to achieve and how long you want it to last.
Sleepers and bricks will last longer, sleepers don't lead to drainage problems, brick walls properly constructed with drainage slits have few problems as well.
I've done small beds with dry laid bricks, but they end up draining too quickly and are quite high maintenance.
How wide/long is the wall going to be? Dry laid bricks move too easily especially if you have children or animals.
I'd put a foundation of sharp sand and cement mixed 3 to 1 as a foundation, then lay bricks with cement to the required height. You shouldn't get huge drainage problems at that sort of height, and you can leave a slit between the 3rd and 4th brick on the first layer if your'e worried about it, and you can incorporate a step/s to give easy access to the lower level. It will last as well.
If this is to retain a lawn then it needs to be solid and durable as Dave says. I understand when you say cost is a factor, but if you skimp on this it will need constant repair and will ultimately need redoing thoroughly. I'd leave the slope until you can afford to do a proper job that won't need further maintenance. Sleepers are the easiest if you want to avoid any mortaring - you can lay them on top of each other - although it would be best to concrete some posts in first and secure them to that.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We have used sleepers (a double layer on their sides) to retain a garden bank. They are laid in a staggered fashion so that joints don't coincide - and they are drilled through with steel reinforcing rods inserted and going into the soil beneath for a couple of feet or so. They are rock solid.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I quite like the idea of brick steps in grass, which could work for you as you'd only need a couple. Still would need to mortar them in and lay on a mortar bed (on a hardcore sub base) though.
I have a mortar free retaining wall but it's made from bottles, not bricks. It's been there 18 years and never moved but the bed behind is plants, not lawn so isn't walked on every day or mowed every week but it is at seating height so does get sat on.
We gave it proper foundations with a concrete filled base and then simply laid the bottles. There's a paving set wall at either end to hold them up but nothing between them. We topped it the long side with slabs of marble from an old fireplace we demolished and the short bit has a railway sleeper top.
The tall, straight side bottes with high shoulders are best for ease of use.
That's really amazing obelixx
. I may have to take up wine drinking on a larger scale now
. Are the bottles mortared in or freestanding?
See first sentence - mortar free.
I should also add that not only were the bottles free but the process of collection was enjoyable and the wall has survived a low of -32C with no adverse effects. Normal winter temps here are -15to -20C for a few weeks.
Thanks all for the input, much appreciated. I think I'll be taking Dave's advice and hitting the cement...I also like the idea of one side of the wall providing seating so I might look to top it off with some coping stones/paving slabs. Just need to press on now before the really cold weather hits!
WillDB - cracking idea but I'm not sure I'll have the time, energy or more importantly the space to make that work
Obelixx that is very inventive and a nice result - good skills!