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Retaining wall conundrum
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Posted by well_drained z6a MA (My Page) on Wed, Oct 6, 04 at 16:21
| I've searched Gardenweb, the Internet at large and the library for how-to's on building a dry-stone retaining wall, and I've gotten lots of good advice, but nothing so far has addressed my specific situation.
Here is the layout: I have dug a flat, circular (well, almost) area, about 9 feet in diameter, into the slope in my yard for a small patio, or 'room.' The slope is such that there is a 3 foot wall of dirt on one end of the circle, which gradually comes down (on both sides) to an eight-inch 'wall' at the other end. I need to build a retaining wall so the yard doesn't just collapse onto the patio. But the wall will have to go at least 3/4 around the circle, going from one foot high to 3 feet high and back to one foot. (I realize that when I'm done, the 'floor' of the room is going to be a lot smaller, due to the space taken up by the wall.)
Does this plan seem feasible? Has anyone done anything similar? Seen anything similar?
Also, to make matters more complicated, I am using mostly rounded stones (there are piles of them everywhere, and I need to use them for something), although I may be able to find some larger ones with at least one flattish side for the first layer. Is this going to be a problem?
-- wd |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Retaining wall conundrum
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| posted a pic on the landscape design gallery. you can use ' stepped' sections of rock or you can build a gradual arcing rise and or a combination of both to go from 12" to 3 feet in height change. ..... but you will have a very hard time doing it with roundish rocks and hope to get a stable dry lay. It's not impossible but you will be 'working' the rock, not merely choosing one and setting it. Get the chisel, saw and hammer out.
and or the concrete and mortar. |
RE: Retaining wall conundrum
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| This is not a good application for rounded rock. If you dig a foundation (can be packed gravel) and use mortar, you can get a stable wall, but you really want stone that will hold together. If you like the look of precast retaining wall blocks, they will be stable and can retain a 3' elevation change. Lay them level and step down towards the lower heights. |
RE: Retaining wall conundrum
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| I've started building the wall and have posted photos on the Landscape Design forum gallery. (Also, there is an interesting series of posts there in response to my question.) -- wd |
RE: Retaining wall conundrum
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Look into slip formed construction
otherwise you migt as well stak bowling balls |
RE: building a raised patio
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| We're going to be building a large patio out of stone. A friend of mine said that we need to build it on a foundation dug below the frost line(we're in New England), but the mason claims that since it's a dry wall, we don't need to do a foundation because the water will percolate through. The patio will be raised about 24 in. in most areas and 30 in. in one area. What is the right way to do this?? |
RE: Retaining wall conundrum
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| Your mason is correct. Your stone retaining walls should be constructed on a foundation of compacted native gravel (meaning you need to remove all the loam and clayey soils beneath the walls to good gravel, or excavate down sufficiently such that at least 6 inches of gravel can be placed under the bottom layer of stones, and that bottom layer of stones is totally below grade). |
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