Spring / Summer Project advices

[James5]

Hi All,

Got myself a little project for the spring summer unfortunatly this is not car related for a change. Now that I have pretty much done the DIY to the house itself I need to turn my attentions to the front and rear gardens, the rear garden being my main concern. Being new to this garden and building malarkey I am after advice from anyone whom has undertaken anything of a similar nature.

I need to do the following to the rear garden:

Level the garden as one end has a slope approx 1 metre high, with this I plan on removing the unnecessary soil/dirt and level the garden out. This would unfortunatly then make me have to construct a retaining wall :eek::crap: to which I have never done. Now in doing this I have a few concerns with doing the retaining wall which will have to be the full length of the rear of my garden and down one side of my garden also so just a big L shape as along side my garden is a path that my neighbours use to access there gardens so obviously I cannot touch this.

Any advice for doing a retaining wall out of 8x8 pressure tested treated timber?

My idea for the retaining wall is that I will need to lay some foundations, I will also need some drainage holes/ weep holes drilled into the lower parts of the retaining wall. I will use some nice thick timber posts every 1.5 metres to which will be concreted in place and bolted to the 8x8 timber to which will also be secured to one another. I attach a pic of what I am attempting to build but what you will note is that the pic is just of a flower bed please bear in mind that my retaing wall wuill be the full back edge of my garden and down one side of the garden also thankfully it is not a big garden.

Any tips and advice welcome.

[HULK]

Contact Blick, he does landscape gardening

[James5]

Contact Blick, he does landscape gardening


Perfect cheers matey, pm going his way:cooter:

[stu21t]

What you could do is use a steel/rsj as your posts, and just wedge the sleepers in place.

Or to be differnt you could do what I did on my drive.
Use steels as posts and use 4-5" round posts. I think it looks very nice, will find a pic for you later. And back fill it with concrete behind.
It is easy to do, once you've concerted the posts in place you just slot the timber in as high as you need to, 1by1.
And weep holes is a good idea, my way just do then in the concrete reinforcing and not in the wood.

[James5]

What you could do is use a steel/rsj as your posts, and just wedge the sleepers in place.

Or to be differnt you could do what I did on my drive.
Use steels as posts and use 4-5" round posts. I think it looks very nice, will find a pic for you later. And back fill it with concrete behind.
It is easy to do, once you've concerted the posts in place you just slot the timber in as high as you need to, 1by1.
And weep holes is a good idea, my way just do then in the concrete reinforcing and not in the wood.


Stuart that's a fecking awesome idea the steel RSJ's will hold no probs, any pics you have would be fantastic.

[J8TRO]

My mate built a retaining wall at the back of his garden this way, looks very good. Ill see if i can get a picture for you.

[stu21t]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/stu21t/DSC00798.jpg

that's the best pic I got on me, if you look on the right hand side it gives you an idea.
The posts are 3.6m long 5"/125mm round and about £15ea.

[James5]

That looks good, matey I will do something very similar if not the same.

P.s cossie 5 looks fantastic

[Blick]

PM for james. :agree:

[James5]

PM for james. :agree:


Ste, your a star many many thanks for all the advice. :cooter:

[Blick]

Ste, your a star many many thanks for all the advice. :cooter:

no problem mate hope it goes well!!!! :agree:

[stu21t]

Cheers m8,
here's a better pic of the wall mid build.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/stu21t/002.jpg