Friday, December 3, 2010

Factors to Consider before Building a Retaining Wall




Retaining walls are usually used for preserving landscaped areas. Retaining walls serve as purposes for practical construction, from giving vertical edges for sloped areas to supporting level areas. If there is a sloping backyard that risk of getting collapse soon, then building a retaining wall is the best option for increasing strength. It will help in preserving the area and utilizing it for functional purposes.

The choice of material in building a retaining wall or seawall is as personal as the choice of landscaping or the color of the house. Obviously, found materials such as old railway ties or natural stone can make a beautiful wall. Variety of materials can be used in building a retaining wall; the most common are wood, concrete and tiles. Even though basically used as functional elements in a landscape, these walls can also be made of more eye catching elements like colored bricks, stone and timber. For most do-it-yourselfers, though, a trip to the local hardware store is probably going to produce simple concrete blocks or lumber. The tools needed include wood stakes, a carpenter's level, mason's line and a digging implement.

Depending on the ground into which the wall will be built, this could be anything from a small shovel to a jackhammer. It is also recommended that safety equipment like glasses, gloves and back support be used at all times. If you are planning to build a wall by yourself, then ready-made interlocking blocks should be selected. The minimum depth of the trench should be ½' and it should be wider than the size of an interlocking block. The trench should be refilled immediately after the foundation layer is completed.

Source:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Building-a-Retaining-Wall&id=4002034
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4793019_building-retaining-wall-seawall.html

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