Garden Block Retaining Wall : Fuller's Landscape Company

Garden Block Retaining Wall

Building a garden block retaining wall is the best way to dress up and improve your garden. Garden block retaining walls can be built out of many different materials, but most retaining wall contractors will say cement blocks are the most common. Garden block retaining walls are perfect for your garden as they hold back soil allowing you to have a level gardening space to plant, where there would usually be poor soil. Garden block retaining walls have actually been known to increase property value on your home as well.

Pros of Garden Block

Many retaining wall specialists will tell you one of the biggest pros of garden block retaining walls is that they are very easy to install. The blocks are generally very light-weight and are mortarless, so you don’t need to add mortar or soil in between blocks or rows. They are also very flexible in terms of design, as you can use many different types of stones or blocks to create a garden block retaining wall. Local retaining wall builders also love garden block walls because they are very versatile, as this type of retaining wall can be integrated with any landscape. They are also known to be one of the more low maintenance types of walls, as they are easy to replace or add on to.

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Cons of Garden Block

There are not many disadvantages to garden block retaining walls, and most landscape retaining wall contractors will agree, but there are a couple. One of them being that they are not able to withstand much weight, so you need to be careful what type of soil you are using.

Installation

Step 1

The first step is to mark where you want to build your garden block retaining wall, and dig out the trench about 4 inches deep. Then you will want to establish the levels for the base. Do this by placing wooden pegs of the same length of about 20 to 30cm, and hammering them into the base. Next choose one of the pegs and set where you want the top of the wall to be, and then using a spirit level you set the other pegs to the same height.

Step 2

Once you are happy with the trench and the levels, you need to set up wooden pegs in the bottom of the trench to the height you would like the foundation, then level each one on with a straight edge and spirit level. Then take your concrete mixture (6 parts sand, 1 part cement) and pour the foundation and level it using the pegs. The main purpose of this is to ensure you have an even and level foundation.

Step 3

Once your foundation dries you can begin laying down the first layer of blocks. All retaining wall specialists will tell you that you can build garden block retaining walls with and without mortar, but for this exercise we’ll use mortar. First thing is to lay down a layer of mortar, then place your first block down and lightly tap it with a rubber hammer. Then for your next block add a layer of mortar to the side of the block, then place it next to the first block. Always make sure to remove excess mortar each time you do this. As you are laying the blocks down, make sure you are checking the level to ensure they are even.

Step 4

This step may depend on where you live and the climate, but for people who live in places that get a lot of rain or snow, you will want to install a drainage pipe behind your wall. Because these type of walls cannot hold a lot of weight, water needs to pass through it without the soil holding all of the weight of the water.

Garden block retaining walls are a great way to improve the look of your yard, garden, and even the valu eof your home. They are easy to install and can be done in many different ways. If you are interested in building one of these walls look online for retaining wall builders near me for any questions you may have. At Fuller’s Landscaping Company we would be happy to offer any advice or help you may need.