Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:10 pm
Hi Tony and all contributers to this excellent site!
First of all just wanted to say how great and what a useful resource this site is, you obviously put a lot of time and effort into it, which i'm sure is greatly appreciated by everyone including myself.
I've been asked to replace the original brick retaining wall to a small rear raised garden by my girlfriends mum, the current wall is dangerously leaning towards the house caused by root damage (though no chance of it hitting the house if it does finally go!) hence the need to replace it. Rather than just rebuilding the wall she likes the idea of using sleepers (possibly cheaper?) and creating a terrace. The current garden which is fairly level is 6.68m x 5.24m and 1.42m above the ground level of the house. I've read all the stuff on this site regarding this topic but I do have a few queries regarding the advice given. If the answers are here and I've missed them then i'm sorry!
I plan to create a two teired retaining terrace (if such a thing exists) both 6.68m in length using sleepers, both about four/five courses high by removing part of the existing garden, the second course would then finish at the existing garden level. Given the height I plan to use steel rods to fix the sleepers, I think you recommend bedding the sleepers into concrete and driving the rods through before the concrete goes off, if this is the case would not the weight of the sleepers in my case push the concrete out? Sorry if this sounds daft, but this is my first time. Also presuming I use sleepers 2.5m in length i'll use two full length sleepers and one 1.68 piece for each row, how many rods do you think i need to use given the length of the wall/terrace and that it's staggered, does each end of each sleeper need to have a rod driven through, or is it a case of a rod in each end of the overall wall and strapping together the rest? I think I need to use four for each wall. I plan to link the two walls at one end again using sleepers to retain the neighbours garden where I will have removed earth to create the first terrace, providing its all set up correctly and I've drilled the necessary holes using the rcommended method do you think one person can get the final fix for both walls done in one long day? (I'm reasonably fit and confidant I can position the sleepers on my own albeit with a little difficulty)
Do you think any DPM is necessary, possibly behind each wall before i backfill, and can backfilling be done the day after, plus what mix for the bedding concrete would you recommend, i.e ratio, stiffness. And finally...sorry, i know it's been a long one, with possibly too much info but are their any recommendations when demolishing the existing wall, i don't plan to be standing on the side leaning towards the house, I was going to carefully remove/demolish sections though some builders have said just get behind it and give it a kick! or whack it with a sledge hammer! Their are no pipes or drains where it would fall, but there is a patio between this wall and the house. I would appreciate any advice on the above and of course anything I may have missed or not considered.
Many thanks
Dan
First of all just wanted to say how great and what a useful resource this site is, you obviously put a lot of time and effort into it, which i'm sure is greatly appreciated by everyone including myself.
I've been asked to replace the original brick retaining wall to a small rear raised garden by my girlfriends mum, the current wall is dangerously leaning towards the house caused by root damage (though no chance of it hitting the house if it does finally go!) hence the need to replace it. Rather than just rebuilding the wall she likes the idea of using sleepers (possibly cheaper?) and creating a terrace. The current garden which is fairly level is 6.68m x 5.24m and 1.42m above the ground level of the house. I've read all the stuff on this site regarding this topic but I do have a few queries regarding the advice given. If the answers are here and I've missed them then i'm sorry!
I plan to create a two teired retaining terrace (if such a thing exists) both 6.68m in length using sleepers, both about four/five courses high by removing part of the existing garden, the second course would then finish at the existing garden level. Given the height I plan to use steel rods to fix the sleepers, I think you recommend bedding the sleepers into concrete and driving the rods through before the concrete goes off, if this is the case would not the weight of the sleepers in my case push the concrete out? Sorry if this sounds daft, but this is my first time. Also presuming I use sleepers 2.5m in length i'll use two full length sleepers and one 1.68 piece for each row, how many rods do you think i need to use given the length of the wall/terrace and that it's staggered, does each end of each sleeper need to have a rod driven through, or is it a case of a rod in each end of the overall wall and strapping together the rest? I think I need to use four for each wall. I plan to link the two walls at one end again using sleepers to retain the neighbours garden where I will have removed earth to create the first terrace, providing its all set up correctly and I've drilled the necessary holes using the rcommended method do you think one person can get the final fix for both walls done in one long day? (I'm reasonably fit and confidant I can position the sleepers on my own albeit with a little difficulty)
Do you think any DPM is necessary, possibly behind each wall before i backfill, and can backfilling be done the day after, plus what mix for the bedding concrete would you recommend, i.e ratio, stiffness. And finally...sorry, i know it's been a long one, with possibly too much info but are their any recommendations when demolishing the existing wall, i don't plan to be standing on the side leaning towards the house, I was going to carefully remove/demolish sections though some builders have said just get behind it and give it a kick! or whack it with a sledge hammer! Their are no pipes or drains where it would fall, but there is a patio between this wall and the house. I would appreciate any advice on the above and of course anything I may have missed or not considered.
Many thanks
Dan