How To Build A Retaining Wall

You might be considering building your own retaining wall. You might be surprised what you can do with the right guidance and a set of helping hands. Some of the most common retaining wall materials are stone in both (natural and composite), bricks, concrete, hard wood, steel, or railroad ties. When you select the appropriate material make sure that it matches the application. For instance, if you are retaining a large slope or grade you will need larger bricks or stones versus a small gardening application.

Here's how to build a retaining wall for a raised flower bed.

1. Outline the shape of your garden retaining wall: circular, rectangular, rectangular with curved edges or what have you.

2. Mark your outline with a spray paint or stake and ropes and measure the dimension.

3. Take the measurement to your favorite construction store and order your customized pre-cast concrete stone block with lip lock system that conforms to the shape of your retaining wall when assembled.

4. Dig about 12 inches deep trench ensuring that it’s as level as possible. Lay leveling sand or patio paver base in the trench compacting it with hand packer to ensure a level solid base. Use your ground leveling tool to check if the solid base is perfectly leveled.

5. Lay each base row blocks ensuring that it's flat using a carpenter's level. Repeat the process until all base row blocks are laid before checking the level again with a ground level to check if it's aligned and perfectly flat. Perfectly leveling the base row saves you time later when you're laying the top rows.

Tip: Knock the flange off using a chisel and a mallet for the base blocks for easy leveling.

6. Lay the top rows with the joints staggered with the lower row. You may need to cut a block in half using a masonry wet saw to make this happen. Ensure that the lip at the back of the block interlocks with the top of the lower row. Lay all the top rows to achieve the desired height of your flower bed and - voila - you just built your garden retaining wall.

Tip: Install a perforated pipe for a higher retaining wall to ensure proper drainage of your flower bed.

Building a retaining wall is made easier with pre-cast stone blocks you can buy from landscaping or home improvement stores. Now, there's no excuse why you can't add a focal point in your garden with a retaining-wall-raised flower bed.