Once upon a time I lived in a land far far away (California).
Between my neighbor and I was a fairly steep hill and a retaining wall was the best option. Living in the desert it was easy to build with some wood, anchor it in, backfill and pretty it up with some stucco. No need to worry about drainage since it only rained a couple times a year. Fast forward to today and living in Texas. Of course there is much more rain and that Texas clay we all know and love. There are many important factors to ensure are incorporated in a texas retaining wall.
Foundation, much like building a house you need a strong foundation. Starting with the very basic of groundwork, clearing away debris, vegetations and other obstacles. Digging down to create that firm base to build the. Using concrete with rebar will be the next step. What this is going to do for your retaining wall is to keep water from getting under your wall. This will maintain the walls integrity an keep it in place where it needs to be.
There are numerous materials to chose from. Wood, railroad ties, cinder blocks, flagstone, and many more to look at. When deciding on what to use for your wall you’ll want to consider aesthetics, durability and longevity. All will give years of strength and support. Wood will always rot, some concrete or cinder locks can be permeable and allow water in eventually which will require sealing (more on that later).
To be continued……
