Building a retaining wall of blocks concrete or rock can be hard work.
Building a retaining wall with wood.
Retaining walls that use masonry retaining wall blocks or those made from thick timbers can be difficult to build because of the overly heavy materials.
Because a retaining wall is going to be in contact with the ground make sure you use lumber that s rated for ground contact.
Level but for a longer wall rent a builder s level.
Using a tape measure decide the length and the width of your retaining wall then mark off the area with the garden stakes and string.
Retaining walls can be constructed with various materials from stone to wood.
Pick a building material that will work with the look and feel of your yard.
Once you know where you want the wall then you begin to dig out and begin clearing out the ground near the area.
A good looking retaining wall depends on level footings and the best way to establish level over long distances is with a builder s level.
If you re building a wall with only a couple of 4 ft.
Sections you can get away with using a 4 ft.
Then dig the holes for the posts fill them with wet cement and insert the posts immediately.
To create a solid foundation dig a trench for the first course of your interlocking retaining wall blocks to sit in and make sure the ground remains even throughout.
A timber retaining wall is great for reshaping a sloped yard and lending a real identity and presence to your garden area.
Next mark the ground with chalk every 3 feet to indicate where to drive the posts.
However wood retaining walls can be constructed very easily with a few simple tools and some basic woodworking skills.
If you want to move the earth build a retaining wall by the time you re done you ll feel as though you ve moved half the planet.
Your best choice is a pressure treated wood that has a rating of 40 or higher.