Thank you. I have a similar side of the house, with a slope . I have all my materials ready but I need it a guide to how to do it. And this video is exactly what I was looking for. This video es simple , well explain and short.
*Nice feature in your video at the end when you showed the before with the after.* I wish more people did that in their vids (and I may suggest it to them if it seems appropriate.) *Nice looking, sturdy retaining wall*
Thank you for sharing and explaining… I’ve been wanting to put a retaining wall in my front yard but wasn’t really sure how b/c I’m on a slope but Ty for explaining. I think I’ll give it a try!
I've heard of using a thin layer of paver sand on top of the paver base just to make leveling easier, but I wouldn't even recommend that. The sand can settle down into the gravel and cause settling. I would personally rather stick with the paver base. Just my two cents. I would never use just the sand.
Would it help to stagger the block so that the edges touch? In other words, flip every other block, or does stagger stacking them (as you've done) achieve the same thing?
I think I know what you are saying. You mean flip them front to back so the small end is facing front every other block? That won't work because the block has a lip on the back edge to keep it from sliding forward, so they can only be set in that direction. Hope that makes sense.
I did not use adhesive., but you definitely can. My wall is only a few rows high, but if I were going to make one 4 feet high or so, I would use the adhesive. Also, the pea gravel is to help water drain behind the wall.
Sure no problem. Here are the bricks: www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-11-75-in-x-6-75-in-Pewter-Concrete-Retaining-Wall-Block-81100/100333178 And here is the pea gravel: www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-0-5-cu-ft-Bagged-Pea-Gravel-Pebbles-54255/202523000
@@fixitFlip dang it’s hard to find any ventilation systems like that now a days, it would be nice if I could add one in my basement to always have fresh air. Any suggestions on what I could do? Thank you.
@@ahtesamulhaque7507 If you have any windows in your basement you can just use some fans to pull in some fresh air. If not you could use a dehumidifier.
@@fixitFlip I have 2 windows which are the typical 31” x 13.75” block windows. Only 1 of them has a small block window vent. It’s not that effective to open that small vent and use a fan to suck out the air. What would you recommend I do in my case?
Anything around 1/4 inch or a little bigger is good for behind the wall. You can go smaller than that for the base, but you don't want to get smaller than that behind the wall. You don't need to compact it behind the way, you want it to be able to drain. You should pack down the base underneath, though. Nice bass by the way.
@@ItalianTank750 Ideal base material for drainage would be gravel or stones about 1/4 to one inch in size. If the screening is smaller then that, it might still work as a base, but you might want to add some bigger gravel behind the wall.
@@fixitFlip hi. So it wouldn’t be wise to put 4 inches of limestone screening (looks like sand) then pavers? Or should i do 4 inches of crushed 1/4 gravel then pavers? I am making a 2 row flower bed wall
@@fixitFlip Ok. I asked because i have to Make a Wall (3 rows, 45 cm High Max) and i see people do it in 400 different ways. Would you recommend just gravel on The bottom, gravel behind The Wall against The dirt and No sand ?
great job, i subs'd. y didn't u use a cement glue? also, the first layer, any reason you didn't use quick concrete ontop of the gravel for more stableness?
From my experience the lip on the back keeps them from sliding forward at all. Now could the top layer fall back if you really kicked them? Maybe but the dirt pretty much holds them in place. My toddlers walk across them while playing and they don't move much due to the weight of rocks. I can see how with a bigger wall you would want to be more sure about it and add the glue. With mine just being a few rows high, I have just never had any issues with them moving personally. I've never tried the concrete on the gravel. Again I've just never had the need for it. Thanks for the sub!
I'm looking to build something like this at home so I appreciate this video. Question though: Where do you expect the water behind the wall to go? I didn't see any perforated drain pipe or landscape cloth.
A good rule of thumb is 4 feet. If a wall is 4 feet or higher from foundation to top you NEED a drainage pipe. But you can can always add one if you choose if you just want to be really safe. I probably should have mentioned that in the video. The gravel under and behind my wall wall will help the smaller amount of water drain. And the fabric helps keep dirt out of the gravel. But again, with the size of my wall, not much of an issue.
Just lightly power-wash all the bricks on your old retaining wall to make them uniform. I do that every other year. Then you could even seal them if you wanted to.
nice wall but what is going on with that basement window? No window well! Where do you think, with your wall, that water is going to go? with your post, you just dumped it into his basement.
Do you mean the water out of the downspout/sump pump drains? Or rain water? There is gravel for drainage under and behind the wall. And I ran extensions off both pipes after building the wall.
In all honesty when I am leveling the dirt, I am not trying to get it perfectly level. I just want it to be pretty close. I just don't want 6 inches of gravel in one spot and one inch of gravel in another spot. If that makes sense. The most important part of it is probably the tamping so the ground is not super loose and then settles later.
I'm just about to start my own retaining wall block planter box in my backyard. needed that tip about stepping up, thanks,
No problem, glad I could help. Good luck with the project.
This looks great! I can't wait to try this in my mom's yard.
Thanks! Good luck with the project, I hope it goes smoothly for you.
Thank you.
I have a similar side of the house, with a slope . I have all my materials ready but I need it a guide to how to do it.
And this video is exactly what I was looking for.
This video es simple , well explain and short.
Thank you, and glad I could help. Good luck with the project!
Thanks man. I'm digging into mine this weekend and this I think will be helpful
No problem. Good luck with the project! It's hard work but rewarding.
Good information; just what I wanted to do. Steps were explained very well. Will be working on my project very soon.
Thank you! Good luck with the project, it's a good time of the year for it! It was way too hot out when I did mine.
*Nice feature in your video at the end when you showed the before with the after.* I wish more people did that in their vids (and I may suggest it to them if it seems appropriate.) *Nice looking, sturdy retaining wall*
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback and the kind words!
Thank the program very much. Wish the program thrive.
Thank you!
You did an excellent job!!!!! I love it!
Thank you!
Thanks great video!!
No problem and thank you!
Great video! Thanks for posting, it was exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you and glad I could help! Good luck with the project.
love your supervisor! lol
Ha ha, she is destined for upper management one day.
Great job. Very helpful as well.
Thank you. Glad I could help.
Thank you for sharing and explaining… I’ve been wanting to put a retaining wall in my front yard but wasn’t really sure how b/c I’m on a slope but Ty for explaining. I think I’ll give it a try!
No problem and good luck with the project! I hope it goes smoothly!
very informative. Was looking for something like this. Have a heck of a project ahead of me
Thank you. Retaining walls are a lot of work, but it's rewarding. Good luck with the project.
Looks awesome good work
Thank you!
Looks good! 👍
Thank you!
Nice! Thanks for the video.
No problem. Thanks for the kind words.
Your Supervisor brought her own chair!
LOL. Yes she did! Funny how that works, isn't it?
You did a great job!!
Thank you!
Great video
Thanks, Brandon.
Thank you
No problem!
Honestly not looking very nice, but certainly very easy to put together and hard to get it wrong. Thank you so much for sharing
Where to get the zebra gloves?
Ha ha Harbor Freight! Strong recommendation. 👍🏻
I like it
Thanks, Bee!
Nice wall
Thank you!
What do you think of quarry dust (waste) instead of pea gravel?
I have never personally used it, but have read that it is maybe a little too powdery.
it should work as a base like Caliche Dirt
My landscaper wants to use paver sand instead of paver base. What's your opinion on that? Wouldn't the sand wash away eventually?
I've heard of using a thin layer of paver sand on top of the paver base just to make leveling easier, but I wouldn't even recommend that. The sand can settle down into the gravel and cause settling. I would personally rather stick with the paver base. Just my two cents. I would never use just the sand.
Would it help to stagger the block so that the edges touch? In other words, flip every other block, or does stagger stacking them (as you've done) achieve the same thing?
I think I know what you are saying. You mean flip them front to back so the small end is facing front every other block? That won't work because the block has a lip on the back edge to keep it from sliding forward, so they can only be set in that direction. Hope that makes sense.
Love it
Thank you!
Did u put the paver base with pea gravel on the bottom level n the same of the edge too?
Funny how she got herself a chair and watched you. 😅
I've got my own "supervisor!" Ha ha.
Can you just use no dig landscape edging and build from there? If say the surface was even all the way through.
Do you mean build a wall behind the edging?
Did you put adhesive between the bricks? What is the purpose of the pea gravel that you put behind? Thank you
I did not use adhesive., but you definitely can. My wall is only a few rows high, but if I were going to make one 4 feet high or so, I would use the adhesive. Also, the pea gravel is to help water drain behind the wall.
Hey can u possibly link the items you used? The bricks and the gravel links would be much appreciated
Sure no problem. Here are the bricks: www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-11-75-in-x-6-75-in-Pewter-Concrete-Retaining-Wall-Block-81100/100333178
And here is the pea gravel: www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-0-5-cu-ft-Bagged-Pea-Gravel-Pebbles-54255/202523000
How would you know how many blocks to get ? And how would you price a job like that?
Well the stones are almost a foot long. So you can just measure how long you need the wall to be, multiplied by the number of rows you want.
Hello, I was curious, What’s that square-circle shaped vent near your drainpipe coming from the basement?
It’s an EZ Breathe ventilation system that sits above the sump pump in the basement and removes moisture in the air.
@@fixitFlip dang it’s hard to find any ventilation systems like that now a days, it would be nice if I could add one in my basement to always have fresh air. Any suggestions on what I could do? Thank you.
@@ahtesamulhaque7507 If you have any windows in your basement you can just use some fans to pull in some fresh air. If not you could use a dehumidifier.
@@fixitFlip I have 2 windows which are the typical 31” x 13.75” block windows. Only 1 of them has a small block window vent. It’s not that effective to open that small vent and use a fan to suck out the air. What would you recommend I do in my case?
@@ahtesamulhaque7507 No that wouldn't work in your situation then. An air purifier or dehumidifier would come in handy.
Hey just some advice, you should get that downspout run-off further away from your foundation.
Yes I did! I ran an extension out past the wall. I just didn't have it on yet when I was filming. Thank you though!
@@fixitFlip glad to hear, I’m having structural foundation issues myself and noticed it, take care
@@jak30341 Thank you I appreciate it. Foundation issues are no fun at all, that's for sure. Sorry you're going through that.
I was told to never use pea gravel behind the wall because it does not drain well but you don't really have to pack the gravel behind the wall do you?
Anything around 1/4 inch or a little bigger is good for behind the wall. You can go smaller than that for the base, but you don't want to get smaller than that behind the wall. You don't need to compact it behind the way, you want it to be able to drain. You should pack down the base underneath, though. Nice bass by the way.
Would screening be just as effective as using pea gravel? Or does it not matter?
Cheers
When you say screening, are you referring to a landscape fabric or something like that?
@@fixitFlip no, the small gravel that stuff that you sometimes see on trails. Otherwise known as limestone screening to some
@@ItalianTank750 Ideal base material for drainage would be gravel or stones about 1/4 to one inch in size. If the screening is smaller then that, it might still work as a base, but you might want to add some bigger gravel behind the wall.
@@fixitFlip hi. So it wouldn’t be wise to put 4 inches of limestone screening (looks like sand) then pavers? Or should i do 4 inches of crushed 1/4 gravel then pavers? I am making a 2 row flower bed wall
@@Dalmatinac1989 I think you would be better off with the 1/4 gravel then pavers
Why didn't you use sand on top of the gravel? Shouldn't it be: dig down, couple of inches gravel, then sand and on top of the sand bricks?
You can do it that way but with a simple wall as small as the one I make in the video it does not matter.
@@fixitFlip Ok. I asked because i have to Make a Wall (3 rows, 45 cm High Max) and i see people do it in 400 different ways. Would you recommend just gravel on The bottom, gravel behind The Wall against The dirt and No sand ?
@@BackyardMotivation Oh yeah, you should be just fine with that. Gravel underneath and definitely gravel behind for drainage. That's very important.
I answer a bunch more commonly asked questions here in my follow up video as well: th-cam.com/video/ORnbaCRwKYM/w-d-xo.html
great job, i subs'd. y didn't u use a cement glue? also, the first layer, any reason you didn't use quick concrete ontop of the gravel for more stableness?
From my experience the lip on the back keeps them from sliding forward at all. Now could the top layer fall back if you really kicked them? Maybe but the dirt pretty much holds them in place. My toddlers walk across them while playing and they don't move much due to the weight of rocks. I can see how with a bigger wall you would want to be more sure about it and add the glue. With mine just being a few rows high, I have just never had any issues with them moving personally. I've never tried the concrete on the gravel. Again I've just never had the need for it. Thanks for the sub!
I'm looking to build something like this at home so I appreciate this video. Question though: Where do you expect the water behind the wall to go? I didn't see any perforated drain pipe or landscape cloth.
A good rule of thumb is 4 feet. If a wall is 4 feet or higher from foundation to top you NEED a drainage pipe. But you can can always add one if you choose if you just want to be really safe. I probably should have mentioned that in the video. The gravel under and behind my wall wall will help the smaller amount of water drain. And the fabric helps keep dirt out of the gravel. But again, with the size of my wall, not much of an issue.
What size are the stones you used?
4 in. x 11.75 in. x 6.75 in. from Home Depot
Just lightly power-wash all the bricks on your old retaining wall to make them uniform. I do that every other year. Then you could even seal them if you wanted to.
That's actually a great idea. Thank you!
@@fixitFlip No prob. It's an idea for another video ... "How to restore brickwork or retaining walls." Give me props. Lol.
@@seenok7960 Ha ha, you got it. Props to Seeno K......"How to get your retaining wall looking good as new"
Excellent advice!
@@ebc6708 Agreed.
nice wall but what is going on with that basement window? No window well! Where do you think, with your wall, that water is going to go? with your post, you just dumped it into his basement.
Do you mean the water out of the downspout/sump pump drains? Or rain water? There is gravel for drainage under and behind the wall. And I ran extensions off both pipes after building the wall.
this is more a decorative garden wall, this aint retainin nuthin lol.
Question: why do you level out the dirt when you’re going to pour and level the gravel on top of it? Why not just level the gravel?
In all honesty when I am leveling the dirt, I am not trying to get it perfectly level. I just want it to be pretty close. I just don't want 6 inches of gravel in one spot and one inch of gravel in another spot. If that makes sense. The most important part of it is probably the tamping so the ground is not super loose and then settles later.
You shouldn't cover your windows with dirt and mulch
No waterproof sheet under the first row. This wall will start to sink In less than a year.
I made the wall that is shown at the start of the video the exact same way 10 years ago and it hasn't moved an inch.