BIG MISTAKE! BUILDING RETAINING WALL BY MYSELF!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.พ. 2023
- Building stone block retaining wall and pvc privacy fence by myself.
Renting Mini Excavator
Some of the basics are covered. You will need to do more research and planning to complete your project but you can do it!
One step at a time!
Do your best!
Get help!
Slope of perforated 6" drain line is ¼ inch per foot of pipe*
Base is 6" of compacted 3/4" crushed blue stone*
PVC Fence and Concrete Blocks were purchased from LOWES* - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
This was done just as good as any professional.
Was a Mason for 20 plus years ,split face block were just becoming popular in 90's. They are some heavy block.
I probably would hv buried regular 12" block then put my split face on top. Just would hv added stone behind wall about 12" worth.
Nd used a transit to shot level lines. But I'm a guy that did this in 80's,90's.
So gotta say I'm damn proud of this job you have done here. Nothing wrong with working by yourself, I actually prefer it.
Wish I could still do these jobs,my son does most of this now I'm just along for advise, he's 30. Used to take him with me when he was a youngen.
Believe me 40 years goes by ,nd one day you'll see that wall nd its still gonna be there just as you left it ,nd all those moments will come back .
It's a great feeling ,wishing you much more successful endeavors.
God bless..
Thank you James, I really appreciate and respect your words of wisdom. God Bless!
lol k Mo 😊
@@kathypowell3345 Who's Mo?
@@TheMillerRacingTeam Can you tell me the blocks you used for the retaining wall
Hello, I ordered them online from Lowes.com (Item #1045003 Model #LWGB). You will probably need the top caps as well. (Item #1045004 Model #UCGB). Good luck on your project! Thanks, Josh
We are a Geo-Technical/Structural/Civil engineering firm who design and inspects 100s of large segmental block walls. Your technique and attention to detail is 5/5. What I would mention to help other people is that in addition to all the work you did very well, any time you get to approximately 3' in height, geo-grid should be incorporated into the build. After the first two blocks, begin the geo-grid layers (using one foot horizontally for every foot vertically. A six foot wall requires a 6' horizontal layer of grid which sandwiches between the blocks. This is pulled tight and landscape staples pinned down. The 8" layer of dry, compactable soil is spread on the grid and compacted. Rent a Wacker packer from home depot and compact uniformly starting next to the block behind the 12" of #57 stone drainage field you installed. Compact in parallel to the wall working away from the wall. On a large retaining wall, rent a 'sheeps foot' walk behind compactor. The fill soil must NOT be topsoil or organic soil (which absorbs and holds water). The earth must be dry. Wet soil will not compact. The mostly clay, sandy (not pure sand), weathered rock soils work best (remove rocks larger than gravel and any roots or twigs). You add another layer of geo-grid fabric every two blocks as you go up. If you are wanting to plant grass or shrubs, the top 8"to 12" of soil can be a top soil for planting. As I see in your video, you must plan for drainage to keep water from saturating the built wall. You can also fill with #57 stone gravel but that is ridiculously expensive, good compactable soil is much less.
If you compacted the soil well and your drainage pipe (mounted at the lowest point) drains the water away from the wall your build should last a long time. I want to emphasize the huge amount of hard labor you did to create this wall. These are normally built by several men. Strength and stamina are required to build these walls (where the blocks weigh approximately 75 pounds each), plus the digging, plus moving gravel and earth. Having completed this by yourself means you, Sir, are a machine! Congrats.
Half way into laying my brick patio / retaining walls. Was having some issues finding anyone to even come out and give me a price so I started it myself. Videos like inspire me to keep goin. I'm about 15 tons of materials moved by hand in only rented a jack hammer to remove 200 square feet of old cracked and sunk concrete. This guy is the MAN! Well done sir!
awesome job man, I'm half way through my wall using the same block. A little frustrated with it and definitely sore but seeing your video and especially listening to your attitude with no excuses inspired me! thanks man
Nice job! You are awesome!
I just built one of these and a hand held brick lifter was indispensable. Works for any block with a squared off front edge. Saves your back!
I like your attitude and the commentary was quite funny.
Great job, worth the sub
Thank you Gerry. Welcome aboard!
Looks great. Amazing job!
Man i know that feeling, im currently building a 44' retaining wall and a slope,
Man. I absolutely love the end result and the dedication. Gonna tackle this myself in my backyard.
Thank you Jim. You can do it. One step at a time. Comment here if you have any questions along the way. Thanks and God Bless!
Fantastic work! Wow! really great! Thank you for sharing with us!
Well done. Great job pushing through.
Beautiful job. You got the skill!
Love the narration. Awesome job by one man. Turned out great.
Great job congratulations!!!
Very nicely done!
That looks great! Everything you did looks professional, I can’t tell at all that you haven’t done this before.
Thank you Lyle, I appreciate that!
Did all my garden walls in my garden with a similar system. Once the base and the 1st row is level, its really easy to build, oh and I used 5 pallet loads of blocks which were solid, no holes like yours and had no previous experience. That was 9 years ago and it still looks as good as the day I did it. Really good job and a lovely finish will last for years and you won't have to ever repoint it. 🤗
Yes I agree, after the base is compact and level, things get a lot easier. Thanks and Cheers
Great job! Good for you for tackling this on your own.
Thank you very much Al! I appreciate that! God Bless!
Well done,,the fence looks great.
Top job looks great a lot work for one man but you pulled it off 👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇺🇸👍👍
Thanks Jason
In the 80's l used to dig the footings for block walls 12 by 12 inches, sometimes bigger. You did a good job on your footings, squared & straight, nicely done. I know the feeling about your arms & hands.
You, good sir, have my total admiration.
Very nice work!!
Man, well done! That came out nice.
Thanks Zac Z! 👍👍
I'd have loved to see the timeline explained in this. Especially with the manual labor parts. Very fair to say well done. Reminds me of the the "work trinity". Time, money, quality. "Fast and cheap, fast and quality, quality and cheap". I feel a lot of DIY goes for cheap, so you only get two choices after
Awesome work man! As someone who typically is tackling projects alike solo I feel your pain, but man it is rewarding! And saves you more money for other projects or more beer. Cheers!
Looks really good. Probably added a lot of value to the property also since there's a lot more usable space now.
nice work. came out great.
Very admirable doing this alone and such a beautiful outcome. I like doing things on my own so I empathize.
Thank you! God Bless!
Well done. Thanks for posting this video. I have one to do, too.
Thank you Wolfsburg Tech. Good luck with yours! My biggest lesson from this project is take your time and enjoy the process. "Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit" - Napoleon Hill. Thanks for watching! God Bless!
500+ blocks and 50 tons into a solo project and still going... I can feel the pain in this video. 😂
Thats awesome Gregory! Much respect! Thanks for watching!
Amazing job!!!!
Thank you!!
very tidy , well done.
Well Done! It looks like a million bucks and you added a ton of value to your property!
Thank you Gregg, I appreciate that! God Bless!
Looks great
Very nice job !!!
Thanks Mike, I appreciate it!
Love it great job!
Thank you! Cheers!
It's a lot of work! Nice job.
Thanks Thrifty Garage!
Nice work!
Great job!
Thank you! Cheers!
Your wall turned out fine, but geotextiles work wonders and are cheap insurance! We use them no matter the size of the wall for a bullet proof project. Great job
Thank you John. I will definitely use geotextiles on my next project for additional support and reinforcement. Cheers
Great job.
Thank you Doug!
Good job, Looks Great!
Thank you your motivating me to do my wall is 220 ft long looking to do a 4ft concrete wall which will be buying material s real soon thanks again I am nervous but like you say press forward
That's a job well done by one man.
excellent work mate
This is exactly what I want and I can use this video to convince my husband we can do it ourselves..himself.
“My soul got shredded” 😂 man can I relate. Proud of you for taking a stab at a project you didn’t have prior experience with .
Great video very impressive
Thank you Mrs. Brown!
You did a great job, The word cant is not allowed in my life as well. Hard work always pays off!!!!
Thank you Timber Jay. I like that mind set and Yes I agree. God Bless!
This a great video, inspiring too, great work brother, kudos atcha!! X
Dude- Great Job!
Thanks!
Well done, nice video too. At @11:00 the license plate finally confirms he's from Mass. Good work kid.
Looks great dude, it inspired me to do mine, im old and it may take me forever, but it can be done!
top notch work
Thank you Kraken wood floor service McMahon
Nice work, sir (and a lot of it!)
Thank you Awac45!
Beast mode. Only way to go. Im doing these crazy things too, but turning 52 this year and my body is slowly starting to fight against my mind.
That was bad ass work. !!!!
Props to you man. I’m in the middle of putting up a retaining wall myself. Smaller than yours but it’s a chore. Nice job
Thank you Mini Diggin, I appreciate that. One step at a time! You can do it!
Great content bud,the Dingo was a life saver🙏 when our crew was doing irrigation installations.
Thank you Aaron, yes I agree, the Dingo was a life saver. At first I thought it might be too small but I quickly realized the maneuverability is top notch. Thanks for watching. God Bless!
That is one impressive job! Plus you got shredded...SCORE!
Thank you! I agree. Honestly, I would rather shovel dirt and move stones than go to my local gym. But that's just me. God Bless!
nice job...
Thanks!
Great job. Your commentary was entertaining.
Thank you Kyle, I appreciate that!
Good Job ! Could hear it in your voice that you have what it takes. Patience and Determination.
If you were my neighbor, I wouldn't complain one bit. You take good care of your property.
youve done a good job there - it looks good
Thank you Phillip, I appreciate it!
Keep on ,keeping on ,my friend !
Nice job
Very nice project. We don't get most of the building supplies here in the UK like they do in America, so I'm always frustrated by the lack of choice this side of the 'pond'. For one man, that took a lot of effort. Well done Sir.
Wow, I had no knowledge of how fortunate we are. Thank you for the comment and Best of luck acquiring supplies for your future projects!
great job bud!!
Thank you! Cheers!
Outstanding! I’m sorta on the same journey but, out back so the whole worlds not gonna judge me, even if I did care!😊
But the corners! I’m stone stupid cause I can’t make the 90’s on the corners and keep a rough face out. Drivin me insane!
You did absolutely magnificent work! 👍🏻👍🏻
Very nice results. Anything you'd do different in hindsight? How's the camper?
That was awesome dude
Nice work
Thanks
It’s called slag, and it can be easily removed with flat square point shovel. Definitely can mess with a wall with it still on. Good job!
You have to like this guy.
Thoroughly enjoyed your video, your non-hurried take -your-time work-whenever-I-have-time approach a lesson to fellow "amatures". Icing on the cake, your introspections!!.... "you have to be a little bit crazy to take on something like this big" ........ "Progress !!!!!..."
Top job old mate
EXCELLENT work! I’m in the middle of a similar wall project using the same blocks you used. One question, the corner stones with split face on multiple sides, I don’t see the at my Lowe’s. You happen to have the product number for them? I’m having to round my corners but really prefer the look of what you did doing square.
Nice
That was an awesome job well done! I would definitely hire you to do the same job for me, except I'd rent a mini-excavator to make it a whole lot easier on the forearms. The next project could be building a deck in the front with a nice roof so you could relax on the porch! Once again, great job!!!!
Thanks Bill! You are right about the mini but at the time all the rentals in my area were booked for weeks. But the good news is I just purchased a new Excavator for upcoming projects. Video's coming soon. You read my mind about the front deck. God willing, I will be able to build one some day soon. Thanks for watching. God Bless!
@@TheMillerRacingTeam 💪👍
Can you explain the stepping process. This makes me nervous as I’m trying to build a wall that need to step as it progresses up an inclined drywall. Also when building the base, how to you perform this so the block can be installed flush with an existing concrete drive. Meaning if I prep the base I can’t obviously but the first course of block in the center of the gravel pad while having it against the concrete driveway pad.
That's a good looking wall for a first timer. I guess if you follow the proper steps that's what you get.
Thank you, and yes, step by step was the process I followed. Also, lots of patience!
Nice job, GO SOX!
I have neighbors who just built a house with view into my back yard. Im going to plant abunch of Taylor Juniper trees as a privacy screen lol. Should take alot longer for full privacy, but im willing to wait a bit. Also nice fence
Oh I see. I'm working on a privacy situation on the other side of my property right now too. (Video's coming soon) It may take a while for your juniper tree's but you'll be happy you planted them now! "Tall fences make good neighbors" Thanks for watching and good luck!
The overcast can bw ground off against the blocks you've already laid. No tools needed and it's quite quick.
Love the video. I think I would have waited for the back fill and had the truck empty it where you needed it.
Thank you Dan, that is a great point but not possible due to the location of my septic tank. The green septic tank covers can be seen at 5 Min 51 sec and 7 Min 12 sec. But you are right, work smarter not harder. I did have another 20 yard load of fill dumped on the other side. As close to the retaining wall as the truck could get. (not included in the video). Thanks for watching. God Bless!
That is some damn good work sir. A lot of effort for a satisfying result. Thank you for sharing. Oh, and I did notice a few things you did wrong, so my suggestion would be to offer a similar area of my property for you to practice on so you could get it right! I'll supply all the fresh water if you supply materials and labor?!
Thank you Mike, that sounds fair. Include 1 bathroom break a day and we have a deal!
Where did you get the cornerstones from? My local Lowes don't carry it
I bet that Dingo would be handy in a snow storm.
Not bad for your first time by your self with probably just the internet to teach you.
Why not sure all crushed rock vs fill road on the inside or are you planting grass?
Level your base course, once you get that the other's fall in line., Not that big of a deal. Those "bur's" common on any block, take another block and rub it back and forth over your other blocks, that's the way you do it. FYI.
where did you find the corner blocks? Were these special order? Trying to find them myself, because I dont like the looks of the self made ones using two of the blocks cut to fit the corner return.
Same here
Mini skid steer coming in to save the day!
Yes, the Dingo was instrumental. Work smarter not harder!
I just bought this same block and I am stuck figuring out the outside corner 90 degrees. I don’t want a rounded corner. How did you make your 90 degree corner? Can you supply Lowe’s item number? I can’t find a corner block that fits the 16x6x10 block.
Hi Keith, I ran into the same issue. You have to buy them directly from the manufacturer. Hi-Way Concrete in Wareham Mass. Where are you located?
i have been looking for these cap stones for 2 years now, i did a R-wall and never capped them bc i cannot find it!
Respect
Thanks LouW, I appreciate it!
Great looking wall! Would you share with us what kind of block you used from Lowe's? Cheers!
Hi Pedro, I ordered them online from Lowes.com (Item #1045003 Model #LWGB). The top caps are (Item #1045004 Model #UCGB). Comment here if you have any other questions and I''ll be happy to try and help. Good luck on your project! Cheers!
@@TheMillerRacingTeam Thank you so much!!! It seems to be out of stock, but now I know the exact description at least! Thanks again!