Concrete Bag Retaining Wall Update 2019 #1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- PLEASE NOTE: When I made my wall, the bags of concrete were made of ONLY paper, but apparently they are now made with a plastic-like liner. That changes everything. Try to find bags with paper only or you will have problems!
The 2020 update is now up today - June 15, 2020
A 5.5 minute video update about my concrete bag retaining wall - it's a real nail biter!
• Concrete Bag Retaining...
********* I just uploaded an update to THIS update to show the wall planted and photos of the wall in the past, including construction here --- • Concrete bag retaining...
I built this concrete bag retaining wall 6 years ago and I like it more each year.
Here is the video I made the first year - • Final Retaining Wall
I found the video I made after planting the wall the first year - boy is the video not as sharp as what I can do now!
th-cam.com/video/gXL5XKJS4vM/w-d-xo.html
I love this look, and have for years. I actually like the look of where you 'rocks' look like they are coming out of the ground- not sinking in. 😉
Just posted a 2020 update - th-cam.com/video/8WTBejCewF0/w-d-xo.html
I used 80# years ago for steps and they've held up well after 10 years, i believe.
That would kill my back! : )
I was younger. Now 40# is difficult enough.
I love the idea...may try it soon. My soil wasn't great either, but I found a leaf mulch that worked wonders. Our county takes local leaves and makes mulch...it's a great soil revival system. I also always use natural mulch which wears down to improve the soil. I apply each on top of the garden....I wouldn't recommend taking out soil....Your soil is better than anything you'll buy.....Best of luck...Love the garden!
My hometown has some significant retaining walls made of burlap sacks filled with concrete
Stumbled on your video good job. This is a common technique for retaining walls I make these often to prevent erosion also we use re-bar driven through the bags and into the soil beneath. The oldest one I have built is 34 years old and is still holding the soil from wasi g into the creek.
So you built it when you were 2 years old? Great job!
@@HooDRidEWhiteY 22 years old I'm
That’s good to know. We're on a river bluff and I'm currently working on the terrace walls that hold up what soil is left at this old place. I did steps with 80# bags about 10 years ago-15 bags. I'm told they're holding up well. I noticed, too, regarding waxed paper. I've put some blade slices in them, and hope it penetrates enough. The bluff is rocky, so on the top, I cup out a rectangle to embed rocks. We'll see how that works. Time to water again.
Oh, and since the company actually makes a bagged product called rip-rap, sounds perfect for helping to prevent erosion
Has anyone ever used the bags with out the rocks? I’m wondering if that may hold up better? I’ve been thinking about doing this for months. I think it’s a great idea. I’m try to keep my river rocks in place Bc erosion has been pushing downhill. Thank you guys!
Your wall looks really nice! Only the top bags cracked where the bags stretched when wet. Taping the top bags before applying water really helps. I made a video called concrete bag wall improvements and showed the difference it made. - Thank you for posting the update!
Very nice job on your wall. That sure took a lot more labor than what I did with mine. Of course, you needed to have rebar in a lot more work because your wall is working a lot more for sure! With water running through it definitely Hass to be secured more than I did. I personally don’t mind the cracked bags with my wallflower. It’s all a matter of taste isn’t it? But your solutions are really good and your wall is looking great. Thanks for sharing.
@@charlesmoman Yes taste is what matters. I bet you and others like seeing your wall when they arrive. And you built it! Eye catching stone look. Take care. :)
WOW!, I have a place for this plan right now. I'm planning a metal carport in my back yard in an area that needs leveling, but have been dreading building a traditional wall. Your bag deal is perfect for me to do myself in my own way in my own time. Thanks!
I'm glad you had success. I had a very different result. I just built a three course short wall 2 weeks ago, each bag has 2 rebars running thru it into the ground. I soaked it every day for 5 or six days. This morning I ripped open part of the paper to inspect and I have some solid concrete but mostly powder or loose chunks. It appears my bags of high strength Quikrete have an inner layer of paper that may be impervious to water. In any case, never trust DIY videos that aren't from the manufacturer of the product.
I am SO sorry you had that happen to you, but I made this wall 8 years ago and it was valid then. Apparently, manufacturers have gone from all paper bags (what I bought 8 years ago) to some kind of lining in bags of concrete and I could not have foreseen that. I will add a warning to the videos to let people know.
@@charlesmoman
Thanks for the thoughts :) It’s good to try to figure out what went wrong instead of just abandoning things. Another gentleman posted a video of a short nice wall he made a few years earlier but he did mention that he used a product that isn’t available anymore. I think I will cut slits in the exposed parts of the bags and water and see if water can penetrate in. Wish me luck!
@@millcreekmtnfarm9877 I really hope that works for you and I would think it would. I did add a warning to every video I made about the wall to let people know. They get looked at a lot. Let me know if it works out for you and then I can do an update video about your hopeful success. Good luck!
@@charlesmoman
Thanks, I will!
Thanks for update. I did this too using 60 lb. Bags, Hope ours holds up.
Ours still looks great and by keeping everyone from walking on it, it survives! : )
Cool idea. Different
It has held up well, but I have to keep my grandkids OFF the wall! : ) I will do another update in a month or so when the flowers are all bloomed out well. Thanks.
I've never heard of this....it looks great! I hope you'll do another video in awhile after the flowers are blooming. I bet it'll be beautiful...:-)
If he only knew his grandkids broke off a piece of that concrete wall 🤣🤣🤣🤣 they will probably never confess up to that 😆...grandkids for ya 😄👍
There are more than one cracks attributable to grandkids! : )
Cool I'm thinking about building one just because I like to be different also it doesn't have to be perfect and I do not possess any wall building skills, simply just roll with it and do not hurt your back.
Make sure to lay down some gravel of some sort under for a stable base. If you do many levels, maybe thrown in a little bit of rebar through some of them? Mine is aging,, but is ok. I have several updates here on the channel. Good luck and watch out for your back!
I will do that. It's dead looking now! : ) It always is beautiful.
Another video said the top course should be fiber-reinforced concrete so it won't crack so badly
Never heard of that, but mine is hanging in there pretty well.
Great idea! Please make a video after its planted out!
Carrie Jo I will. Look at my videos and search for “retaining ” wall and you will see several about the wall and you will see how I planted it then.
Ok, I will thank you Charles!
I'm going to try this.
It was some work, but we love it.
Sweet video! I want to build a small house with earth bags
That might require a good back! : )
Charles Moman I’ve luckily got one! Haha but more than likely I will build another way. Also don’t have the property yet so just researching different options. Living in my camper bus for now. Aka mobile cabin aka vansion
Congrats on the fantastic project. I have some questions that I'm hoping you can help with. We started to make a "border" around an area we are using for family gatherings (it used to be where our swimming pool was located). We are using bags of Quikrete cement and plan to have 2 layers on top of each other when finished. I placed 8 bags in a row on the ground, poked holes in the top of them so the water soaked into them better, and began to spray them with the hose. I sprayed them multiple times the first day for 30+ minutes each time, and the second day I sprayed them one more time. It has been 3 days and I started to open the bags to see the results. There are cracks in the cement, plus there are still some areas where the cement didn't get wet and is still powdery. I partially opened all the bags and saturated them again with the hose.
In your opinion, what did I do wrong? Should I have soaked the bags in a tank of water before laying them in place, and then spray with the hose? I saw others do that while searching online. I don't want to continue the project until I have a proper procedure in place. Can you offer any advice?
I cannot remember for sure, but I soaked them for maybe a week - multiple times each day. I did not poke holes them either. When I did it, the bags were heavy paper - has that changed?
The Quikrete we got has an outer layer of paper and an inner layer that reminds me somewhat of wax paper. I believe I didn't soak them enough so we're going to continue for a few more days.
@@stauchistory I think you will get better with that route. I also left the paper on them for weeks and weeks, even though I hated the look of them. Being patient was hard.
@@stauchistory I don't think mine had any wax paper either. Not sure.
My wife had a good idea just now - take just one bag to experiment with to see what works. A cheaper testing procedure! : )
Did you put in any rebar while the bags were still powder?
No, but that is a good idea. Since I was not going very tall, I found it was ok however and after years, it is all holding together well and weathering nicely.
I was always under the impression that just placing a bag only hardens the outside. The inside never gets solid. Have you found differently?
All the bags are solid - the ones on the ground and on the layers. I soaked them all VERY well.
Many people think that, but the military uses this technique to build gun emplacements (with rebar placed through them). They are all over Guantanamo bay.
Did u back fill with gravel after each row
I did on the top two rows, not on the ground level, but I SHOULD have done that! : ) It still is good though.
How many bags did you use
I believe it was right around 90 to 95 bags. It’s kind of hard to find the 40 pound bags nowadays. So if you went with the 60 pound bags, I see at Home Depot, you obviously would not need as many. Really make sure to have a base of gravel underneath each layer. I did not do that on the bottom layer and I should have. But it still looks great.
Needs steel bars in it
That is an option, but my wall is 8 years old and it is doing just fine.
@@charlesmoman Srry b4 the bags got wet can’t do it now, I should’ve elaborated.
@@VgniK88 I, of course, understood what you were saying. I would say rebar would be for sure needed if the bags were stacked higher. For my situation, it really did not call for it. The wall is really beautiful this year.
Why are they falling apart? They shouldn't be doing that.
I would not describe them as falling apart at all. They’re naturally going to have contraction and expansion in cold weather and hot weather and they are fine. It’s just pours concrete and I’m good with it. Look at my latest update video about the wall. It’s obviously not for everyone, but we love the look and it works for us. Good luck with whatever plans you have!
@@charlesmoman I love the look of your wall. Cracks, breaking, not so much. I want to build one of these, but it has to bear weight, like me jumping my fat butt up and down on it, or like holding back tons of soil. I can't use this technique if it will crack and break.
If you are concerned with the cracking mix up some cement and give it a top coat. Sometimes called a scratch coat.
@@ocdtechtalk TY 👍
Use railway sleepers instead. Or car tyres.
Greg Grimer what are “railway sleepers”?
@@CliffsideStables Railway ties that go under the track
Instead of what?
Railway ties are ugly, especially after they rot and bring a premium price.
I have those now. My home is just bought and is 45yo. It is horribly rotted and lays between my neighbor and I's property line. It is also almost about to fall into our neighbors yard, hence why I'm looking up ways to do it that doesn't cost thousands of dollars.
its doin wot it wld always do crumble
@@chrisyates1574 It is aging, but has held up very very well five years later. No one would reasonably expect it to remain pristine and neither did I. It still is a beautiful retaining wall with colorful flowers. If the top row of bags ever got really bad, I can simply lift off that row and then the next well-preserved row will show for many more years. I actually had this all thought out. Way down the road - I might replace it with a wood structure now that I do a fair amount of that kind of work.
So a retaining wall that you can’t step on?
It’s just decoration man not a retaining wall.
I have no need to step on it. I can easily plant flowers and it is beautiful. It serves my purposes perfectly.
Nice Decoration wall.
Bag will crack and shatter because concrete does not set . If you hit it with a hammer it will crumble and fall apart. Overall its a bad idea
Actually, they have not shattered. A few have some cracks, but they have held together remarkably well and it looks great. Why would I hit it with a hammer? That makes no sense and the concrete has set pretty well. Works for me. Lots of options for a retaining wall.
Theone...don't talk crap mate...I'm a contractor and use this method often for various tasks
Is everyone looking at the same thing? Just make small forms out of wood. Make them 3 thick , 8 deep 16 long and just make wall block. Cause this is messy. I appreciate what you are up to but....
Not messy at all. It looks great and people who see it - love it. To each his own. I did not want wall blocks.