As a geotechnical engineer that designs retaining walls for some projects I can confirm with this design for this type of blocks. Pretty cool small project you can diy for your home as well
Hi guys. I am getting ready to build an ADU in my rear yard and have a couple of questions for both of you (my rear yard looks very similar to the yard shown on the video.) Question #1.) How close can I place a 24-inch tall CMU gravity wall to an existing wood fence like the one shown in your video? The wood fence posts are embedded into the earth in concrete casings. I would like to place the gravity wall only 3-feet away from the wood fence if possible. Question #2.) I would like to build a slab-on-grade foundation for an ADU only 4-feet away from the wood fence (and about 1-foot away from the gravity wall.) Would either the wood fence or gravity wall be affected by a slab-on-grade and concrete footings? I am hoping that because the gravity wall is mostly sitting on-grade, that it wont be affected by a foundation footings only 1-foot away. I look forward to your feedback, thank you in advance.
@@dennishayes1505 No. There are many more forces in action with that height. You could go with a tiered approach, but you're going to consume a lot of horizontal space.
Good job on the retaining wall. Thank you for good instructions. I’ve made a lot of retaining walls myself from dry stack natural rocks. Here is the problem with fake rocks. They need a cap. I would highly advise you to put a cap on your retaining wall because it looks ugly from the top. It’s extra effort to do that and it’s well worth it because it looks 10 times better when finished with Capstones. For your situation Stones that are pre-fabricated, maybe about 2 inches thick, that would be good. You will have to cut some of them with a Skil saw with a diamond blade…
I DID THIS PROJECT! I built my 3ft retaining wall exactly as you described in this video. It turned out great! It was a lot of manual labor but every time i see it im proud of what I accomplished. Thanks for putting together this video Note: i got the retaining wall block’s delivered from Home Depot. And i got the gravel delivered from a local company. No pickup truck needed! Just sweat and hard work.
I’ve worked in landscaping for 10 years now and I get questions on whether or not we build retaining walls. I usually recommend someone reliable, but watching your explanation broke it down elegantly. That’s probably the best explanation I’ve seen my man. I’m going to do one at my house first and then plan to start advertising. This was excellent thanks!
Steven have you ever thought of obtaining funding in order to take your landscaping to the next level ? I’m talking a 150k or better in 2 days no credit check let me know if your interested
I noticed only true DIYer can really show what to do to those who wants to diy such projects. Watched few channel of landscape contractors and they just talk and talk and do not show what to do, how to build retaining wall. Just thank you young men! Your parents must be proud of you!
I thought I would be googling around for hours getting the focal points to stacking D’ blocks for a short retaining wall. Your video took care of ALL my info needs. Very awesome, thank you
I noticed you did not use a filter cloth between the soil and the drainage rock that sit behind your wall. Unless you have no frost, have well drained soil with a very high perk, and little to no moisture (rain) you should spend the extra $50-$100 and put in a filter cloth. If you have poor perk soil, frost, and rain - a perforated pipe (weeping tile) is also a must. Other than that - you covered the basics. Good video good explanations.
Interesting, there seem to be some people who say never put a filter cloth/ weed paper vertically between soil and drain rock. They add it should only be placed horizontally on top of drain rock to keep topsoil out.
It is a good video, just a couple of things that I would add. First, the little level is more accurate rotated 90 degrees from what you showed in the video, but more importantly, you should use a 4' or longer level frequently along the initial course so that you make sure you are staying level over the longer distance, unless you have already shot the whole length with a transit or laser level. The second thing is that if you put some filter landscape fabric along the backside of the wall between the dirt and the drainage rock your drainage system will be much better as that will keep any of the fines from the dirt from coming into the drainage rock. It basically separates the dirt from the rock. As indicated, the base is the key and the most work getting it flat and well compacted.
Why in the world would anybody give a thumbs down and not like this video? Just a bunch of haters, that's why this world is evil because of dumb rude people. Thank you very much Dan you did an awesome job, your very detailed in your video and in explaining things. I like how you laid out all the tools at the end to show what you used, very excellent video I learned a lot and I'm going to build my wall just like you did with the same pavers!
Well done, sir. Some folks lay the foundation course upside down and backward. This puts the large flat surface of the block on the ground, which makes leveling the foundation course a bit easier: don't have the lip in the way . It also puts the lipped straight edge of the block upward, and the straight edge helps with alignment. Also because the large flat surface of the block is on the ground, there is more surface area contacting the ground, lowering the psi on the foundation course: less likely to dig in and settle. The first course after the foundation course then is laid normally, and blocks just snuggle up against the upward-facing lip of the foundation course. All other courses are then laid normally.
I built a wall with ZERO experience and just following youtube videos, mine was 4 blocks high + capping stone. I made a few mistakes (base gravel was not deep enough, did not use enough drainage fill), it's far from perfect. But it's been over 6 months, been through torrential rain a few times and it's been completely fine. The whole process seems to have been pretty forgiving - the next one I do will certainly be a lot better!
Thanks, I finally feel like I understand how to do this. Would have liked to see more on the drainage pipe and where it goes, but best video I've seen so far.
Nice vid. If I may comment from experience, I built a Versalok wall with 60 tons of crushed limestone behind it and 700 block. Every third course, I laid landscaping fabric, pinned underneath a course of block, then it got buried in limestone. Level it front to back and left to right and block to block. Have short and long levels for leveling individual blocks and laying over several blocks to keep all level. Use the appropriate size block for your project. For example, don't use the small garden wall blocks and build it 8 ft high to hold back a hillside. IF you need a smooth face, use a grinder/power saw with dry diamond blade. IF you need to match a rough face, use a hammer/chisel as demonstrated in the video. ALSO, important tip not told to you by block companies. Say you are making a 3 sided wall, like a box with 1 side missing. The bottom layer may be the ONLY course you don't cut block on. VersaLok blocks for example, have a 3/4" set back. As you lay the 2nd course, it will be shorter by 1.5" than your first course. Every course will be 1.5" shorter than the course below. There are pins placed from 1 block into the block below. You also overlap 3/4 of the block. Every other course seam does NOT line up with each other like you see brick in a house. You will need to buy/rent a means of cutting the block. ALSO, IMPORTANT: IF you want the top course to be a certain distance from a house for example, remember, the wall sets back toward the house 3/4" PER course, so figure out how many courses, time .75" and that will determine how far away from the house the bottom course needs to be so when done, the top course will be at the distance you wanted. I know of someone who had a lower back yard, but wanted to park behind his house. So he had a wall built in the lower yard it was high enough to be level with his driveway above it, and he wanted X feet to park his car. They didn't take into account the setback and at the top of the wall, there wasn't enough room to park his car. The entire reason for building the wall. Another thing, if you do need to fill in an area for parking, some block companies want your tires to be at least 3 feet from the wall, and do not park on top or close to the face of the wall. There is weight/stresses you need to take into account. Even dirt will be pushing against your wall. Wet dirt wants to move down hill, which means if your wall is in the way, it will want to push it over if not properly installed. These types of walls serve a purpose, so think it through. If you're only going a couple of feet, there won't be a lot of stress on it, unless it is on the bottom of a hillside. Then all of the hillside is pushing against your wall. IF you are going to incorporate lighting, power receptacles for ponds, lights, etc, don't forget about your wiring path as you build. Install your wiring as you go may be easier than trying to install afterwards.
I watched a ton of videos trying to find one that would help me understand how to build my wall. Finally I came across your video, and your diagram in the beginning really helped me answer all my questions. Thank you so much it was very helpful and your wall turned out amazing! God Bless You
@@StayHandy Thanks for posting. I’m building something similar but much smaller. Just a foot tall wall around my mulch bed (to separate the grass, add stones and add some curb appeal). Two questions: What type of gravel base did you use? And some people recommended watering before but some afterwards, you only watered the gravel base afterwards, correct?
Thank YOU! This is the best and most complete explanation I’ve seen. The only thing I have done differently is to put weed block fabric between the “hillside” and the gravel behind the blocks. That way dirt doesn’t get into the 3/4” stone and clog it up, which will cause it not to drain, which would then lead to water pushing the wall forward, and possibly failing.
Keep ‘em coming. I just got my concrete, sand mix and pea gravel delivered today. I finished my patio space with the sod cutter just gotta move all this damn dirt. I bought a cheap GoPro knockoff to record. My slab is going to be 24’ x 14.5’ so I have to do it in 8’ sections. This is a LOT of labor but gratifying. Keep it up brother
Thank you for posting this! You explain the steps clearly and concisely. I made a mini-retaining wall (only 3 blocks high) and it looks amazing. I was able to do that because of training video!
Amazing work, and the beauty about hard work is that you, for some reason, forget the pain that it took for the job to be done and, at the END, you just look at it and admire it..., becoming a better person, I still don't know how my body could forget that painful effort each time I finish a painfully hard work.
oandersontech did you need to install drainage? How’s it doing a year later? What was your cost? Asking because me and the wife have to do about the same thing this spring.
one of the nicest video I’ve see for a home owner use and with out a lot of un useful information that make the videos way to long. I just did a 10 long wall three row high it was challenging to start as HD had no installation pamphlets on how to start and install the brick. You did a great job explaining all the steps and one of the most important one you include is checking with your Local Building Department so you don’t end up have to take it down. Wish I had seen your video it would have gave me more confidence on how I planned to build my wall. I got lucky and built it just as you recommended minus the road base on the bottom of your first row. thanks for making this Video.
Thank you for your comment about how long it takes a single person to complete the project. I've been working on my wall for the past few weeks and feeling like a loser for not making alot of progress. I'm glad it takes most people multiple months.
So I'm a girl. I built a 93 foot retaining wall in my yard 22 years ago (the neighbors call it the great wall of china and it has a few curves). I did it pretty much this way (minus the gravel behind, oh!) It held up in Minnesota winters for 22 years. This year, a couple blocks fell due to freeze/thaw and it needs rebuilding. I'm 60 now, so far too old to do all that work again! My daughter volunteered the father of her kid who supposedly does this work all the time. It turns out he is very sporadic at working, though I asked several times if he wanted me to hire someone, and when I went to check on the first row he finally started, oh! OMG, this thing will fall apart by next spring and will never look good in the "finished" project! He also used class 5 gravel, but only an inch or so in the very uneven trench. The best I could think to do was tell him to get a boatload of sand, lol. But that will never hold up in a mn winter. I fear it all has to be dug out again. right? He didn't bother checking level on the dirt layer, nor on any other by what I can tell. What do you think?
Nice job...I just built a 5 foot wall. Took a little engineering because it was over 4 foot in height, but pretty much the same stone and same principles were applied. I had to bring in a lot of fill dirt and gravel buy wheelbarrow. Hard work but just finished it!!
This is a good video for your situation. I would caution that the design of the wall is dependent on how tall it is and how much soil is backfilled against it. In many cases you would need a concrete footing with rebar and a concrete block wall with rebar filled with concrete along with something near the top of the wall that extends far back into the soil to prevent it from tipping over. Again, that isn't necessary in your case but I wouldn't recommend anyone try building a taller retaining wall than yours without consulting an engineer because you definitely don't want it collapsing and possibly killing someone.
Cooper’s Corner agreed. I was looking for a question from someone before I asked. I wouldn’t do anything over 3’-4’ tall without dead men installed. But the maker of video did excellent job explaining.
This wall is built with cheap material and is improperly installed, but I would caution against concrete footings in these. When installed correctly, concrete block retaining walls are supposed to be free flowing, so water can pass through them and not build up, resulting in wall failure.
A concrete footer is not necessary either. Like Cooper’s Corner said, his soil conditions in his backyard are very favorable because of the course sandy soil that is there. If you were trying to use this type of segmental block unit to build anything taller, you can install geogrid with that block. I would consult a structural engineer to see how long the geogrids need to be and the type of reinforced backfill for the geogrid. The installation of the segmental block units with the geogrid act like a complete wall system and prevents the blocks from overturning, sliding, and bulging of blocks. You can also see the NCMA segmental block manual for how to design these types of systems.
I never saw any mention of Rebar...and any length wall I would think about Rebar for strength in the length and brick pillars regularly spaced for rear support....
Handyman Startup how long did it take you to dig that trench, did you only use the Pick-Axe and Shovel, and where did you put the dirty. You may have mentioned it, but I was watching with very low volume.
Thanks for the Video! Forgive me for the intrusion, I would appreciate your initial thoughts. Have you considered - Rozardner Successful Handyman Reality (do a search on google)? It is a great exclusive guide for how to start a handyman business without the hard work. Ive heard some great things about it and my close friend Aubrey finally got amazing results with it.
This was a great instructable video! I will be building a series of shorter walls in my sloping property over the next few years and this is a great primer video! Thanks for showing the tools you used to complete the project!
You did an excellent job on this video. I’ve watched so many diy videos, and very few come to share the amount of detail, cost, and examples necessary for a project, that your video accomplishes. Well done and thank you! Great info and encouraging.
Thanks Dan! My wife and I are going to undertake this task since we live in San Diego and contractor pricing is relatively ridiculous. This video is a huge help!
Make that money. I personally don’t like these type of blocks. I strongly believe that block rebar and cement is the best way to build it so it can outlive you.
Wow! This is the best video I've seen so far and it is going to be the one that I truly follow as I am doing my DIY retaining wall with drain tile for my first time on my new home. I got the majority of supplies delivered and really feel prepared as you will be with me step-by-step in the yard! Thank you so much
“It’s all downhill from here.” Proceeds to build uphill. Hahaha. Just joking. That looks fantastic! Those little ‘steps’ on the far left add a really great touch. I love that you were so detailed in explaining everything and even showed the tools you used. I really wish I had a place with a sloping side yard so I can build a retaining wall like yours. Two thumbs and two big toes up!
Neat thing about living in the PacNW, is our soil tends to be like sandy gravel to begin with. I built a wall over 20 years ago, without any extra gravel, and it's still perfectly flat and drains nicely.
I used the directions to build my own nearly 70’ long retaining wall. The directions were great and my retaining wall looks amazing. I really appreciated the detailed instructions and steps to build the wall. Only issue was that you have to special order the larger blocks as Lowe’s is now marketing smaller blocks with a smaller backside retaining lip. These smaller blocks would not have worked well since my retaining wall is nearly 3’ high.
FLAWLESS NARRATING!! love every detail simple as heck! Great how you explain the time needed and cost makes it very easy to determine when I'm ready to tackle this project.. thanks!
Wow! Amazing video. This seemed pretty daunting before watching your video, but now that I’ve actually seen the process, I think I can handle it! Thanks for the inspiration.
Nice job. You might also want to add some perforated drain pipe at the bottom (behind the block). This perforated pipe should slope one direction, and be covered/surrounded with 3/4" gravel. This sloped pipe will evacuate the water from the trench.
A company came out and built my neighbour's wall. I watched them take it down after getting three blocks high and start over, this time installing a drainage pipe.
I am actually glad he mentioned about "Check your Local Code" that is also important as I have seen companies or people Building walls and having never to abide by a code and some places require permits and certain departments to review too before building.
@@jackeroo75 Not necessarily true. It depends on several factors. First, check with your city on their particular requirements. It also depends on the height of the wall. The height includes the footing. A lot of cities require permits when the total height is over 4 feet. 1 foot of footing and 3 foot wall. Less than that, no permit required. Of course, if you build it without a permit, the city probably would never know about it but if they catch you, then oh well!
@@jackeroo75 slide, just like his wall will, no perforated drain pipe and no fabric to help keep dirt out of gravel. All retaining walls shift and fail eventually, it’s just a matter of TIME!! I’ve been on the other side of things, - - removing over 200 feet of badly leaning retaining wall from my driveway. This is what the “SECOND” homeowner gets to look forward too!!! Opted to go with sloped hill sides and grass, avoiding the inevitable massive amount of work “AGAIN”. Point being, I did twice as much work as this guy did because of the (previous homeowner) and got NOTHING in return (back to square one!!), because of what he did 30 or 40 years ago!!! Hey if you got the money, go for it! But plan on doing it over several times!! Stinks for the guy who gets to “Remove It”!
Thank you for the video. I'm going to do a 3 footer height. I was wondering over time, how your wall is holding up and if there are any adjustments or additional work you had to do, such as additional gravel in the back or any portion falling out of alignment?
Excellent work in the wall and the video too! I also like how you handled the left side of the wall. Great job, and thanks for taking the time to post this!
Quick question: Would the weight of the dirt eventually push the wall forwards, or, in other words is the wall structure strong enough to hold everything back? ...thanks for sharing your work. Nicely done.
Very nice. I recommend you put permeable fabric between the soil & the rocks, behind the wall. It prevent the soil from "migrating" into the tiny spaces between the rocks, eventually exceeding the impermeabilty of the soil itself. That prevents the water from continuing to drain so well. Defeats the whole purpose of the rocks draining the water.
Thanks for this video. You may have convinced me to not take on the project I was considering by myself. Thanks for telling us how long it took you and to not do it all in a day or two.
As a geotechnical engineer that designs retaining walls for some projects I can confirm with this design for this type of blocks. Pretty cool small project you can diy for your home as well
Hi guys. I am getting ready to build an ADU in my rear yard and have a couple of questions for both of you (my rear yard looks very similar to the yard shown on the video.) Question #1.) How close can I place a 24-inch tall CMU gravity wall to an existing wood fence like the one shown in your video? The wood fence posts are embedded into the earth in concrete casings. I would like to place the gravity wall only 3-feet away from the wood fence if possible. Question #2.) I would like to build a slab-on-grade foundation for an ADU only 4-feet away from the wood fence (and about 1-foot away from the gravity wall.) Would either the wood fence or gravity wall be affected by a slab-on-grade and concrete footings? I am hoping that because the gravity wall is mostly sitting on-grade, that it wont be affected by a foundation footings only 1-foot away. I look forward to your feedback, thank you in advance.
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I need a 12' retaining wall, does this same rule apply
@@dennishayes1505 No. There are many more forces in action with that height. You could go with a tiered approach, but you're going to consume a lot of horizontal space.
Good job on the retaining wall. Thank you for good instructions. I’ve made a lot of retaining walls myself from dry stack natural rocks. Here is the problem with fake rocks. They need a cap. I would highly advise you to put a cap on your retaining wall because it looks ugly from the top. It’s extra effort to do that and it’s well worth it because it looks 10 times better when finished with Capstones. For your situation Stones that are pre-fabricated, maybe about 2 inches thick, that would be good. You will have to cut some of them with a Skil saw with a diamond blade…
I DID THIS PROJECT! I built my 3ft retaining wall exactly as you described in this video. It turned out great! It was a lot of manual labor but every time i see it im proud of what I accomplished. Thanks for putting together this video
Note: i got the retaining wall block’s delivered from Home Depot. And i got the gravel delivered from a local company. No pickup truck needed! Just sweat and hard work.
Congrats!
curious how long it took you!
How's it doing now?
How much did it cost you?
Total cost?
I’ve worked in landscaping for 10 years now and I get questions on whether or not we build retaining walls. I usually recommend someone reliable, but watching your explanation broke it down elegantly. That’s probably the best explanation I’ve seen my man. I’m going to do one at my house first and then plan to start advertising. This was excellent thanks!
Steven have you ever thought of obtaining funding in order to take your landscaping to the next level ? I’m talking a 150k or better in 2 days no credit check let me know if your interested
Did you do it? Hopefully it went well if you did
I’ve started my wall project. Looking to be completed in the next ten years !
😂
Only 9.5 years to go! 🥳
LOL
Still alive?
Are you done? :)
I noticed only true DIYer can really show what to do to those who wants to diy such projects. Watched few channel of landscape contractors and they just talk and talk and do not show what to do, how to build retaining wall. Just thank you young men! Your parents must be proud of you!
Best thing about this video... He doesn't tell you to buy expensive tools!! I'm so inspired, my summer project for sure
I used this video for my small retaining wall and 1 year later it's still holding strong. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
I thought I would be googling around for hours getting the focal points to stacking D’ blocks for a short retaining wall. Your video took care of ALL my info needs. Very awesome, thank you
This is one of the best instructional videos I have ever watched. Thank you for being so thorough and going through every basic step for beginners!
So helpful man. Thank you. And thanks to everyone for all the helpful comments in the comments section too. I learned a LOT.
I noticed you did not use a filter cloth between the soil and the drainage rock that sit behind your wall. Unless you have no frost, have well drained soil with a very high perk, and little to no moisture (rain) you should spend the extra $50-$100 and put in a filter cloth. If you have poor perk soil, frost, and rain - a perforated pipe (weeping tile) is also a must. Other than that - you covered the basics. Good video good explanations.
Interesting, there seem to be some people who say never put a filter cloth/ weed paper vertically between soil and drain rock. They add it should only be placed horizontally on top of drain rock to keep topsoil out.
That really upgraded your yard and wasnt that expensive for the length. I like how you " flaired the left side".
Finally!!! I found a helpful video. Home Depot and Lowe’s... pay attention.
Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
You knocked this out the park . Love the steps on the left side of gate so you can walk up on that area .. Great job
It is a good video, just a couple of things that I would add. First, the little level is more accurate rotated 90 degrees from what you showed in the video, but more importantly, you should use a 4' or longer level frequently along the initial course so that you make sure you are staying level over the longer distance, unless you have already shot the whole length with a transit or laser level. The second thing is that if you put some filter landscape fabric along the backside of the wall between the dirt and the drainage rock your drainage system will be much better as that will keep any of the fines from the dirt from coming into the drainage rock. It basically separates the dirt from the rock. As indicated, the base is the key and the most work getting it flat and well compacted.
For this post Christopher, how would you install and secure that fabric between the dirt and rock? Thanks.
Why in the world would anybody give a thumbs down and not like this video? Just a bunch of haters, that's why this world is evil because of dumb rude people. Thank you very much Dan you did an awesome job, your very detailed in your video and in explaining things. I like how you laid out all the tools at the end to show what you used, very excellent video I learned a lot and I'm going to build my wall just like you did with the same pavers!
You did one hell of a job, it looks professional
I watched all your video even if Ill never need to build a retaining wall, looks beautiful man, good job!
Well done, sir. Some folks lay the foundation course upside down and backward. This puts the large flat surface of the block on the ground, which makes leveling the foundation course a bit easier: don't have the lip in the way . It also puts the lipped straight edge of the block upward, and the straight edge helps with alignment. Also because the large flat surface of the block is on the ground, there is more surface area contacting the ground, lowering the psi on the foundation course: less likely to dig in and settle. The first course after the foundation course then is laid normally, and blocks just snuggle up against the upward-facing lip of the foundation course. All other courses are then laid normally.
you just chisel off the lip anyway
Wouldn't that mean that the second layer would protrude out in front of the foundation layer?
@@furyofbongos No, the bottom block is flipped upside down and also turned around, so the lip is out front.
I built a wall with ZERO experience and just following youtube videos, mine was 4 blocks high + capping stone. I made a few mistakes (base gravel was not deep enough, did not use enough drainage fill), it's far from perfect. But it's been over 6 months, been through torrential rain a few times and it's been completely fine. The whole process seems to have been pretty forgiving - the next one I do will certainly be a lot better!
Thanks, I finally feel like I understand how to do this. Would have liked to see more on the drainage pipe and where it goes, but best video I've seen so far.
As a 10 year professional and builder this is a top notch video. You sir are legit.
Great presentation, Dan. I did a 90' x 2' block retaining wall last fall, and used many of your tips... but learned more today! Thanks.
This is the best explanation I’ve seen after watching a hundred videos
Thanks!
This is the best wall video I have scene yet. Thank you bother.
We were talking with a our gardener about building this retaining wall and a like when someone details the proyect like you, I’m following you now
Totally agree with W H, this is by far the best video on a retaining wall ever, thank you for taking the time to create it !!!
Glad it was helpful!
Nice vid. If I may comment from experience, I built a Versalok wall with 60 tons of crushed limestone behind it and 700 block. Every third course, I laid landscaping fabric, pinned underneath a course of block, then it got buried in limestone. Level it front to back and left to right and block to block. Have short and long levels for leveling individual blocks and laying over several blocks to keep all level. Use the appropriate size block for your project. For example, don't use the small garden wall blocks and build it 8 ft high to hold back a hillside. IF you need a smooth face, use a grinder/power saw with dry diamond blade. IF you need to match a rough face, use a hammer/chisel as demonstrated in the video. ALSO, important tip not told to you by block companies. Say you are making a 3 sided wall, like a box with 1 side missing. The bottom layer may be the ONLY course you don't cut block on. VersaLok blocks for example, have a 3/4" set back. As you lay the 2nd course, it will be shorter by 1.5" than your first course. Every course will be 1.5" shorter than the course below. There are pins placed from 1 block into the block below. You also overlap 3/4 of the block. Every other course seam does NOT line up with each other like you see brick in a house. You will need to buy/rent a means of cutting the block. ALSO, IMPORTANT: IF you want the top course to be a certain distance from a house for example, remember, the wall sets back toward the house 3/4" PER course, so figure out how many courses, time .75" and that will determine how far away from the house the bottom course needs to be so when done, the top course will be at the distance you wanted. I know of someone who had a lower back yard, but wanted to park behind his house. So he had a wall built in the lower yard it was high enough to be level with his driveway above it, and he wanted X feet to park his car. They didn't take into account the setback and at the top of the wall, there wasn't enough room to park his car. The entire reason for building the wall. Another thing, if you do need to fill in an area for parking, some block companies want your tires to be at least 3 feet from the wall, and do not park on top or close to the face of the wall. There is weight/stresses you need to take into account. Even dirt will be pushing against your wall. Wet dirt wants to move down hill, which means if your wall is in the way, it will want to push it over if not properly installed. These types of walls serve a purpose, so think it through. If you're only going a couple of feet, there won't be a lot of stress on it, unless it is on the bottom of a hillside. Then all of the hillside is pushing against your wall. IF you are going to incorporate lighting, power receptacles for ponds, lights, etc, don't forget about your wiring path as you build. Install your wiring as you go may be easier than trying to install afterwards.
I watched a ton of videos trying to find one that would help me understand how to build my wall. Finally I came across your video, and your diagram in the beginning really helped me answer all my questions. Thank you so much it was very helpful and your wall turned out amazing! God Bless You
Glad I could help!
Same happened to us. The difference is we have a wood fence on top. We didn’t do all that So our wall collapsed. Now we have to start over
That diagram won my like. It answered all of my questions !
@@StayHandy Thanks for posting. I’m building something similar but much smaller. Just a foot tall wall around my mulch bed (to separate the grass, add stones and add some curb appeal). Two questions: What type of gravel base did you use? And some people recommended watering before but some afterwards, you only watered the gravel base afterwards, correct?
Why didnt you use glue to merge the stones together?@StayHandy
Thank YOU! This is the best and most complete explanation I’ve seen.
The only thing I have done differently is to put weed block fabric between the “hillside” and the gravel behind the blocks. That way dirt doesn’t get into the 3/4” stone and clog it up, which will cause it not to drain, which would then lead to water pushing the wall forward, and possibly failing.
Thanks Sam!
This is exactly what I needed to see... beautiful wall
Keep ‘em coming. I just got my concrete, sand mix and pea gravel delivered today. I finished my patio space with the sod cutter just gotta move all this damn dirt. I bought a cheap GoPro knockoff to record. My slab is going to be 24’ x 14.5’ so I have to do it in 8’ sections. This is a LOT of labor but gratifying.
Keep it up brother
Very nice job young man. I'm impressed. You made a huge difference in the look of your back yard. Nicely done.
One of the best and simple instructional videos I’ve ever watched, thank you!
THANK YOU for adding the cost and the time! Best video yet!!!
This is an awesome video. Here 7 years after you posted but very helpful. I appreciate you uploading this
March 29, 2020 I’m doing the wall on my backyard.... this video is awesome, I will take your advice...
Welcome to the woods sent me here. Her video was really good but this video is the best I’ve found so far! And believe me I’ve seen a lot. Thank you!
I’ve watched a few videos on building retaining walls. This was definitely one of the better ones. Great job on the video and great job on that wall.
One of the more useful RUclips videos I've watched. Not well explained elsewhere at a lay level. Thanks!
Thank you for posting this! You explain the steps clearly and concisely. I made a mini-retaining wall (only 3 blocks high) and it looks amazing. I was able to do that because of training video!
That is about what I need! I wish you did a video!
Amazing work, and the beauty about hard work is that you, for some reason, forget the pain that it took for the job to be done and, at the END, you just look at it and admire it..., becoming a better person, I still don't know how my body could forget that painful effort each time I finish a painfully hard work.
Good job! My wife and I built ours in about five days. It's about 30 ft long/3ft high.
was it on a slope as well?
oandersontech did you need to install drainage? How’s it doing a year later? What was your cost? Asking because me and the wife have to do about the same thing this spring.
one of the nicest video I’ve see for a home owner use and with out a lot of un useful information that make the videos way to long. I just did a 10 long wall three row high it was challenging to start as HD had no installation pamphlets on how to start and install the brick. You did a great job explaining all the steps and one of the most important one you include is checking with your Local Building Department so you don’t end up have to take it down. Wish I had seen your video it would have gave me more confidence on how I planned to build my wall. I got lucky and built it just as you recommended minus the road base on the bottom of your first row. thanks for making this Video.
you're welcome!
Very helpful. Would like to have seen some details of the terracing at the left end.
Thank you for your comment about how long it takes a single person to complete the project. I've been working on my wall for the past few weeks and feeling like a loser for not making alot of progress. I'm glad it takes most people multiple months.
Most things take longer than you think they will. Glad it helped put your mind at ease.
So I'm a girl. I built a 93 foot retaining wall in my yard 22 years ago (the neighbors call it the great wall of china and it has a few curves). I did it pretty much this way (minus the gravel behind, oh!) It held up in Minnesota winters for 22 years. This year, a couple blocks fell due to freeze/thaw and it needs rebuilding. I'm 60 now, so far too old to do all that work again! My daughter volunteered the father of her kid who supposedly does this work all the time. It turns out he is very sporadic at working, though I asked several times if he wanted me to hire someone, and when I went to check on the first row he finally started, oh! OMG, this thing will fall apart by next spring and will never look good in the "finished" project! He also used class 5 gravel, but only an inch or so in the very uneven trench. The best I could think to do was tell him to get a boatload of sand, lol. But that will never hold up in a mn winter. I fear it all has to be dug out again. right? He didn't bother checking level on the dirt layer, nor on any other by what I can tell. What do you think?
How’s the wall holding up? How did baby daddy’s repairs fare?
@@scavone72 lol, it fell apart in a couple weeks, so I hired a pro.
Nice job...I just built a 5 foot wall. Took a little engineering because it was over 4 foot in height, but pretty much the same stone and same principles were applied. I had to bring in a lot of fill dirt and gravel buy wheelbarrow. Hard work but just finished it!!
This is a good video for your situation. I would caution that the design of the wall is dependent on how tall it is and how much soil is backfilled against it. In many cases you would need a concrete footing with rebar and a concrete block wall with rebar filled with concrete along with something near the top of the wall that extends far back into the soil to prevent it from tipping over. Again, that isn't necessary in your case but I wouldn't recommend anyone try building a taller retaining wall than yours without consulting an engineer because you definitely don't want it collapsing and possibly killing someone.
Cooper’s Corner agreed. I was looking for a question from someone before I asked. I wouldn’t do anything over 3’-4’ tall without dead men installed. But the maker of video did excellent job explaining.
This wall is built with cheap material and is improperly installed, but I would caution against concrete footings in these. When installed correctly, concrete block retaining walls are supposed to be free flowing, so water can pass through them and not build up, resulting in wall failure.
A concrete footer is not necessary either. Like Cooper’s Corner said, his soil conditions in his backyard are very favorable because of the course sandy soil that is there. If you were trying to use this type of segmental block unit to build anything taller, you can install geogrid with that block. I would consult a structural engineer to see how long the geogrids need to be and the type of reinforced backfill for the geogrid. The installation of the segmental block units with the geogrid act like a complete wall system and prevents the blocks from overturning, sliding, and bulging of blocks. You can also see the NCMA segmental block manual for how to design these types of systems.
I never saw any mention of Rebar...and any length wall I would think about Rebar for strength in the length and brick pillars regularly spaced for rear support....
@chestertimmins4820 if you say it is improperly installed without telling why, then your comment does no good.
This video is probably the best DIY video on retaining walls that I've seen. Great job!
Thank you!
This is the best video I've seen on building a retaining wall! That whole landscape looks awesome sir!
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
I concur
Handyman Startup how long did it take you to dig that trench, did you only use the Pick-Axe and Shovel, and where did you put the dirty. You may have mentioned it, but I was watching with very low volume.
Thanks Wesley!
Thanks for the Video! Forgive me for the intrusion, I would appreciate your initial thoughts. Have you considered - Rozardner Successful Handyman Reality (do a search on google)? It is a great exclusive guide for how to start a handyman business without the hard work. Ive heard some great things about it and my close friend Aubrey finally got amazing results with it.
This was a great instructable video! I will be building a series of shorter walls in my sloping property over the next few years and this is a great primer video! Thanks for showing the tools you used to complete the project!
You did an excellent job on this video. I’ve watched so many diy videos, and very few come to share the amount of detail, cost, and examples necessary for a project, that your video accomplishes. Well done and thank you! Great info and encouraging.
Getting ready to hire a contractor for my wall. I'm going to make sure he follows your step-by-step method. tks
This is a great video. Solid attention to detail and great explanations with insightful tips. Thanks for putting in the work to post it.
One of the best instruction videos I've seen online
Thanks Dan! My wife and I are going to undertake this task since we live in San Diego and contractor pricing is relatively ridiculous. This video is a huge help!
How did your wall turn out,
really like how you finished off the Left side where it met the fence and gives you natural steps to get on top if you need
Bro, you saved me good chunk of time and lots of $$!!! Thank you!!! Great video, helpful advice!!! God, bless you!
Thank you for this easy-to-follow guide! You crushed your retaining wall!
Building retaining walls one of my favorite job.. I started since I was 17 I'm 27 now.. and still building retaining walls.
Make that money.
I personally don’t like these type of blocks. I strongly believe that block rebar and cement is the best way to build it so it can outlive you.
if you live near Sacramento let me know. I need you.
Danny Lake you still looking for someone for that?
@@mrdlake1 I live In Raleigh nc
@@luismontalvo8430 How much should I charge for a job like this? I'm thinking $20 an hour
Wow! This is the best video I've seen so far and it is going to be the one that I truly follow as I am doing my DIY retaining wall with drain tile for my first time on my new home. I got the majority of supplies delivered and really feel prepared as you will be with me step-by-step in the yard! Thank you so much
I was going to try this. I have now changed my mind.
😂😂😂 Exactly.
Lmao I change my mind every day at work but I’m still building these fuckers
I felt your reply on a spiritual level. 😂
Same. Lol
Ditto
Will build our first retaining wall and this video explains the how-to perfectly. Thank you!
“It’s all downhill from here.” Proceeds to build uphill. Hahaha. Just joking. That looks fantastic! Those little ‘steps’ on the far left add a really great touch. I love that you were so detailed in explaining everything and even showed the tools you used. I really wish I had a place with a sloping side yard so I can build a retaining wall like yours. Two thumbs and two big toes up!
Neat thing about living in the PacNW, is our soil tends to be like sandy gravel to begin with. I built a wall over 20 years ago, without any extra gravel, and it's still perfectly flat and drains nicely.
Hi Dan~what a great video. It took all the intimidation out of building a wall for me! I'm looking forward to doing the project now!
I used the directions to build my own nearly 70’ long retaining wall. The directions were great and my retaining wall looks amazing. I really appreciated the detailed instructions and steps to build the wall. Only issue was that you have to special order the larger blocks as Lowe’s is now marketing smaller blocks with a smaller backside retaining lip. These smaller blocks would not have worked well since my retaining wall is nearly 3’ high.
Good job, much better than the 4-5 minute videos out there that just RUN right through the whole process.
CJS929 I agree, it took me hours of shitty videos to find this one
You did a really nice job, especially the "steps" on the left side.
FLAWLESS NARRATING!! love every detail simple as heck! Great how you explain the time needed and cost makes it very easy to determine when I'm ready to tackle this project.. thanks!
Thanks for the inspiration
Thanks I’m having a wall done this Spring, I really enjoyed your work, I’m too old for this kind of work but I do plan to watch and enjoy!
I just finished my wall (all the pros have entered the chat) but thank you for all the info! Super helpful
Good job!
Wow! Amazing video. This seemed pretty daunting before watching your video, but now that I’ve actually seen the process, I think I can handle it! Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you so much for this tutorial video. I know it's over 4 years old but it's exactly the type of information I need.
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome man looks great! I really feel like I can do this! Thanks!
This is best video I have watched for this project. Very detailed. Simple. To the point. Well done.
You did a fantastic job! and great individual effort , Thank you. I'm about to start my wall very soon.
A very thorough tutorial for this type of wall. Very tempted myself now! Great video.
You should!
Thanks Dan, you’re awesome for the dedication over time to put this video together, we appreciate you! 🤘🏼🤘🏼
Thanks for taking the time to do this video. Very detailed.
Great video and the most informative that I have seen on the topic. THANKS for taking the time to make it.
great vid, also the way the wall branches a bit towards the back fence is very cool
This project came out GORGEOUS! If I didn't know better I'd swear you hired a professional contractor.
Nice job. You might also want to add some perforated drain pipe at the bottom (behind the block). This perforated pipe should slope one direction, and be covered/surrounded with 3/4" gravel. This sloped pipe will evacuate the water from the trench.
A company came out and built my neighbour's wall. I watched them take it down after getting three blocks high and start over, this time installing a drainage pipe.
I am actually glad he mentioned about "Check your Local Code" that is also important as I have seen companies or people Building walls and having never to abide by a code and some places require permits and certain departments to review too before building.
Depends if the house already it in place then you don’t need permits.
@@jackeroo75 Not necessarily true. It depends on several factors. First, check with your city on their particular requirements. It also depends on the height of the wall. The height includes the footing. A lot of cities require permits when the total height is over 4 feet. 1 foot of footing and 3 foot wall. Less than that, no permit required. Of course, if you build it without a permit, the city probably would never know about it but if they catch you, then oh well!
Charles Huddleston in most cases they will let it slide.
@@jackeroo75 slide, just like his wall will, no perforated drain pipe and no fabric to help keep dirt out of gravel. All retaining walls shift and fail eventually, it’s just a matter of TIME!! I’ve been on the other side of things, - - removing over 200 feet of badly leaning retaining wall from my driveway. This is what the “SECOND” homeowner gets to look forward too!!! Opted to go with sloped hill sides and grass, avoiding the inevitable massive amount of work “AGAIN”. Point being, I did twice as much work as this guy did because of the (previous homeowner) and got NOTHING in return (back to square one!!), because of what he did 30 or 40 years ago!!! Hey if you got the money, go for it! But plan on doing it over several times!! Stinks for the guy who gets to “Remove It”!
Thank you. Your project looks fantastic. Your instructions are very clear. God bless you and yours.
Thank you for the video. I'm going to do a 3 footer height. I was wondering over time, how your wall is holding up and if there are any adjustments or additional work you had to do, such as additional gravel in the back or any portion falling out of alignment?
Absolutely phenomenal video, the dry erase board lecture at the beginning really helped in a way that most other videos don't!!
Great to hear!
Excellent work in the wall and the video too! I also like how you handled the left side of the wall. Great job, and thanks for taking the time to post this!
Thanks for a very clear, systematic and enabling video.❤
Quick question: Would the weight of the dirt eventually push the wall forwards, or, in other words is the wall structure strong enough to hold everything back?
...thanks for sharing your work. Nicely done.
Watching this convinced me that I definitely need a landscaper! 😊
I would set up a string line to keep the first row straight to the point it bends .
I will never ever need to do this (unfortunately) but I have also thoroughly enjoyed this video!
Very nice. I recommend you put permeable fabric between the soil & the rocks, behind the wall. It prevent the soil from "migrating" into the tiny spaces between the rocks, eventually exceeding the impermeabilty of the soil itself. That prevents the water from continuing to drain so well. Defeats the whole purpose of the rocks draining the water.
Is there a certain type of fabric that holds up best ?
Thank you. This is the most informative video ive come across.
thank you so much for the video, very detailed yet simple and straight forward. I think now I can attempt dodo one myself. Great work mate.
Thanks for this video.
You may have convinced me to not take on the project I was considering by myself.
Thanks for telling us how long it took you and to not do it all in a day or two.