We recently undertook construction of two retaining walls in our backyard. We learned a lot through the process – including some trials and tribulations along the way. However, the end product is going to be fantastic. Here are some important tips we learned along the way:
#01: Know what type of wall your brick can be used to create.
Companies have different names for the purpose of their walls. Belgard uses freestanding, retaining, and garden. There are some retaining wall categories that have limits on how high they can be used for retaining material. Also, some of the nice patterns can only be used for ornamental or freestanding walls. We learned this the hard way with our Belgard Weston wall.
Solution: Research! Visit landscape supply companies and ask lots of questions.
#02: Seating benches are great features and should be wide.
When we started this project, we thought having a custom bench built into the retaining wall would be a unique feature. When we started, the plan was for a 12-inch seating bench. With plans for a fire pit, the 12-inch was too narrow for most butts!
Solution: Plan accordingly for around 20 to 24 inches – this is really important as shown in #03.
#03: Make sure to plan out the edge lines
There are a couple of things going wrong in this next photo. The bricks behind the outward facing brick won’t be seen except for at the end. Here, the bench (top of photo) is not aesthetically appealing as the bricks look stacked. Laying out the 8 in. by 12 in. brick to accommodate a 20-inch end means that we’re going to have to cut the center brick to get our symmetry back.
Solution: Be flexible as your project will take on a life of it’s own.
#04: Plan space for features and plan for change
Whether you’re adding a water or fire feature to your project, make sure there is adequate space in your plans. After laying out the fire pit adjacent the slab, we realized the original plan to have gravel on all sides of the fire pit was still the best looking solution in our opinion. Having 24 inches on each side of the fire pit between the seating benches seemed a good distance for sitting and being able to melt you show soles near the fire.
Solution: Make sure your concept considers the dimensions of the space accurately and adequately.
#05: Make sure before gluing!
