Retaining wall options

[shiny76]

Hi all,

Please could someone advise me on the cheapest/most cost effective solution for building a retaining wall in my back garden.

Some info:
- Access (to get materials there) is limited to a narrow path approx. 1m wide at side of house.
- The wall will be approx 10m in length and 1.6m in height at one end, 1.3m high at the other.
- The wall is to retain my neighbours garden
- The soil is of a loam base
- Currently there is little no retaining wall just an angled bank but I want to neaten them off and lay a lawn at the lower of side of the wall. Thankfully there has been no obvious movement in terms of neighbours garden coming to join mine!

Things considered so far: Railways Sleepers (from my calcs £2.5k for sleepers alone), Concrete fence posts and panels, hollow blocks filled appropriately.

So would any of these be suitable? What would be the cheapest option? I really need to keep costs down so this doesn't need to look pretty for the time being.

thanks in advance,
Shiny

P.S. I'll try to add some images tonight, if it'd help.

 

[shiny76]

To give you an idea of the situation, it's been in this state for 12months now (no movement- so far!).

Untitled

• shiny76
• 26 May 2010
• 1

Rather than pollute this post with all the images, the rest of them are here: //www.diynot.com/network/shiny76/albums/5666

Any help would be greatly appreciated. You can probably appreciate why I'm keen to crack on with it

 

[Static]

Once you go over about 900mm-1m you go beyond simple retaining walls to proper ones that need some thought.. sleepers are possible should also consider an engineering brick retaining wall..

Bear in mind that as you will be putting a wall on the boundary you should get a party wall agreement in place to avoid any neighbourly problems in the future.. which will involve agreeing with them what you are proposing.. they may not want a certain wall type..

 

[shiny76]

thanks for the reply static.

Could you clarify what you mean by engineering blocks? Would this option be likely to be any cheaper to use than sleepers? Having a rethink I guess I can almost half the cost of sleepers by lying them on their side (fixed to part-buried vertical sleepers) rather than flat.

Neighbours shouldn't be a problem, it's not exactly on the boundary and only ever likely to be seen by people in my garden. Sure they'll be happy as long as it does its intended job

 

[theoldun]

Wall 10 lin metre by say 1.500. use 3.000x.250x.125mm sleepers, verticals 1.500 centres. Sink verticals 1.200. Total 29. Cost vat inc £1022.00, ballast and cement say £70.00.
old un.

 

[Thermo]

simple sleeper job more than adequate for that

 

[ColJack]

couldn't you just dig it out, shutter it and pour a re-bar concrete wall?
what kind of price are you looking at then?

 

[Static]

Engineering bricks are more dense bricks that dont allow water to leech through.. also they are nice and heavy which is what a decent retaining wall need..

No it wont be cheaper, may be on materials but wont be on labour.. will have a longer life on the other hand..

Sleepers on end with decent footing would probably be cheapest/simplest to put in..

As a rule of thumb on sizing for brick retaining walls, the width of the footing should be around 2/3rds the retained height and about 300mm deep concrete..
For sleeper/timber post walls the sleepers need to be embeded about 1/2 the retained height in concrete with something like 150-200mm surround..

This would then comply with the BS and codes of practice on retaining walls..

Im unsure as to how Thermo designs his retaining walls.. but he can provide a more econmical solution im sure..

 

[shiny76]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm going to go with the sleeper option. Sinking verticals as theoldun suggests then securing sleepers side on. Not sure how 'pretty' it'll be but at least I can crack on with the lawn

Thanks again!

 

[Muzz]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm going to go with the sleeper option. Sinking verticals as theoldun suggests then securing sleepers side on. Not sure how 'pretty' it'll be but at least I can crack on with the lawn

Thanks again!

you don't have to use reclaimed ones, you can buy brand new in various woods, i think they can look really good!
See this site for lots of photos http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Customers ideas, photos and projects.htm

 

[theoldun]

If we are using a new decent sleeper, we sometimes run a router down the the two external edges to form a feature. Or we cut a few holes to plant some trailers in. Providing you get them level and your verticsls plunb, you will be well chuffed with them.
old un.

 

[Thermo]

quite agree. either use new treated softwood ones. very square edges and easy to work with, or green oak slepers look very nice, especially when oiled up

 

[ajrobb]

As you are going to be excavating within 3m of the boundary, I think you will need to issue a written notice to your neighbours under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Have a read of the explanatory booklet.

 

[Thermo]

thats if you are building a structure which as i understand it is a building, not simply a retaining wall

 

[ajrobb]

thats if you are building a structure which as i understand it is a building, not simply a retaining wall

It does not require any building, simply "work involving excavating near a boundary"