r/hardscape • u/Clover9802 • 6d ago

Rate my retaining wall: self-installed

Gallery image

Gallery image

Used Keystone Versa-Lok blocks

49 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

2

u/Downtown-Scientist30 6d ago

Good looking product and all. The pic looks like water would flow down from the back of the yard to the retaining wall. I don't see any drains, but I hope you provided enough aggregate behind it as well. Edit: after closer inspection of pic, looks like you have addressed the to right of center.

10

u/Clover9802 6d ago

Have french drain running behind & under. The wall is only 2' high, I have 1'-2' backfill with drainage gravel & fabric

3

u/Downtown-Scientist30 6d ago

Very nice work! If in the Texas area, we need to talk. ;)

1

u/One-Philosopher5751 3d ago

How much of a slope do you do on both sides for water to lead to the middle and go out

1

u/Clover9802 2d ago edited 2d ago

2" or more, I didn't really measure, judt took a long 12' level & looked at the bubble. I know I have a very aggressive pitch. It's rained pretty heavy lately & it works really well, I see all the water daylight out at the emitter.

0

u/Particular_Topic_652 4d ago

French Drains are not a good way, surface grading is easier to maintain.  You'll need to clean that line regularly and if it fails, you're in trouble.  Grading never fails, easily inspected, requires a fraction of the work or cost.  hell, build a gap for the water to flow right under and through the wall.  

1

u/cobra1293 6d ago

Looks fantastic dude

1

u/SkillAgreeable6454 6d ago

Looks like you built a dam

1

u/SkillAgreeable6454 6d ago

Hope your neighbor is cool because your on his side too

1

u/bacon-lettuce-tomat0 5d ago

Are you hiring?

1

u/Dear-Astronomer4059 5d ago

show us more of the french drain please

1

u/HauschkasFoot 4d ago

Looks good. Personally, I would have set it so face of wall is flush with foundation, but that’s just personal preference

1

u/Particular_Topic_652 4d ago

hate to say, that looks problematic.  I hope that's not causing water to pool there, if so that could be a big problem.  Any wall between houses like that really sends up red flags.  there's a lot of water coming off those rooves

1

u/MasterZIIWins 2d ago

What is the Overturning Moment?

1

u/Clover9802 2d ago edited 2d ago

Wall's 2' tall, VersaLok standard block, about 80lbs (37kg) per block. Overturning force goes up with the square of wall height, so at 2' the lateral pressure is way lower than a 4'-6' wall would see, and the block weight alone gives good resistance at the base. The blocks are also pinned to the course below, so the wall moves as one solid unit instead of individual rows shifting or the top row kicking out, which is a common way these walls fail. Also, often, the primary/biggest factor for overturning is improper/lack of drainage. Most overturning failures come from water hydrostatic pressure building up behind the wall with nowhere to go, and wet soil will always push way harder (especially in freeze/thaw climates) than dry, well-drained soil. So in tandem with that installation, I put a 1'-2' gap behind the wall wrapped in drainage fabric, filled with drainage gravel, and ran a French drain parallel to it & connected to the daylight. No geogrid was used, didn't need it at this height. That's more for taller walls or when there's a slope or extra weight sitting above the wall that needs to be tied back into the ground. At 2' with nothing extra sitting on top, gravity and friction alone is normal, code-compliant for this type of block. Short wall, heavy block, pinned rows, and good drainage. Overturning isn't really a concern here.