Building a Retaining Wall with Concrete Blocks

Building a Retaining Wall with Concrete Blocks
TG Building a Retaining Wall with Concrete Blocks
How To Build a Retaining Wall
Preferred Wall Building Tools:
Dead Blow Hammer: amzn.to/2V2v322
4' Level: amzn.to/2RyD3Wk
Wheel Barrow: amzn.to/2VohoBk
Larger Tools (Rental):
Skid Steer
Mini Ex
Jumping Jack Compactor
Thanks for watching! Please like, comment and subscribe.
Video Produced by Thrifty Garage (Please Subscribe!)
/ thriftygarage
Find us on Facebook (Share!)
/ thrifty-garage-1571631...
Connect on Instagram (DM me!)
/ thrifty_garage
As Always, Thanks for Watching!
- TG (Thrifty Garage)
Business Inquiries:
2401 E. 32nd Street, 10-248
Joplin, MO 64804-3177
[e-mail]
#RetainingWall #PaverWall #LandscapeWall
TG Building a Retaining Wall with Concrete Blocks,ThriftyGarage,build retaining wall with concrete blocks,Building a Retaining Wall with Concrete Blocks,Building a Retaining Wall,Block retaining wall construction,TG,how to build a retaining wall,diy retaining wall,retaining wall,retaining wall construction,retaining wall design,how to,landscaping,retaining walls,how to build retaining wall,diy,build a retaining wall,landscape,do it yourself,landscape design,wall
FUTURE ADD: downspout drainage ideas,

[@bigds6692]

It's looking really good! It's cool to see the process of what you do to build the wall!

[@ADJones-bn5mm]

Looks great gentlemen. You can always shoot your elevations in with a builders level. Use the 6" reveal on the foundation as your bench mark and reference back to it as you shoot in an elevated string line. Otherwise, great job!

[@tvc1520]

thank you so much for this video , we looks high and low for this block type installation video , glad we found this video , thanks !!!! course we have had our blocks for years and just now starting on it LOL so we forgot what the heck kind of blocks we bought

[@Michel-ov1sv]

Thank you, it looks great.A video about installing an irrigation system will be greatly appreciated.

[@ThriftyGarage]

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll keep that in mind and be sure to film the process on my next sprinkler install.

[@thelog86]

Nice looking and functional job

[@Lavierkant]

That looks amazing!

[@ThriftyGarage]

Thanks!

[@dc5duben96]

Came out nice

[@westcoastlocal1]

Very clear describing process, from cinder block design, purpose, to all detail of area and reason why the process you've chosen works. 🏡🏠

[@ThriftyGarage]

Thanks for the compliment!

[@georgelamoree1569]

@@ThriftyGaragewhere did you get these blocks from?

[@ThriftyGarage]

Belgard/Keystone/Old Castle

[@dboyz31]

Looks awesome, great narrating 👍🏼

[@ThriftyGarage]

Thank you kindly!

[@brianpeterson8253]

Great video!

[@ThriftyGarage]

Thanks!

[@marwanm8942]

thanks for quality vid. what good landscape fabric size to use with draining pipe?

[@ThriftyGarage]

I usually use a 5 oz fabric in 4' or 6' width. But it is job specific. Recently we did a job and I ordered the 12' wide rolls (folded to 6').

[@ernestreyes1767]

Dang I didn't know it was So much to think about, while building a Retaining wall, and what all goes into it...I was going to Try doing by myself.😄

[@ThriftyGarage]

It’s a process. Retaining walls are a lot of hard work but can be done if you take the time and do the right steps.

[@vicosee4439]

Beautiful

[@ThriftyGarage]

Thank you!

[@thelog86]

I need some sort of retaining wall rite now. My neighbor never cleans their gutter and when there is a hard downpour it slightly floods the edge of my patio with mud. I need some sort of permanent dam. It wouldnt take much, i needcto get on it because eventually erosion is gonna make it a bigger problem

[@fredwashington6798]

Thanks!

[@ThriftyGarage]

Be sure and check out our other paver wall installation video. It has even more helpful tips and much better video to go with it. Thanks for watching!

[@galinalemke2437]

Looks great! Thanka for the video. Did you use mortar to set the caps on top or are they just sitting on top of the blocks? Did you fill all of the blocks with gravel after setting them. No mortar at all?

[@ThriftyGarage]

Caps are glued on. Paver wall blocks are not the same as CMU blocks. Pavers are designed to have some movement and therefore no mortar. Pavers typically use fiberglass pins or a concrete lip to engage the pieces together which eliminates the need for mortar.

[@tutnetam]

What kind of drainage pipes and why needed?

[@ThriftyGarage]

There are many different types of drainage and drain pipes. Check out ICPI paver certification as they have a slew of training courses. The pipes are there to collect surface and runoff water. Without the drain pipe and drainage rock behind the wall it can act like a dam and fail, falling forward from the force.

[@user-sb4uz4nq6w]

are the drains put in at a slope to assist drainage flow? What do you do with the end of the drainpipes? Do they just end where you showed them at the video or is something else needed at the end of the pipes to deal with the water drainage in the yard?

[@ThriftyGarage]

Yes, drains are sloped and so is the yard in the “flat” section on the lower terrace. 2% slope away from the wall. The pipes daylight on the other side of the fence in a drainage ditch.

[@danrich9794]

Whoah this was cool to watch n learn about. Dirt monkey university quality work and explanations.

[@ThriftyGarage]

My life is complete if I've graduated to Stanley levels!

[@arcidz9048]

And where can you get block like this

[@sfranger50]

how are they going to set the posts for the fence you mentioned ? i'm assuming that you filled in all of the space behind the retaining wall with crushed rock.

[@ThriftyGarage]

They ended up deciding not to do a fence here.

[@wulfgaran]

@@ThriftyGarage Was it because the retaining wall made it too difficult to install posts?

[@ThriftyGarage]

@@wulfgaran no, they simply elected not to install one. You can install a fence above a paver block retaining wall. Or any retaining wall for that matter. It is best to set back the fence from the wall to reduce strain on the wall. But the fence can be installed near the back edge of the block or even on top of the block with proper planning and installation methods.

[@wulfgaran]

@@ThriftyGarage thanks for reply, I'm just wondering because I want to build a fence on top of a retaining wall. I understand each job individually but trying to work it out together. I need my fence on the edge of retaining wall. I don't know if I should just use 4 meter posts or if there is a better way

[@joycecrowton8423]

I have that brown rock for my back yard. I rent a townhome but I wanted to put like a 4ft cinder block divider back there between me and neighbors to prevent kids from riding bikes there. How do I start the foundation? Can I just lay the blocks on top of that brown rock and pour cement into the holes? It's about 8 ft wide from the retaining wall and house. I'm not sure how to accomplish this.

[@ThriftyGarage]

Cinder blocks are completely different than retaining wall blocks. You would need to pour a concrete footer with rebar and mortar the blocks in. Core filling blocks with rebar occasionally would also be highly recommended. If you are not sure how to do either method you have a lot of homework and research to perform before you decide the being the work. Retaining walls are simple in design but if you miss a key component the results could be catastrophic.

[@jintarokensei3308]

From start to finish huh? "We got a few pallets of blocks. Here's where we'll put them. Here's how it looks like it's done."

[@ThriftyGarage]

Sounds like beginning to end to me…

[@jintarokensei3308]

@@ThriftyGarage yeah, but it's like me saying "the dinosaurs died, humans evolved and now we have computers" and labeling my statement as the entire human history from start to finish. Yeah technically it's correct but it's lacking a bit of nuance.

[@ThriftyGarage]

I’m sorry for the confusion. I’ll try to improve in my future project videos. Thanks for your positive feedback and letting us know how we can improve.

[@sethbarringer7982]

You just walked up to a wall someone else was building and took video for sure . U a punk

[@ThriftyGarage]

Check out the other retaining wall video on the channel. It’s a lot more detailed.

[@Jacob-ec6st]

You may have said it and I just missed it, but what brand block are those and where can I buy them?

[@ThriftyGarage]

Block is Anchor Diamond Pro Straight Face Grey. I purchased through Old Castle. Other names are Keystone, Belgard and several other brands manufacture similar blocks.

[@arcidz9048]

Would it be necessary to concrete or mortar on a steeper slope?

[@ThriftyGarage]

The wall is near vertical. Not sure what you mean by a steeper slope. Do you mean a taller wall? In short, “No” this block is a gravity block and does not use concrete or mortar. It is intended to be stacked dry. You might be thinking of CMU blocks. For taller walls geo grid is used which ties the face of the wall several feet back into the subsoil.

[@ukwildcats09]

How would you do 90 degree with these since they don’t have corner blocks with this style?

[@ThriftyGarage]

Inside or outside 90 degree? We have another video showing an inside 90 degree angle.

[@ukwildcats09]

@@ThriftyGarage outside

[@aldoabruzzi6417]

Since this wall block is trapezoidal instead of rectangular, you end up with those triangle gaps on the back side. Obviously you've got them filled with your backfill stone all the way up to your cap stones. But what would you do if this wall was topped with sod instead of that tan rock? Would you put edging behind that top course to keep the top soil out of those triangles or just use landscape fabric?

[@ThriftyGarage]

On this wall we actually installed lawn all the way to the wall along a 10-15’ length in the backyard. We usually use the filter fabric to separate soil from drain rock. In this case the cap was smooth/flat; no v shaped voids. We aim for 4-6” of topsoil depth for lawns. Ideally we try to avoid lawns adjacent to lawns because of the need for water.

[@aldoabruzzi6417]

@@ThriftyGarage So the cap is 4"tall. Directly below that begins the V-shaped voids of your top course of wall block. So are you saying that if you had lawn on the *back side* of this wall, you would have gravel all the way up (filling the void), then your fabric on top of your gravel and only 4" of top soil on top of that (framed by the solid 4" cap stone) ?

[@peppino9255]

Was geogrid necessary with this height retaining wall? Looks like a 32” wall including the first row flush with grade

[@ThriftyGarage]

There is no geogrid. The black fabric you see is a filter fabric to prevent sediment from entering the drainage aggregate. This was was between 36-42” in height.

[@AA-cp8ry]

What brand name are these retaining wall blocks? Looks like fr Lowes....???

[@ThriftyGarage]

These are definitely NOT from Lowes. Size and weight is much more than what big box stores carry. These are Belgard Keystone Retaining wall blocks at 1 cubic foot for the face of each block and 80-90 lbs each.

[@Inhoc1000]

So the blocks don't need to be mortared? I always assumed that cement was necessary.

[@ThriftyGarage]

Depends on the type of wall. If it’s CMU block then yes it needs mortar. However this is a paver retaining wall block that uses a lip and gravel to interlock with the adjacent blocks. It allows for better drainage and water can run through the face of the wall. Some paver block walls use fiberglass pins to lock the blocks together.

[@cindysullivan4265]

Hi All, I have a couple questions.. based on the proximity of the house foundation is this wall engineered? It would appear that a surcharge (loading) would be applicable ..Why,why not? I realize this wall is not very tall, but why aren't you using Geo grid? Why/why not?? why do you use fabric running parallel With the wall? It is not very strong this way... True/false? Thank you Be Safe! Don

[@ThriftyGarage]

This is an excellent observation. The house foundation was built and left with a 1:1 slope. We simply added a retaining wall and leveled out the space between the property line. The wall is not intended to carry a surcharge from the house. The home builder should have built a sufficient foundation to support itself, especially the way they left the rough grade and the elevation difference between this house and the neighbors.

[@obserik7236]

I want to get into this kinda of work. What tips do you have for someone starting? How do I know how many blocks & caps it would take? For example a 25ft by 4ft tall wall??

[@ThriftyGarage]

Go to a ICPI class. Talk to your dealer. Usually they will have classes for you to take. There is a lot of online information. Calculating the quantity of blocks and caps will depend on the dimensions of the product you are using. Keep in mind usually you are required to purchase full pallets. So if you only need 1/4 pallet of caps you will still need to bid for 1 full pallet.

[@WilliamSmith-dg5re]

Base base base what about the base??? Everyone can stack block.

[@ThriftyGarage]

What about the base? Base is definitely a key element. And stacking block is harder than it looks. Especially the first layer. I’ve seen a lot of walls built by “professionals” that aren’t straight.

[@ewoodiemathis6309]

We don't understand the jargon. Can you explain as you go, what certain words mean or what they refer to?

[@ThriftyGarage]

Watch my other video. It is explained better.

[@luismedina8746]

Where are you located?

[@ThriftyGarage]

SW MO

[@crazy_little_white_boy6619]

Wait a minute this feels familiar

[@violathecat584]

Seem to be gasping for air unless just from speaking non-stop.

[@rolandwallick844]

why not a concrete footing with rebar and filled blocks ?

[@ThriftyGarage]

Imo this looks better. It’s also capable of moving without cracking. I’m also not a Mason so really depends on what type of contractor you want to hire and what style of wall you want. We have also built retaining walls from large natural stones.

[@PreKno-dk4jb]

Too much descriptions of materials - show how !