GABION RETAINING WALL CONSTRUCTION with cost saving panels | Full Walkthrough with Audio - Part 2

Part 2 of my Steep Driveway series showing in detail how we built a retaining wall from 2m high gabion baskets, using recycled brick as infill and a cost saver partition panel using Scottish cobbles. This project saved us a tonne of money by not having to dispose of our house renovation rubble and only buying a few bags of Scottish cobbles to complete the modern look. This cheap retaining wall can be completed by any DIY-er, just make sure you get structural advice if you need it.
FOUND SOME MORE PHOTOS OF GABION PROJECT - • Retaining wall with ga...
Complementary blog post on how to build a gabion retaining wall - ourhomeprojects.co.uk/gabion-...
I have no association with Fine Mesh Metals. At the time I purchased in 2016, I had very good service from them. I understand from a few viewers that they've had issues with the company, mostly poor delivery times. I am sorry to hear this. Not many gabion basket suppliers offer the galfan coated baskets, so do your research to find the best company for you.
MATERIALS USED -
Gabion baskets and helicoils (galfan coated)
Black woven geotextile - amzn.to/3dByAMR
White non-woven geotextile - amzn.to/3wu0bbj
80mm Perforated drainage pipe - amzn.to/3sZDQQM
Gravel
Recycled brick fill
Scottish cobbles (80-120mm)
Wire cutters - amzn.to/2PVGl86
Long nosed pliers - amzn.to/3dHuOl5
Long spirit level - amzn.to/3mpS5Mj
Short spirit level - amzn.to/31PzLCP
String line - amzn.to/39MZVum
Woven polypropylene bags - amzn.to/3dwpGQs
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.
PLEASE READ - Our Home Projects claims no liability for any injury or negative outcome resulting from projects, inspiration, ideas, instruction, or information taken from this platform. We are DIY-ers with no professional experience, learning and sharing as we go. Everyone's circumstances are different and you should consult the relevant professional for your own project. Follow manufacturer instructions when using power tools. Creating projects from this channel means you agree to do so at your own risk.
#gabionretainingwall #gabion #gabionwall #gabionwallconstruction #gabionbaskets #retainingwall #retainingwallconstruction #gabionbaskets #gardenwall #steepdriveway #steepdrivewaysolutions #steepdrivewayconstruction #diy

[@davidreynolds4684]

I hope her husband realizes and appreciates his wife. Thats hard work for a contractor with tools and training. Multiply that 1000 times for average joes. Shes a keeper!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching David and for the great comment. My husband is always there to help provide some muscle if I need it (especially on that 2m high section!!). Good luck with your project.

[@CHDean]

Joann?

[@MrLoudog7]

❤Definitely a keeper! ❤ Love from USA.

[@lowellirish]

I'm SURE her husband did a fair amount of the work!! 😅 still, it's a huge job...even for me, and I'm a Pro.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy the rest of the channel.

[@CD-mo5ii]

One of the most informative videos I’ve ever seen on KZbin - Thank you and congratulations on your courage, commitment, fantastic outcome!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching. Good luck with your project!

[@Jack-bs7cy]

British ladies are troopers that don't complain and can be good cooks

[@OurHomeProjects]

💪👍😁

[@nohphd]

This is one of those very rare, extremely informative videos that somebody has poured a lot of love into. Thank you for a job well done (on the video) and congratulations on an extremely nice DIY project. I hope you know and used a great masseuse, lol!

[@OurHomeProjects]

@nohphd thank you so much! After seeing how much interest my slide show version was getting, it was clear that people wanted to know a bit more so I thought I'd make this one. A bit shy with all the speaking though! :) Karen

[@joatmofa0405]

Wow - probably one of the best gabion videos on the net right now! Thanks!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@elysecarnagie8922]

This is the most informative gabion video I've found. Thank you so much.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thank you so much! Glad you found it useful. Karen

[@picklefart]

Videos like this are what has saved me so much time and money. The world without youtube was ALOT less diy lol.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and good luck with your project!

[@hobbitreet]

Having done this work, I must say your information was well presented and complete. Brilliantly done both as a project and as a tutorial.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks so much for leaving such a lovely comment 🙂

[@groundspeed3954]

Excellent video, a master class on gabion construction for us DIY'ers. I commend your detailed commentary and referral to Fine Mesh Metals.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@cstruble2]

Brilliant. Your video is as carefully designed and constructed--not to mention functional and delightful--as your retaining wall. If you're not a writer, you certainly could be!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thank you for the thoughtful review! Happy New Year!

[@rogerherrick8323]

Very informative. Thanks for taking the time to produce this careful description.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching Roger. I was a bit nervous speaking on a video for the first time, especially with my West Country accent! 😂

[@christopherspringmann]

Artist at work! Excellent storyteller, very engaging, nicely scripted, well organized, plus quite persuasive. I was especially impressed by the facade for the Scottish cobbles she created by making a slot 10:15 then backing the cobbles with black fabric to avoid show-through. The interior of the basket was loaded, unseen, with appropriate remodeling debris. Oh, the auto-on open captions are invaluable. Use them, a much better experience for information seekers.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for such an amazing comment! Good luck with your project. Karen

[@movingforwards2530]

Absolutely brilliant. I built a 25 metre length x 950mm High x 500mm depth gabion wall plus 2 sets of steps for my rear garden. From your video and list of materials I do feel you really didn't need the drainage pipe or alot of the membrane you used. Anyway you've inspired me again to use gabion baskets for my home I'm now at. Well done from me and your video is brilliant to.plus I used Devoran Gabion Baskets. 🙂🙂👍👍

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for the great comments and tips! Really appreciate you leaving a message and good luck with your next project. Karen

[@nicholasgirard8246]

Your video is by far the best Ive seen on this subject. Well done on the project and the video, but more importantly,thank you, this was really helpful . Good luck on the rest of the job.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks so much for leaving such a lovely comment! Good luck with your project. Karen

[@yvesjolicoeur747]

wow, thank you so much for taking the time to prepare this very clear and informative video. I really appreciate that it comes from a DIYer and you did not shy away from telling your lesson's learned. Awesome!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching Yves. Appreciate you taking the time to comment. Karen

[@dac7046]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting. Love the plantings on top of the wall!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@gary1492]

You made so many Inteligent decisions to mitigate issues, as they arose. So much better a learning video than watching a pro and his crew. I love your annunciation and vocabulary. I understood everything you said. Lovely voice as well!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Aww thank you! Good luck with your project!

[@gregwhisenant4731]

Wow, what an excellent video and explanations throughout. So helpful! Thank you!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@MikeWood]

I have seen a couple or three videos on creating gabion walls, and yours is certainly the most informative and ticks all the boxes. Lots of good info here. Edit: the end with the geotex on top with the plants. Great idea. :)

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks watching and leaving a comment!

[@brandonkisor3375]

Excellent video. Informative, detailed, honest, quality tips on do’s and don’ts. When projects are explained in such a depth as this it often helps with overcoming hurdles by being introduced to an entirely fresh approach that covers the issues that were a concern with the current plan. Alot of questions answered about potential cost saving ideas and filling techniques, also erosion considerations. Thank you! Also I feel the angle shaping the property line add character and makes it your own with no wasted ground, and adds some contrast instead of cookie cutter square straight which isn’t actually as appealing in the end, especially if wanting more natural aesthetics.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thank you so much for the fantastic comments! Thanks for watching and good luck with your project. Karen

[@robertallenmcdowell]

What an excellent and comprehensive presentation. I really like your use of circles, lines and arrows to emphasis when you're trying to show alignments. I learned a great deal. Thanks for your efforts.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Robert, thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! Glad it was helpful to you. Karen

[@shane-porter]

We’re considering adding a large gabion retaining wall (2m high) to level our split level garden. Thank you for your video - the end result looks really good 👍

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks Shane, good luck with your project. Karen

[@serahaupong8977]

Karen you are a Godsend! Thank you for taking the time to make this very informative video. We are thinking of retaining walls and this video will be our reference point. Much appreciation in not only making the video but also taking the time to respond to queries and comments that gives us more clarity. You are a champ and wishing you the best!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and good luck with your project. Karen

[@samuelkunta9837]

I am from Kenya and I love how you explained the process and cost incurred. I finally acquired some land and this is a go to project, I love it. Thank you big time.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Samuel, thanks so much for the lovely comment and I wish you success with your build. Enjoy your new property. Karen

[@samuelkunta9837]

@@OurHomeProjects asanti swahili word for thank you.

[@jilllopez2459]

Thank you for doing this with audio. Very helpful. Love the results!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

[@jameshenderson8146]

Hi Karen, First i just want to say what an excellent video you have made. Your attention to detail is awesome. Your time and effort will save me so much planning (and many others i guess). We will be undertaking a similar project in Portugal this summer and now I have so much more knowledge and insight! once again many thanks.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and good luck with your project!

[@andyderwent6407]

superb video. very informative. it's great that you've explained the pitfalls and how you dealt with them. great end result!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@whoisthis4130]

Thank you for making this video. I think everything looks AMAZING and there was a ton of little tidbits of info that I could see myself needing to learn the hard way when I start my project.

[@OurHomeProjects]

So pleased it was useful!

[@Fetecheney]

You are amazing. Thanks for making the time to pay the lessons forward!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching! Good luck with your project.

[@lesdrinkwater490]

Very clear and detailed audio. Excellent project. This video has really helped me come to terms with gabions. My one question as a total novice is: Is the wall stable after the metal wire of the gabion cage has corroded?

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi, sorry for the late reply. It really depends on where you buy your gabions from. Ours are over 8 years old and no sign of corroding. HTH

[@jdjz62]

Excellent Video! Thank you for taking the time to make and post.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks Jim!

[@paulsalathiel9733]

Excellent, love the attention to detail, this vdeo has filled in the bits I hadn't thought of or alternatives I can use, brilliant thank you.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Paul, thanks for watching and good luck with your project! Karen

[@davidchristie6414]

Fantastic, stabilising the sub base is a winner

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@inkironmojo775]

Awesome, thanks so much for sharing you addressed so many of the questions we have for our project

[@OurHomeProjects]

Glad it was helpful!

[@deanhaynes8448]

Well done lovely and informative video wish you luck going forward with your future projects.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thank you so much! Good luck with your projects too.

[@markhooker8520]

Nice project. Thank you for sharing your experience and all the details.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@castle4610]

Great job, very satisfying I'm sure! Well done.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@jonforrest4405]

Thank you for this! I'm in the US and about to do this. Annoyingly this is not a popular method of retention here it seems, so finding a good gabion source has proven difficult. Nice work!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Ours were galfan coated to prevent early corrosion. They were advertised as suitable for waterways. Hope you manage to find something and good luck with your project.

[@dimitarpenkov4377]

Thank you for the detailed information, it would really save us a lot of trouble!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Really pleased you found it useful. Good luck with your build! Karen

[@skepto-o-punk8286]

Looks great! It looks like it was back-breaking though. Actually one of the finest, most detailed videos I have seen of this sort.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks so much for watching! And yes, very much back breaking!💪😀

[@thisoldproperty]

Well presented. Nice work on the wall. Smart work in the excel diagram!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi, thanks for the lovely comments and for watching! Karen

[@rolo9404]

well done Karen! very informative and brilliant step by step guide. were going to bite the bullet and do it ourselves!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Good luck with your project!

[@jameskelmenson1927]

Wow plants on top of the gabions look great

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@carolleenkelmann4751]

Thankyou for detailing your experiences and generously illustrating them with appropiate photos. I had no idea that there was so much involved in such a project but the finished job looks so good. You must get a great deal of satifaction regarding it all, ignoring the bulge which you will(?) fix later on.- my husband used to say ,"There's nothing more permanent than the tempory." I like the idea of the tops of the gabion receiving a cover by growing some sort of foliage from the hung. I've been toying with the idea of Portulaka or some other edible green.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and I’m sure I’ve said something similar to your husband to mine 😂😂

[@pierrebrown1924]

this is a great video, well explained and well done too. Thank you Karen. We are thinking of buying a house with a sloping garden, this technique will do fine. Thank you Karen

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@hankmoody5514]

very cool vid. You explain everything. I'm doing gabions for my compound fence

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and good luck with your project!

[@neildrd]

A++ Super helpful, detailed info. Thank you!

[@saudistevo3002]

Excellent video Karen. Very easy to follow. You've given me some great ideas and above all the inspiration to crack on. Just hope I can source the gabions here in Italy. Thank you.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and good luck with your project!

[@tkarichey3]

Great video. Very helpful!! Thank you!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@mrgherkin919]

Thanks for sharing. Very informative.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Glad it was helpful! Good luck with your project.

[@richardtrustallen4192]

Bravo wonderful job lots of great information thank you

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@saintaston7478]

Excellent video. Really helpful. Thank you

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching

[@racebiketuner]

Nice job. Thanks for all the great info.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@ulluvelez2802]

Very awesome. Thank you for sharing

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@someblokecalleddave1]

Blimey! This is really useful, I'm just about to start ours, nowhere near the size of yours, but still a challenge trying to do it on the cheap. I think I'll be coming back to ask a few questions once I get nearer making a start. Thank you!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it. I've just found some 'lost' photos of the second part of the wall... will try and put together another short video showing them as they clearly show the geotextile and gravel bags etc. Karen

[@gaxx2121]

Nice I just brought some of these gabions from Fine Mesh Metals too as I found them the best price/quality with lots of info on their website to help. I only have a small wall to make (3 Metres) glad of that as I had to dig out by hand, good tips to lay out the facing stones using the geotextile. I`m using Ironstone facing for mine as it is traditional where I live and I quite like the colour variations, also ordered these from the same supplier as you, seems your research and mine came to the same concussions. Excellent video showing how you achieved a great looking retaining wall and I have learnt a lot that will make my project easier. Thank you liked and subscribed.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hey - Thanks for watching and for the sub! Really appreciate it. The ironstone sounds nice! Good luck with your project. Karen

[@andreeamandache4764]

Amazing! Great video and very useful! ❤

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@chrisb3184]

To view your video couldn't have come at a better time. I'm in the process of researching and pricing out what it will take to construct two gabion walls running parallel at 7 feet apart on a hill side. You had brought up some very important points and labor saving tips that I can use construction my gabion walls. Thank you for sharing, a fellow DYI'er

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Chris, really pleased the video helped you out. Sounds like a challenging project! Good luck. Karen

[@chrisb3184]

@@OurHomeProjects yes, as yours was too.

[@The160879]

We’ve got a 10 metre wall needing installed, I’ve thought about brick, sleepers, putting decking in but I think the gabions are the answer plus we want to do an extension so great place to put the waste in behind the Scottish cobbles. I would say you did the right thing getting the non woven geo fabric in and a drain I watch French drain man videos and he bangs on about it constantly as best method. Very impressive

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching. Our gabions have lasted well. My only advice is to make sure you get a quality product for any large project. Good luck! Karen

[@MaltaSauce]

Great instructive video! Thank you

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful. Karen

[@roypaulcarter4654]

Nicely done. I love it. 😊

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@cynickicksass]

Excellent video!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching.

[@richardyu5283]

Super informative!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@bryanc.6532]

Nicely done!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@bossofthemoss450]

Really helpful. Many thanks.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching Ian. Good luck with your project! Karen

[@Michael-vo3tk]

this was a great walkthru, thank you so much

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching and good luck with your project 🙂

[@thecoyotelab]

Excellent!

[@thelouiebrand]

Your property is beautiful. I love the dar chicken coop an run as well. Great work!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching. It was actually a dog kennel that came with the property, but we dismantled it thinking we could reassemble as a chicken coop elsewhere - great minds... 🙂 Karen

[@patty109109]

1) fantastically detailed and narrated 2) great idea and now you essentially have an obscenely heavy monolithic mass so it can’t move anywhere 3) the boundary line flare out looks better than squared so the digger did you a favor 4) not sure why more people don’t do these. I’ve seen some industrial wire-held rock and you can surely expect decades out of the wire

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for leaving such a great comment!

[@jayb.8460]

Great information here. Thank you for showing what worked and did not appreciate the video!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@CaptainBusyBollocks]

Great job

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching John. I found the missing photos from the left side of the retaining wall if you're interested. Check out the playlist for the separate video including them. Karen

[@graveurgraveur2691]

Well done!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thank you so much for watching! Karen

[@marcusmazza2255]

Thank you for this!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@rockhouserenovation2264]

Hi Karen, I am just about to do something similar for our garden retaining wall at 2m high, and wanted to find a video including the technical aspects of drainage and use of the geotextiles. Your video absolutely delivers :) Thank you so much for taking the time to make this and to post it. Brilliant work and told me everything I needed to know. With very best wishes RHR22

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for the lovely comment RHR22! Good luck with your project.

[@rockhouserenovation2264]

Thank you, Karen. 😀 I did have a question, if you wouldn't mind? The perforated drain at the rear of the wall, do you get much flow out of them, and did you connect them to your existing drainage system/where does the water go if not? Thanks in advance RHR22

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi, the perforated drain was belt and braces really. It probably isn’t needed as the whole system is porous, but we wanted to relieve as much pressure as possible behind the wall so included the gravel and drain pipe. It just runs round the back of the wall downhill from left to right and then round the short return on the right. The end is loose round the back of that 90deg return in some hedge plants but covered in the white geotextile. I haven’t seen much come out of it to be honest, but it is hard to tell. I think the gravel if anything helps as it acts as a small reservoir slow releasing water in the surrounding soil and gabions. So if anything I would suggest backfilling your gap between soil and baskets with gravel if you don’t have room to include the pipe. HTH

[@rockhouserenovation2264]

@@OurHomeProjects thanks Karen, again very helpful. Ours will be the end point from a sloped rear garden to a patio area behind our house (once built), so I am mindful of surface run off from the garden :) Thank you for taking the time to reply, again. Best wishes RHR22

[@neilhay2155]

Good job. It looks great. I would like to see how it is in 5 or 10 years, plus how much upkeep you need to do. Thanks for sharing your project.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Neil, thanks for watching. The right 2m tall section was completed in 2016 and the left hand shorter section was completed in early 2019. Both holding up well and you can see them in my Steep Driveway Finish video which was completed in Autumn 2019. It really is a great system, however, as I've mentioned in other comments, the brick fill/gabion stone is the best; the gravel bags shouldn't be used on anything over 1m tall (which was my downfall with the left section). I'll have to post an update video once the wood slat walls are finished on the driveway block retaining walls. Karen

[@pmacc3557]

Fantastic!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Good luck with your project

[@RedTrish]

Thank you so much for this

[@OurHomeProjects]

Good luck with your project 👍

[@LiveFromLondon2]

Really good video, not boring at all! However, I see a mistake in your build. Some will agree, some won't. And it is this - you do not need any geotextile. In fact, its a bad idea. The whole point of a dry stone wall is to allow water to run freely. By restricting its flow, a lot of force builds up behind the wall, pushing it forward. If the water can flow away, the earth will tend to not move. The drain at the bottom in not necessary - pea gravel is enough. Also the membrane at the front will have the opposite effect of what you intended. Weeds will start to grow in it. A few years down the line but they will come. Rain is the best way to keep it clean and to keep it really clean, a periodic jet wash. Everything else was spot on!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting. Just to clarify, the geotextiles I used are completely porous so water can flow through them freely, both the non-woven white one and the woven black one. That's what they're designed for. I agree the drainage pipe was a bit over-kill, but as it was such a tall structure we wanted to be sure as it would be impossible to access that space again. We've not had any issues with weeds as the water flows through. Some have appeared along the base of the structure where it meets the block paving on the driveway, but this is due to soil build up running down the drive. Any particles higher up the structure get washed out naturally with the rain (as the geotextile is porous). Hope that helps. Karen

[@roblamont8756]

Good job 🇺🇸

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching Rob! Karen

[@windowswashbasin]

Looks nice

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching :)

[@MrTantilov]

What a great job madam 👏 Luckily for us as we are to start our project you have made a video that will be so useful when we start😊. I hope you wouldn't mind if we get stuck to ask for advice?

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Spas, Glad you found it useful! There's lots of good information in the existing comments, but you can always come back to me if you need to. I'm no expert, but can advise on how we did our build. Good luck! Karen

[@kennkid9912]

The galvanizing will go fairly soon. We have had cattle panels that are similar.We call it filter fabric in the USa . It is used in wet areas under gravel roads. It works well for that.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching! Karen

[@masucci61]

Thank you for a very informative video. I was wondering why you would need a drainage pipe given that a gabion doesn’t hold back water Thanks

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Nicola, you a right, it probably wasn’t necessary, but as it was 2m high and 20m long we didn’t want to risk any water pressure build up so added the gravel and drainage pipe. A bit overkill, but for the small extra cost we went ahead with it. I can see now, about 7 years on, that water drains through well and we’ve had no movement in the wall since building it 🤞 Karen

[@ohasis8331]

Gabons are beautiful looking structures and I take delight when I see large ones on roadway projects. One thing I noticed with yours is that you've used reinforcing rod to tie and stiffen your edges. I thought it was raw steel and so I'd like to suggest that in the future, you would paint them with "Cold-Gal", a galvanised coating applied with a brush. It seals your metal from the elements. You could do it retrospectively but it wouldn't cover 100%.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for the comment. Our wire was galfan coated and is showing no signs of rust, but you are right to point out to others they should be mindful of the product they buy to make sure it is weather resistant 👍

[@Padraig510]

This is a superb reference, thanks for taking time putting it together. It's my go to template for a very similar project: 19m in length with various 2m, 1.5m and 1m high sections. I have a couple of questions. - Most gabions come already with the bottom base pre-clipped to the sides. Did you supplement these clips with your own lacing wire? Most sites seem to suggest that you can use helicoils for the verticals and manually lace the lid, but nothing concerning the base. What did you do? I couldn't make it out in the video. - Did you put any filter at the end of your drainage pipe to prevent rodents making a home ? Just curious :-) Thank a mill.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Padraig, thanks for watching and I’m glad you found it helpful. The baskets from the company I used had plenty of little C clips securing the base to the sides. I think there were 2 per side. We didn’t feel the need to add extra lacing, though I can’t comment on other suppliers. We only used the helicoils on the front facing verticals and horizontals. All other sides were joined with lacing and lacing was used to attach basket to basket. The helicoils do look nice on the front. Re the drainage pipe, I used the geotextile to wrap the ends to prevent creatures getting in. Please do come back to me with any other questions. There are quite a few answers in the other comments too. Good luck! Karen

[@Padraig510]

@@OurHomeProjects Another reason why I love this video - you take time answering the questions! I sourced gabions from same company so expect the the same set up. I'll take closer look when I actually build them. Thanks again Karen.

[@nop3noperson]

Will check for plant growth on other videos or future updates

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hoping to do a KZbin short with a progress update 👍

[@terencejay8845]

This couldn't be a better find. I'm writing a novel about a divorcee who buys a house with land that slopes away from the rear, so decides to self-build a gabion wall as all other options are far too expensive. ( She's currently discussing options with the landscaper )

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@scottwillis5434]

I have seen other videos showing that use of geotextile behind a retaining wall will cause it to fail, because fine particles in the soil will plug up the geotextile and cause water pressure to build up, increasing the forces attempting to push the wall over.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching. I can only suggest to do your own research on geotextiles. The non-woven and woven types are used extensively in building projects, particularly driveways, roads and paths and are used for stabilisation and their porous qualities. I would also suggest buying a good quality geotextile. All I can say is 6-7 years on the wall hasn’t changed since the day we did the driveway. HTH Karen

[@TheRenovationProject]

Comprehensive and informative. Thank you. Since completing this project do you have water flow from between the rocks on the front of the gabion wall? Or maybe this is mitigated by the baskets being angled back slightly ?

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi, thanks for watching. We don't ever actually see any water "flowing" out of the baskets, but as the baskets haven't moved we assume it's not building up behind the baskets. When it rains the fronts get wet and I guess as the water drains into the soil behind, it just makes its way via gravity to either the pipe or through the baskets, but it's never a gush of water if you know what I mean. I hope this helps?

[@TheRenovationProject]

@@OurHomeProjects It does help. Thanks 😊

[@mawunyomensah-dotseymensah5888]

Nice work... I'm about to do one for the first so it is definitely helpful to see your project. Did you use drainage pipes?... and if you did , how was it done?

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi thanks for watching. Yes we did, but it was belt and braces really as we were new to the system and didn’t want to risk anything moving over time so added the drainage pipe and gravel just to be sure there was no water pressure build up. For smaller builds I doubt you’d need one. HTH. Karen

[@zoltanozvald7199]

Hi, I like your explanations, what to do and how & why. I doing the same thing on my property because we have to secure the land before going to build our home. Thank you, for your video. How long did it take to build this wall??

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi, thanks for watching. We worked mostly weekends and it took us a couple months to do the 2m section. The other half we did about a year later. If you work all day it shouldn’t take more than a week or so. But it is back breaking work so might take a bit longer for that reason.

[@abdalbateeh6766]

Great lady

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching. Hope you found the info useful. Karen

[@3235732440]

Hi Karon I have a old block RW 3’ height , 50 ‘wide showing cracks here & there and LEANING @ hillside. . , I’m thinking placing 3 ‘ gabion baskets in front / lean against the old RW.. I do not want to demolish 2 save demo cost so I will try to place metal baskets as close to the Old one. Question is 1. should I fill the gap between existing RW & the GB baskets w/ small grabbles ? 2. Do I install pipe in between? Or do you think it’s necessary to demo the existing RW ? Thank you in advance and I do appreciate your helpful video Karen!

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Myong, thanks for watching. I'm afraid I can only advise on the method we used for our gabion wall. Block walls are notorious for failing due to water pressure build up behind the wall. Personally, I would demolish it and use the crushed material to fill the gabion baskets. This would allow the structure to be porous and water pressure won't build up. If you decide to erect the gabions in front of the existing wall, at a minimum you need to puncture holes in the blocks to allow the water to flow through it and relieve any pressure. The water would then flow through the gabion baskets. Good luck with your project! Karen

[@sergheicoca]

After 3 years Karen, do you mind making a video or leave a comment on how is the Gabion you've built is holding up? Thanks

[@OurHomeProjects]

What a great idea! I’ll do that. It’s almost 8 years now.. still looks good.

[@nattawutpiyasuntiwong1982]

Nice

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching! Karen

[@josieclarke424]

Fabulous video I am just starting a 2 meter high wall using these, my wall is going to be 2 meter high by 1 meter wide. I see you went 2 meter high, did you go 1 meter wide or more? I guess I am trying to find out if a 1 meter wide by 2eter high is structurally OK, the supplier of the gabions has said I need to be 1.5 meter wide for a 2 meter high retaining wall and I don't really have the space for 1.5 so hoping I can get away with 1 meter. Any advice you can give would be gratefully received, thanks so much 🙂

[@OurHomeProjects]

We went 1m deep, but 1.5 on the bottom would definitely be better and set the next level back a bit so it’s stepped into the slope 👍

[@ActiveInventories]

Can I ask if you needed Planning Permission and or Building Regulations to create the structure? Great Video. Thanks.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Thanks for watching. No planning for ours as it wasn’t over 2m tall. However, please check your local planning regulations for your area. Building regs tends to relate to block walls, again check your local area.

[@randalkihei9261]

It seems like a temporary retaining wall. What will happen when the wire basket starts rusting.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi there, I think it really depends on where you buy the baskets from. Cheap ones will most likely rust. The ones we bought have a galfan coating on them and are designed to last and can be used for waterway banks as well. We’re almost 7 years on now from when the wall was built and there is no sign of rusting. HTH.

[@someblokecalleddave1]

One idea for getting hold of rubble/hardcore is to go on Facebook on their market place section and you'll find people giving it away if you collect.

[@OurHomeProjects]

Great idea Dave

[@MagnetechSolidSolutions]

As back fill inside the Gabion could one use rubble sacks filled with a dry 5/1 mix if gravel and portland cement??????

[@OurHomeProjects]

The point of a gabion basket is to have water flowing around the rubble/stones so that pressure doesn't build up, so there needs to be gaps between the stones/bags. The rubble sacks won't be permeable so you'll only have the gaps between the bags sitting in the basket. Only you can know for your setup if this will be good enough and stop the water pressure building up behind the wall. HTH

[@oli007uk8]

Karen, what a superb video, thanks for sharing. I do have one question, with the wall being over 1m, did you have to consult and get building control approval? I am in a similar position to yourself and considering gabion baskets. thanks in advance olly

[@OurHomeProjects]

Hi Olly, thanks for the sub :) It doesn't show clearly in the photos, but the bank was actually really steep in the first place and had been retaining itself for decades. As we didn't excavate more than a metre high into the bank that was previously there (check out image at 00:48) and the entire wall was not over 2m high, we didn't need to go through building control. I believe you may require BC approval if it's a 'party wall' ie on a boundary with a neighbour, but ours wasn't. I'm afraid I can't help any further than that. Sorry! HTH Karen EDIT - forgot to say good luck with your project! It really is a fantastic retaining system if you have the space and use a very heavy angular fill.

[@oli007uk8]

@@OurHomeProjects thanks for reply karen. Yes looking forward to the challenge.

[@OurHomeProjects]

@Oli007uk doh, it’s 00:48 in my other video...!! It’s not quite the same, but you can see the bank cut in at 07:00 (or head over to the first video to see it more clearly kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ7Mc4xvr9J2Zpo). Sorry about that! Good luck!