Next Up, Retaining Walls

o3jeff said:

So you can do 2 or 3 walls up the hill as long as they each don't exceed 18" each?

Probably leaving the roots in is the smart thing to do for now so the hill doesn't run down in a heavy rain. From looking at the pic is that your side yard/driveway?

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You got it, number of walls not exceeding 18". Roots stay, in some cases stomps cut to ground other case leave a little above ground as they still produce sprouts. And yes that is my driveway/bay.

This is what it looked like Saturday:

You should use the logs from those trees to build the retaining wall.

o3jeff said:

There's a lot of stumps to dig out by hand and the roots are probably intertwined with each other. Are you going to get one of those small excavators to dig them out?

Also once you start digging all the stumps and roots out your going to loosen all the soil and loose you solid footing for the wall base.

I'm sure you probably have a place like this near by http://washingtonconcrete.com/ I would stop by and show them some pictures with dimensions and go over what you plan to do and get their opinion cause it looks like there is some height and steepness there so you're going to have some weight behind behind that wall.

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My property is in the woods near a trout stream. I learned quickly that any tree cutting has to be done with an eye towards keeping the ground underfoot stable. I don't cut down any trees between me and the river, I trim them only. Otherwise the river will carve it's channel right up to my house.

My concern with your project is the stability of the ground once you grind out all those stumps and roots. Even if you leave the roots they will decay and the ground will eventually become unstable. Not sure a single retaining wall will do the trick, the terrace idea with stepped walls is probably the way to go.

Thanks Jim. Terrace is what I'm thinking.

My whole neighborhood is on the side of a very steep slope. So it's retaining walls galore here. I have several that are ~half the height/depth you are talking about. And I have neighbors with 5 times the scope of what you are planning. Your terraced plan of lowish walls sounds good. The one piece of advice I'd offer is to spend the money/effort to do it right and make it last a LONG time. My walls are landscape timbers and are need of replacement after ~13 years. Not a huge deal for me but definitely a cost I wasn't planning on dealing with so soon. My neighbor with the massive amount of walls also did them in landscape timbers and his are also fully rotted after ~15 years. His terraces are full of gorgeous, mature roses etc. The cost to re-landscape his entire yard, replacing all of these walls, could seriously come close to exceeding the value of the property. And he really can't ignore it since it stabilizes the slope below his house. I will be replacing mine with stone....he may be putting his house on the market at a loss. Just saying, give very serious consideration to the long term costs.

Good ideas coming out of initial plans imho andyzee... Diverting the drainage in some direction with roots, rocks, cut rocks...then crushed stone works well. Treat the walls and runoff as separate(sp?) issues.....can look a lot nicer as well. How much drainage we talking??...just a guess but my highly non-professional $.01 = walls will have to be up top more as less water_fall-line_momentum for wall footings....y/n?
Big...to a lot of medium-sized/cut rocks...to a little crushed stone is what does the trick in nature...with a little depth to it all....and once done, add some more growth...brush/bushes will add support...imho($.01)..

Hope some of this helps....haven't had a beer for a week...and am about to hit the wall.....
Steve

OK, decided to go a different route, no retaining walls, used what I have. Left stumps in place, they started sprouting a lot of growth, in some case look like bushes and can't even see stomps. This is good as it will keep root system and hill in place. Threw a bunch of composte and top soil down, planted some bushes, roses and a little grass in spots. Used rocks already there for keeping soil in place around plants. Will wait untill next season to see how all plants take and then plant more perennials.

4/26:



6/28:

Wow, nicely done in two days! Putting in a series of retaining walls there would have been expensive and time consuming considering the existing stumps, roots, and still growing large trees. Getting it to drain well would also be a challenge. I think approach you have taken here is a good affordable way to find out if you actually really do need a retaining wall in the future.

Agree...smart choice.

from_the_NEK said:

Wow, nicely done in two days! Putting in a series of retaining walls there would have been expensive and time consuming considering the existing stumps, roots, and still growing large trees. Getting it to drain well would also be a challenge. I think approach you have taken here is a good affordable way to find out if you actually really do need a retaining wall in the future.

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You mean 2 months.... Thanks, wife talked me into this route, same thoughts as you. Only addition in the future more plants, and possibly build up littl rock walls around the to hold in the soil and for aestetics. Work in progress, will take some time, but less expensive and less work than retaining walls.

Yes, exactly andyzee..... More shrubs dug in = less runoff. Good assessments....

andyzee said:

You mean 2 months....

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Doh! I just looked at the last two numbers in the dates :roll:

And here I thought you got SUPER ambitious there.

from_the_NEK said:

Doh! I just looked at the last two numbers in the dates :roll:

And here I thought you got SUPER ambitious there.

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I was SUPER ambitious, unfortunately had to wait for ma nature to catch up.