How to build a retaining wall with railroad ties

Retaining walls are can be beautiful or utilitarian. Materials choice matters.

By Raymond Alexander Kukkee

It's bright and sunny outside, and time to cut the grass again. You cut the side yard first, perfectly and evenly with the mower, and then look at the long grass in the back yard with trepidation. It is lawn that is far too steep and the soil is precariously eroded from endless water runoff. It is impossible to cut the grass safely with a lawnmower, so you haul out the weed whacker and start giving the treacherous area a tedious, crude haircut one more time.

You know you need a retaining wall but have procrastinated in building one, for the cost of manufactured, interlocking concrete stones commonly used to construct retaining walls is too high for your budget..

How can you build an inexpensive retaining wall?
The answer may be to build a retaining wall with railroad ties.

Where can you get railway ties?

Railroad ties, also called cross ties, are creosoted or chemically treated timbers that have been historically used to lay railway track all the way across North America. The treated wood ties resist decay for years but are eventually replaced as a matter of safety. Replacement may be with new timbers or the increasingly common concrete rail bedding ties. The replacement program has left millions of used and unused railway ties, switch timbers, and other large creosoted timbers available for other purposes including landscaping.

To find a source of railway ties, ask at your local building supply, landscapers, building contractors, or your nearest rail yard.

* Incidentally, do NOT feel free to help yourself to piles of ties you may happen to see along the railway tracks. Trespassing on railway property is both illegal and dangerous.
Buy railway ties from reputable contractors that often have contracts to legally remove hundreds, even thousands of ties at once, and do stockpile them for sale. Expect to pay higher prices for better quality timbers...

Read the rest of Raymond's retaining wall article at Helium.com

copyright 2009 Raymond Alexander Kukkee - reprints available upon request
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For a fantastic, in-depth look at your retaining wall options, please visit Raymond Alexander Kukkee's Zone, Retaining walls and how to build them. Thanks to Raymond for the photo shown with this article.

See this article as it appears on Helium.com

Read our previous article about building concrete or cinder block retaining walls.

We're collecting pictures of retaining walls that failed. Got one? Leave a comment here, or reach me via email.

How to build a concrete block retaining wall

Retaining walls are great for "terracing" your yard, or for reclaiming unusable lawn areas.

There was a time when cinder block retaining walls were all the rage. That was during post-war American building boom fifty years ago. Times have changed, and now these utilitarian walls more typically adorn commercial sites.

Somewhere in between, the use of once-popular cinder block lost ground to the more contemporary "concrete block." With the that change came a lot more options that once again made block retaining walls an attractive choice for suburban homeowners.

This isn't your grandfather's cinder block wall.

We've all seen those aging, crumbly cinder block constructions. That is exactly the image that convinced so many of us to choose more modern variations. Today, many landscapers prefer dry-laid walls composed of pre-cast concrete blocks designed specifically for the job. They're very pretty, easy to work with, AND extremely expensive. For those of us on a budget, choosing a cinder (concrete) block retaining wall could be just the right choice.

The block wall advantage:

Modern concrete block is inexpensive and very durable. It's widely available for home delivery, and offers unsurpassed strength in many applications. Today's cast block is available in a variety of dyed colors and an assortment of facing finishes, although both choices add to the cost. Block retaining walls are a good choice for long straight runs, especially for heights above 16" or so. They are perfect for perpendicular walls that meet at a 90 degree corner. You can, however, lay ordinary rectangular blocks in gentle concave or convex arcs.

But first, the disclaimer:

Laying block isn't an ideal DIY project. You can't easily do the job piecemeal, or without the correct tools. Mixing and applying mortar properly can be exhausting and frustrating. You'll need to start with a decent-quality footer, too. This isn't a half-weekend task that offers easy shortcuts. Let's have a look at what's involved...

Read the rest of the retaining wall story at Helium.com

copyright 2009 Jim Bessey - reprints available upon request
______________________________________________

For a fantastic, in-depth look at your retaining wall options, please visit Raymond Alexander Kukkee's Zone, Retaining walls and how to build them. Thanks to Raymond for the photo shown with this article.

See this story as it appears on Helium.com

We're collecting pictures of retaining walls that failed. Got one? Leave a comment here, or reach me via email.