I need to replace a retaining wall.
View media item 106787
The garden slopes away from the house. The current wall is 7m long and 2 courses high. It is bowing in places and generally looks unsightly.
Considering my options before getting a tradesman to quote.
Obviously I can knock down the wall and hope that the existing foundations are suitable to rebuild the wall using concrete blocks for a total height of 40cm.
I moved into the property in March so have no idea how old the wall is or suitability of construction.
I was also wondering if I could have the new wall built in front of the existing wall and then knock down the old wall. Or if the new wall was built slightly higher I could simply cover the old wall with soil. Is that likely to cause issues?
Finishing the wall: I thought the concrete blocks could be rendered but I'm aware that water penetration from behind could cause the render to fail? What are my options? Weep vents installed or line the rear with dpm?
I'd also like to sit on the wall of an evening as it gets the sun. A nice coping stone on the top would be nice. Will this cause issues?
Finally, we don't have access to the garden from the street so this likely prevents concrete coming from a truck. Is it feasible for a tradesmen to mix this all up with a mixer on site?
The area behind the wall will include a concrete slab for a 12ft x 6ft shed. Does this affect the wall at all?
Thanks for advice.
View media item 106787
The garden slopes away from the house. The current wall is 7m long and 2 courses high. It is bowing in places and generally looks unsightly.
Considering my options before getting a tradesman to quote.
Obviously I can knock down the wall and hope that the existing foundations are suitable to rebuild the wall using concrete blocks for a total height of 40cm.
I moved into the property in March so have no idea how old the wall is or suitability of construction.
I was also wondering if I could have the new wall built in front of the existing wall and then knock down the old wall. Or if the new wall was built slightly higher I could simply cover the old wall with soil. Is that likely to cause issues?
Finishing the wall: I thought the concrete blocks could be rendered but I'm aware that water penetration from behind could cause the render to fail? What are my options? Weep vents installed or line the rear with dpm?
I'd also like to sit on the wall of an evening as it gets the sun. A nice coping stone on the top would be nice. Will this cause issues?
Finally, we don't have access to the garden from the street so this likely prevents concrete coming from a truck. Is it feasible for a tradesmen to mix this all up with a mixer on site?
The area behind the wall will include a concrete slab for a 12ft x 6ft shed. Does this affect the wall at all?
Thanks for advice.
