Terracing a Garden

[TheFew]

Hi,

I am looking to create some terraces in a very steep patch of land. The terraces will be circa 10m long and will need to be 80cm to 1m high. So they will beholding back a good weight of soil.

I am looking to create around 4 such terraces (so a lot of materials).

So far the only options that have sprung to mind are Gabion Baskets filled with stone (expensive and time consuming) and creating retaining walls out of railway sleepers (expensive).

So I was wondering if anyone could advise of any other people solutions/materials to use that would be less expensive than the above two options, man enough for the task, and suitable for a DIY'er.

P.S there are currently terraces in place, but these are made from Aluminium roofing sheets and think wooden posts. These are all slowly being pushed forward, so I am looking to replace them with a more permanent solution.

Thanks

 

[r896neo]

If the walls are long and access is very good for large machinery gabions will be cheapest. If the walls are not too long then your options are probably sleepers, masonary or poured concrete.

Sleepers will be material heavy but easily diy-able and will by far suit bad access best. Masonary would also be diy friendly but need decent access for at least a dumper. Poured concrete would not really be a diy options unless your very confident.

Oh re-reading the 10m is the length of the walls not the depth of each step?

 

[TheFew]

10m is the length that one section of the terrace.

Access is terrible, it is through a gated entrance (doorway size) and then down narrow steps by about 4 m!

Would concrete gravel boards work as a cheaper solution?

 

[Himaginn]

Can you bring in your materials/ take away any spoil by boat?

1 Metre high is too high for gravel boards.

 

[TheFew]

I could do if I had a boat. At the moment it is all done by band up and down the stairs!

 

[eddieed]

We are looking to do something similar.

Basically our garden is already terraced but the last terrace isn't flat so we want to make it flat and support the garden behind us. Our access is very limited as well.

At present it seems out only option is gabions due to the access - they are also relatively cheap our issue being that we would have to barrow all the fill up to them which is not ideal. At least if you are going down you may be able to use a funnel to get the fill to them.

Think we have decided to wait until half the house is knocked down and we can get machinery into them.

 

[Himaginn]

I could do if I had a boat. At the moment it is all done by band up and down the stairs!

At least you have music while you work.
Ask around at the local boatyard, or the Canal Trust.

 

[TheFew]

We are looking to do something similar.

Basically our garden is already terraced but the last terrace isn't flat so we want to make it flat and support the garden behind us. Our access is very limited as well.

At present it seems out only option is gabions due to the access - they are also relatively cheap our issue being that we would have to barrow all the fill up to them which is not ideal. At least if you are going down you may be able to use a funnel to get the fill to them.

Think we have decided to wait until half the house is knocked down and we can get machinery into them.

What do you intend to fill the gabions with? I was looking at 1m x 1m x 0.5m gabions and came to the conclusion that for one run of my terrace I would need circa 10 gabions, and 5 bags of Gabion stone. The gabions are £20 each (£100) and the stone £70 a bag (£350) so it seemed rather expensive. Unless of course there is cheaper infill to use?

 

[r896neo]

The sheer volume of material needed to fill gabions means that unless you have good access its prohibitive. Have you considered dry stack mortarless walls which are much simpler to diy and wont rot like sleepers.

Things like tobermore secura walling. Or im sure there are other options if tobermore is not available near you.

 

[TheFew]

The sheer volume of material needed to fill gabions means that unless you have good access its prohibitive. Have you considered dry stack mortarless walls which are much simpler to diy and wont rot like sleepers.

Things like tobermore secura walling. Or im sure there are other options if tobermore is not available near you.

Thanks, I had not considered that, as I never really new it existed. I am slowly learning!

 

[Himaginn]

There are a few types of mortarless walls:
http://www.anchorwall.eu/uk/garden/display.aspx?pageid=24

 

[TheFew]

If it helps, here is the area that I want to terrace/shore up..