| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| sally_in_wales |
What material for retaining wall in garden?When we eventually clear all the brambles and undergrowth from the garden, we're going to need to terrace it. There is a huge amount of stone already in the garden from a drystone wall that was dismantled a few decades ago, so the shallow (1ft approx high) walls at the lower end of the garden we'll do in that, but at the top end we need to put in a retaining wall possibly two or three foot high behind which will go all the small stone and which will eventually be a hardstanding for a substantial shed.Is breezeblock our best bet for this, or are there other realistic options? I know we need to put in proper foundations for a wall this high, its more what to make the wall on top with. |
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| Brownbear |
I would say concrete block rather than breezeblock. I've seen people use half-buried, standing-on-end railway sleepers for the purpose, but sleepers are no longer the cheap material they once were, since they became trendy.
You could also use shuttering and just pour in concrete for the wall and foundation in one. |
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| sally_in_wales |
thats an idea, concrete is ugly, but we could face it with drystone in due course. Steel reinforced concrete is a possibility (and its the sort of thing Dad used to design in before he retired, we do have a tame structural engineer to hand to advise on thicknesses and angles etc). Would poured concrete be any better or worse environmentally than concrete blocks? |
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| Brownbear |
Well, there would be fewer processes involved, ie straight from concrete to wall, rather then being made into blocks, transported again then turned into a wall. But I doubt there's much in it. It would have the advantage of doing the foundation and wall in one process, so that it is 'got on with' rather than being a multi-stage process that drags on for months. |
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| Tavascarow |
What about using all the small stone as an infill for a gabion wall?
Moe environmentally friendly than concrete, though I doubt any cheaper. |
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| sally_in_wales |
is that the mesh basket things that you fill with stone? THat could be an option, I'll investigate further |
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| Treacodactyl |
Wasn't Jonnyboy thinking about gabions? Ah yes, this old thread might be worth a nose, there's a useful link at the end: http://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?t=14598 | ||||
| sally_in_wales |
gabions do seem to be the way to go. Having just wandered up the garden with a tapemeasure we think we could do what we want with a 1m high wall covering maybe 5.5m in width (subject to more accurate measuring later on), so standard cages would work and online prices suggest we're looking at £150-200 for the cages, then just time to dig the stone out of the garden and fill them up.
Will start saving up! |
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| sally_in_wales |
hmm, would this sort of galvanised and coated mesh on a roll work for the same purpose, or does it have to be modular cages? We could sink steel posts to tension it easily enough and could achieve a sloped front for added base stability this way.
http://www.4wire.co.uk/green-mesh-wide-holes-holes-heav-p-314.html |
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| judith |
Sally, I am pretty sure I have one or possibly two gabion baskets in my barn that were acquired for a long-forgotten project. If you are passing this way in the near future, you are welcome to them. | ||||
| vegplot |
Gabions? They're very good but can be expensive. http://www.stones3.co.uk/pricelist.php |
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| sally_in_wales |
That would be fab, am sure we can arrange to come that way 
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| judith |
Excellent.
Then I will fight my way to them and see exactly what I have. (I will get the barn tidy and accessible if it kills me!!) |
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| mochyn |
See if that grill's there at the same time... 
Gabions a great: very attractive if well filled (like so many other things). It's also possible to use them as a vertical planting surface. You could use the mesh to make baskets from. The point of having individual modules is that they're more stable than a length of netting. |
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| hobgoblin |
All that stone and someone suggests concrete!!
You do not need a foundation or breeze blocks or mortar or concrete! Build a drystone wall. turf the "foundations" use a 1:7 angle on the face, break your joints and keep the skin of the wall thick by trying to keep the stone longways in, backfill with small stones, 2cm and over, as you go. Lots of habitat for wildlife, no carbon footprint, dont need to superheat rock to make cement, and you have the materials there. I have an info sheet on how to. A drystone waller. |
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| mochyn |
I think Sally only has enough stone for the lower walls. The concrete/gabions or whatever is for the higher walls higher up the garden. | ||||
| hobgoblin |
So the gabions are filled with?
The cost of a drystone wall will be half that of a concrete and block wall with rebar. Also. Environmentally friendly and low carbon. If you want something expensive , environmentally damaging and has no potential use for wildlife, then.....who am I to point that out! |
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| Bodrighy |
I'd go with Hobgoblin. Down here we have loads of 'Cornish hedges, basically two dry stone walls sloping inwards as they go up. Infill as you build them, infilled with earth stones earth etc and then planted out with hazel, blackthorn etc. Some have been around for goodness knows how long. Great for wild flowers etc and wildlife. I know quite a few that have fields behind them a good five foot higher than the road so they should be strong enough as retaining walls for your purpose
Pete |
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| robkb |
Cornish hedges are beautiful, and very surprising when you scrape against them in your car 
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| mochyn |
I'm not saying no to a dry-stone wall! Just pointing out that there isn't THAT much stone there: it would need to be brought in. |