Retaining walls are typically used to keep a hill side from sliding or make a hilly yard or terrace have different levels which are flat. Retaining walls can be built from many materials such as railroad ties, pressure treated lumber, cement blocks like a foundation is built from, and a number of different interlocking concrete blocks.
Certain blocks are made with an offset of about 1 inch. The block has a tongue and it sets behind the block which is below it. This makes the wall strong and no mortar is needed to keep the blocks in place. This means that as the wall gets higher the wall goes back 1 inch. If you are building a walk way with the blocks on both sides of the walk way and there are 10 courses of block then the bottom row of blocks would have to be 20″ wider than the desired final width of the walk way. that is 10″ for each side. Retaining walls Pittsburgh style.
Other interlocking blocks use mesh and poles to keep the block in place. The mesh goes between the rows of block and into the dirt and stone that is behind the wall. Then the blocks are pegged to the other blocks with a pole of some sort.
When considering your retaining wall, consider the aesthetics as well as the functionality of the blocks. Many blocks will come in different sizes and colors. Some blocks will be good for a tight curve well others are meant for a straight line. Blocks have a maximum height that can go.
Shop around for a block the matches the style and color of the landscaping and that will be safe to use in the particular application. A qualified specialist at the block yard or home improvement store should be able to answer all your questions about the different colors, the availabilty, the curve, the height and how they hold together and what kind of fill should be used behind the wall. They should also give you a good estimate of the number of blocks according to your design.
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