what should I do with this retaining wall?
Photo is here –
I’ve never done this kind of work before and not sure how to proceed. The wall is pretty old, ugly cinderblock. Is it worth knocking the whole thing down? Or could I stack attractive stones in front of it and on top and essentially cover it? Or should I adhere stones to it? What kind of stones or other materials do you think would look the best? Thanks!
Replies
If you remove the existing wall to replace it, you are likely to
have an issue with the landscaping, which looks pretty extensive. If the wall is in good shape structurally, I'd consider covering it or maybe doing some landscaping to hide it. Don't block the weep holes that I think I see in the picture; water retention behind a retaining wall is a common cause of failure.
The wall appears to be in remarkably good shape. I'd go for some sort of covering.
Thanks a lot guys. So when you say cover it, do you mean place rocks in front of it? Or use mortar and actually cover the existing wall? Also, what kind of rock types/sizes have you seen for a project like this that look attractive?
I must see the picture differently - along the steps those blocks are off kilter and there's very little pressure on them - I'll bet a picture along the face of the wall would show it's all over the place. There's no good way to stop these kinds of walls from moving if they aren't built right in the first place. You could dry stack a new rock wall in front of it, but personally I'd tell the clients that it should come down and be built correctly. Basalite has such good products that look great and stack easily, combined with a retaining mesh that would allow the new wall to last indefinitely. I'd get the measurements and have basalite help with a quote and clients could go to their showrooms to see how good it looks in person.
I agree with Idaho Don, in that I would take out the block wall and replace it with a new wall. That old wall would pop out of there without hardly disturbing the vegetation. The way that wall is shaping up the banks will remain after you remove that old wall. So you could change walls without disturbing much.
Or, you could just leave that old concrete block in place and clean up the landscape around it.
ugly wall
If it's still structurally sound (and it appears their is some separation at the stairs) then I'd just cover it in stick-brick. El Dorado Stone is my favorite, I used it on an exterior fireplace and outdoor kitchen. I'm sure there's other suppliers also that you could check out. That with a stone cap on the top would be gorgeous! Then some color plantings in front with something like a little hanging Ivy Geranium on the top, cascading down. It might turn into your favorite spot!