# low cost retaining wall??



## AHS

I need to have a 40 ft x 4ft retaining wall built. It will be in the backyard where no one will ever see it so curb appeal is not a factor. What material/product would be low cost but still serve the purpose?


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## Steve Manning

Railroad ties


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## Tscarborough

Yeah railroad ties, so you can have the pleasure of doing over again in a few years.

Segmental Retaining Wall units, such as Versa-Lok. Their Square foot product is abou the cheapest way to build a wall that I have seen.


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## BillD

I would go with treated 6 x 6.


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## Treeandland

Plain old Mafia blocks if you can find them cheap enough. I've seen some concrete co's selling the blocks that are stamped to look like a stone wall, only problem is they are more expensive than a SRW wall.


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## ChillaWatt

2 3/8 galv posts set in concrete with pipe grip ties and PT 2x12s. Very simple and quick.

-Chilla


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## john1066

you can use 2x6 blocks that most concrete producers sell the interlock together and can be stepped back so you can go as high as you want the only problem with them is they weigh 2700 lbs and if no one will see it it doesn't matter


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## Joey Hernandez

Chopped Stone Mix, We sell it very inexpensive here. and it looks awesome,

Check out our projects section on our site, and see if someone in your region does the same work


[email protected]
use the link
Stone, Rock, and Flagstone Supplier for South Texas and the Coastal Bend


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## dutchlegacy

Tscarborough said:


> Yeah railroad ties, so you can have the pleasure of doing over again in a few years.
> 
> Segmental Retaining Wall units, such as Versa-Lok. Their Square foot product is abou the cheapest way to build a wall that I have seen.


 
another way to go is the Rockwood Classic stone. Very versatile stone with a healthy set-back per row. No pinning required, just a bit of glue every other row, and you can run a tight radius without cutting any stone. They also have the optional cap that requires no cutting, with a mitered edge rather than the common square edge. Leveling up the first row on a solid footing is everything. Get it right, or by the eighth row of stone you will be sorry.


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## landscapeplus

You know high end nursery, usually has contacts


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## Dustball

AHS said:


> I need to have a 40 ft x 4ft retaining wall built. It will be in the backyard where no one will ever see it so curb appeal is not a factor. What material/product would be low cost but still serve the purpose?


Here are more than enough blocks you would need to do your wall-
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/grd/734391709.html
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/for/723409737.html


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## AustinDB

used tires will be very economical and eco-friendly if you pick them up on the side of the highway-just remember don't mix tire sizes :thumbup:


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## dlcj

72chevy4x4 said:


> used tires will be very economical and eco-friendly if you pick them up on the side of the highway-just remember don't mix tire sizes :thumbup:


I had that idea once. Some tire stores will give you the old ones so they dont have to pay to havem dumped. I gave up on that idea cuz my wall needs to be much bigger, to much sledge hammer work.
Some have been built with sackrete just stack and stagger the dry bags like block and wet them. Not all that cheap at $4 something a bag now but easy.

I have a question about this subject on diychatroom if anybody hasent seen it and would like to help? Titled- power pole retaining wall


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## wancho

dlcj said:


> I had that idea once. Some tire stores will give you the old ones so they dont have to pay to havem dumped. I gave up on that idea cuz my wall needs to be much bigger, to much sledge hammer work.


 
About the sledge hammer work... don't you own a compresser? If so, all you need is a backfill air tamper with a steel butt, about $1000, or you can rent one. 



It'll save your back! I still love the used tire idea.


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## dlcj

wancho said:


> About the sledge hammer work... don't you own a compresser? If so, all you need is a backfill air tamper with a steel butt, about $1000, or you can rent one.
> 
> 
> 
> It'll save your back! I still love the used tire idea.


Yeh, If i build a tire wall im sure i will not do it the old sledge hammer way but buying a mechanical tamper, unless its $250 used , will bust the budget. We"ll see, i change my mind every day. Im still on the utility pole idea for now.


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## MALCO.New.York

Tscarborough said:


> Yeah railroad ties, so you can have the pleasure of doing over again in a few years.
> 
> Segmental Retaining Wall units, such as Versa-Lok. Their Square foot product is about the cheapest way to build a wall that I have seen.


My Father built a 5'x 200'+ (two terraced sections) retaining wall (backfilled with soil and Horse Manure) in the 1970's. It took more than 30 years for them to become "less than perfect, but still quite retaining".

But.......These were REAL Rail Road ties. Some still had spikes and cleats in them. 

Creosote laden Carcinogenic RR X's. 

If you can find those, they WILL work wonderfully.

As TScar has stated, Versa Lock or the like is a much better idea.


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## AustinDB

dlcj said:


> Some have been built with sackrete just stack and stagger the dry bags like block and wet them. Not all that cheap at $4 something a bag now but easy.


I see the concrete bag idea used around openings in some parts of my area in Delaware-they stack and stagger the bags around drain pipes leading across roadways-I've only seen this in one particualar part of the county-not sure if it was an idea DOT had for awhile then abandoned.


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## MALCO.New.York

72chevy4x4 said:


> I see the concrete bag idea used around openings in some parts of my area in Delaware-they stack and stagger the bags around drain pipes leading across roadways-I've only seen this in one particualar part of the county-not sure if it was an idea DOT had for awhile then abandoned.



Worked well when Quikcrete was cheap!


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## Tscarborough

It works even better when bagged in a 2 ply paper bag and is mixed at a slightly lower PSI then concrete mix.


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## dlcj

Tscarborough said:


> It works even better when bagged in a 2 ply paper bag and is mixed at a slightly lower PSI then concrete mix.


Have you done that or you joking? 

Being sackrete is so high now i have thought of mixing and baging my own for building a wall but what bag would you use and where to get them?


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