Article by Trevor I Smith
We often need to layer our yards with block retaining walls to make use of flat areas for lawns and garden beds. One of the easiest methods is by using block retaining walls.
These blocks can be used to create retaining walls for holding back earth as well as forming the edges of garden beds. A new form of block is called the link block and generally comes in two sizes. Around 200mm in width and 300mm in width. Both are normally around 100mm in height and around 150mm to 200mm in depth. Weighing from 2kg to 12kg they can form a solid barrier for retaining earth. They also have small slots for allowing water to pass between the blocks which is very important for drainage.
These blocks can cost between .00 and .00 per block, and often come either loosely purchased from a landscaping supplier or on pallets delivered directly from the manufacturer.
The home handyman can build a retainer wall and garden edges easily with these types of blocks. It is important to make sure you have a solid base of cement or even crusher dust material compacted to form a non-organic basis for the blocks. Using a string line tied between two points guides the laying of the blocks to form a perfect straight line. Walking back from the wall a distance can also allow you to compare levels with lines of house bricks or house guttering when ensuring the blocks are layed in a level position.
A feature I like to use is the house brick / house roof tile color scheme. This method uses the two different colors from the house for the two different color choices for the link blocks. For example, if my house bricks are a cream color, and my roof tiles are blue/charcoal in color, then I buy 1 layers worth of link blocks in the blue/charcoal color to match the roof tiles (as this will form the top layer of blocks), and all of the other required layers of bricks in the cream color. This works really well in matching the house colors.
Note that I use gloves when handling the link blocks as they will always slide and rub your skin away when you have been handling hundreds, if not, thousands of blocks! Other tools you may like to use include a small level and mallet to place the link blocks accurately in place.
About the Author
Trevor has been writing articles for websites for several years now. Not only does this author specialize in home handyman tips, information technology and certifications, you can also check out his latest website over at http://www.tektronixreview.info which helps people find the best tektronix oscilloscopes for those interested in high quality oscilloscope products.
The Nuts n Bolts of building a retaining wall.
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