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.
Video Rating: 3 / 5

Article by Jayden Solle

A retaining wall is a structure designed and built to resist horizontal pressure of soil when there is a change in ground elevation. There are mainly four different types of retaining walls: a gravity wall, sheet piling wall, cantilevered wall and an anchored wall. Gravity walls rely on their weight to withstand pressure from behind and so are usually made out of cement, stone or other heavy material. It is important to use a very strong material as it will have to resist a high amount of force from the soil. A gravity wall will often have a small setback to enhance stability. Sheet pile retaining walls are usually used in soft soil and tight spaces. They’re usually made out of steel, wooden planks or vinyl and are pushed into the soil. Cantilevered walls use much less material compared to gravity walls: they’re built in the form of an upside down T and are usually made from an internal stem of steel-reinforced, cast-in-place cement or mortared masonry. They are used to cantilever loads to a large, structural footing, transforming horizontal pressures from behind the wall to vertical pressures on the surface below. An anchored wall is similar to all three the above mentioned walls and can be built in any way similar to the abovementioned walls. However, an anchored wall needs additional strength in order to resist the necessary forces. The additional strength will be achieved by adding cables that will stay anchored in the rock or soil behind the wall. This wall is very useful where high loads are expected, or where the wall itself has to be slender and would otherwise be too weak.

So you just bought your dream home: everything is exactly the way you wanted it. The location is perfect for raising children, the house is large enough and the monthly payments aren’t too bad either. There’s just one small problem: your garden is a complete mess. There are no trees or plants in sight; you cannot even see if there have ever been plant beds and some areas have a natural sloping, making it a much bigger challenge to create your ideal garden. How will you fix this mess? Well, other than employing a lawn specialist, you can install a retaining wall in the areas where the level of the land changes. This can create useful flat areas for you to use, as well as prevent erosion.

Building a retaining wall can be quite a challenge. You have to choose the right height, width and material to ensure that it will be able to withstand the forces caused by soil elevation. Building a retaining wall as a DIY project is probably not wise. You need to consider frost heave, pressure from wet soil and the impact of heavy objects close to the wall. When wet soil freezes in cold weather, the soil can push the wall upward and cause it to split. The soil above your wall can become waterlogged after heavy rain, which will cause it to sink or slip away. This can be prevented by the installation of waterflow and drainage pipes in the wall. Placing heavy objects near the wall could cause it to break down, due to the added pressure on the soil.

All these factors need to be considered before even thinking of building a wall yourself. If I may offer you advice, rather get a specialist to build it, or at least ask them to direct you in the right direction.

About the Author

For more information on retaining wall, go to http://www.bosun.co.za

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Article by Manzoor

Retaining walls are usually used for preserving landscaped areas. Retaining walls serve as purposes for practical construction, from giving vertical edges for sloped areas to supporting level areas. If there is a sloping backyard that risk of getting collapse soon, then a retaining wall is the best option for increasing strength. It will help in preserving the area and utilizing it for functional purposes.

Variety of materials can be used to build retaining walls, the most common are wood, concrete and tiles. Even though basically used as functional elements in a landscape, these walls can also be made of more eye catching elements like colored bricks, stone and timber.

Materials Needed
- Concrete
- Wooden stakes
- Gravel
- Scaping fabric
- Interlocked landscaping stones
- Land
Tools Needed
- Brick chisel
- Framing square
- Pickaxe
- Masonry twine
- Wheelbarrow
- Shovel
- Mattock
- Torpedo level

Procedure
1. Excavation and Layout – The task should be started by excavating the area where the proposed retaining wall needs to be located. It has to be ensured that the soil is graded on the downhill section. The wooden stakes have to be drilled into the downhill side and the masonry twine should be stretched across the stakes.

2. The Footing Trench – A trench has to be dug out on the upper side of the wall. It should be filled with variety of colored stones and then it is to be leveled with the help of a rake. The stones should be compacted together with a tamper.

3. The First Course – The first base of concrete should be laid out on the stones. A torpedo level can be used for this purpose for ensuring that the concrete is in level on all sides. All the remaining concrete units have to be laid out while leveling the stones at the same time. This step can be fairly dangerous, so the protective work gloves should be worn at all times.

4. Cutting the First Block – For ensuring improved grip and placeholders for the vertical joints, the first block of every even numbered row has to be cut into halves with a brick chisel and sledgehammer.
5. The Second Course – When the first block of all the even numbered rows have been cut, the next step is to lay out the second row of concrete units. Each block has to be stepped back by a few inches for ensuring a minor slope backwards.

6. Backfilling – As the height of the wall will increase, it has to be made sure to fill down the soil behind it. While the back portion of the wall has been filled with soil, it is also necessary to support its strength with an additional material such as cement. This additional support is always needed for walls that reach certain heights.

7. Final Grading – The trench has to be filled with crushed stones on the uphill part of the constructed wall. It should be topped with soil until it reaches a few inches above the final level of the wall. Preferably, the gradient of the soil and the crushed stones should be gently sloping downwards.

Caution and Tips
- If you are planning to build the wall by yourself, then ready-made interlocking blocks should be selected.
- The minimum depth of the trench should be ½’ and it should be wider than the size of an interlocking block.
- The trench should be refilled immediately after the foundation layer is completed.

About the Author

You might also want to learn how to build a retaining wall and how to build a chaise lounge.

Article by Tauqeer Hassan

Having a cover for the patio is sure a precious addition to a home. It naturally shades the patio and it also serves to keep the home interior cool and nice by keeping the sunlight away from the nearby windows. At least two persons are needed to build one so the whole can get involved in the task. This will teach the family to build a patio cover when needed. Here is a simple procedure for building a patio cover.

Procedure
First, four holes of at least 18 inches deep have to be dug out from corner to corner of the patio for the posts. The distance between the holes should be generally 12 inches or less. Approximately 3 inches of each hole have to be filled with compacted gravel. Frames have to be constructed for holding the post while the cement dries. They can be constructed from 2?x4? pieces of lumber and then screwed together. It has to be ensured that all frames are in level and they flush with one another before pouring the cement.

Lumber of 4?x4? pieces have to be used for forming the posts for the patio cover. The height of the posts can be decided as desired but usually most patio covers don’t exceed more than 1 storey and are generally 8 feet tall. One person has to hold the post upright in the anchoring hole while another would mix the quick drying cement and will pour it into the hole. It has to be ensured that the lumber is absolutely vertical with a level before proceeding towards the remaining 3 posts. Dirt can be put around the cement when it gets hardened for a more attractive appearance.

The support beams are very essential as one will learn in the process to know how to build a patio cover. 1?x12? lumber pieces are used for making this which are of the same length as the area covered by supported posts. One beam has to be attached to the roof line while the other has to be screwed to the support posts. 2 inch screws have to be used for this part of the project. Afterwards, the rafters are fashioned from 2?x4? lumber pieces that spans the distance between the two beams.

When this has been completed, the final part of the project is next which is installing the roof. Prefabricated aluminum, PVC, wood, heavy-duty corrugated plastic, or even metal screening is used for making the roof. It has to be nailed in place and a nice shaded place is ready for hanging out.

About the Author

Also learn how to build a patio cover and how to build a pole barn.

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Article by Jessica S

Want a beautiful back yard patio without spending too much? Well here are some tips that will let you build a patio while staying within your budget.

1. Patios can be beautiful no matter what you use to build them. If you really like the look of stone, there are a couple of things you can do. It’s fairly easy to learn how to build a patio that looks like stone, but much easier on the wallet.

Use broken pieces of paving stones. Place them together like a mosaic on your patio area. You can then spray paint them different colors that are neutral and natural like stone. This works really well.

2. To save even more money, check your local garden supply stores for paving stones after summer. Spring and Summer are usually the busiest garden supply buying times of the year. After Summer, everything gets marked down. So, this is your chance to sneak in and get paving stones and other garden supply items at a discounted price.

3. If you’re going to have a patio poured, look for times when cement companies are not as busy as normal. Again, after Summer and Spring, business dies down so you can pick up better deals.

Winter may not be when you think of building your patio, but it’s a great time to get discounts from cement companies. Or, learn how to build a patio yourself using bagged concrete.

4. Learn how to build a patio using low grade concrete. This is much cheaper than some of the higher grades, and can be every bit as beautiful. This will be even cheaper if you do it yourself.

There are other ways to build a patio and make it look great you can check them out at http://www.buildapatio.net for easy instructions and advice.

About the Author

Jessica S shares more tips and advice on patios at How to Build a Patio. Want a garden? Visit Garden Design Ideas. Use these sites to make your backyard beautiful.

Article by John Grant

There are a few simple things one can do to their home to both improve the value of the property and also add beauty in a very functional way. One of these ways is to build a patio cover. This simple addition to your home can be both practical as well as a beautiful addition to any home.

If you are willing to build and experiment in making a patio cover, you need to juice out certain questions such as why do you need to build a patio cover? These answers will tell you what kind of patio cover you will need.

For example, some of these are: What is the purpose? Should it be made out of aluminum or wood or maybe PVC? Should you paint it or not?

Remember, a patio is sort of an extension of your house, and generally a patio is usually 12 feet or shorter and not more then that, and also it is just a single story floor plan. A patio can either be covered or uncovered. There isn’t any special skill that you need to have for you to be able to make la patio cover, however, you need to have a lot of patience to be able to complete this task. You need to be patient in analyzing the area dimension, the number of aluminum or wood, and all of the other materials needed in building the patio cover.

To build the patio cover, you need to start with the spade work which is very necessary. You need to coordinate it with the conditions of the weather, the usage of the patio and the areas that it will occupy. After you’re done with that, the next step that you need to do is select materials from a very comprehensive range of selections, polycarb panels which are good for the summer and the winter season, vinyl opaque which is adjustable to any kind of weather condition, a clear panel or a vinyl translucent panel which id best for milder weather, an aluminum pan that is very durable and requires minimal maintenance, and a lot more. You have to make sure that the panels fit perfectly and can be installed easily, and is flexible in all kinds of design. Also, you need to check the gutter system, make sure that it is accessible for cleaning purposes.

For a professional patio cover, you need to have the necessary tools in building the cover; you can either purchase a complete kit or purchase them one by one. The tools that you will needed are hack saw or an electric an electric saw, a 3/8 drill bit, a measuring tape, caulking gun, metal snips, bolts, nuts, screwdriver, pencils that are heavy duty, ladders, hammer, shank and socket, level, crescent wrench, masonry, and carpenter’s square. If you decide to build the patio attached to your house, then the support system can help tye cover to fit perfectly. Always rely on the building instructions to make your patio cover beautiful and successful.

About the Author

John Grant is a the author for a how to site where he is writing articles about how to build a patio cover.

Article by Linda E. Joy

Although building a fence is one of the easiest projects that you can complete on your own, you will still be quite hard pressed to find a guide that tells you all you might need to know before you start one. This is because of the number of options that you have when building a fence.

There are dozens and dozens, possibly even hundreds of different kinds of fences, so no one can claim to be expert on each and every one. If you want to learn how to build a fence, you must first decide exactly which type it is that you wish to build.

If you are just looking for a way to separate your house from the houses of your neighbors, or to fence in your dog, or to fashionably enclose your property, and you live in a low crime, inhabited neighborhood, I would probably suggest building a picket fence. Building a fence of this type is easy, if time consuming.

You must simply hammer in the individual spine of wood, and then attach them together with a horizontal cross member. Then all you have to do is paint your fence and you are ready to go. Many residential communities have very strong and specific rules governing building a fence, so often the picket fence is your only option anyway.

On the other hand, if you are building a fence for security purposes, you might want to consider a few other options as well. Building a fashioned iron fence can be a way to get some security, while still preserving style. Although these types of fences are far from unbeatable, they are stronger than picket fences, and can be bought tall enough and sturdy enough to keep out most unwanted visitors. Many iron fences have point that is both decorative and useful, making them almost impossible to climb.

Although someone who is really determined to get into your house will no doubt find a way past this protection, building a fence of steel is enough to scare away most perpetrators. After all, the criminal are looking for an easy target. A more common option that combines the affordability of a wooden fence with the greater security of metal is a chain link fence. Building a fence out of chain link is easy, because it can be bought pre-made. All you have to do is to go under it into some concrete, and you are ready to go.

About the Author

Linda E. Joy provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for home, family as well as other related information.

With the proper planning and education constructing your own fence can be a breeze. Learn the basics of building a fence from the experts at The Home Depot. This video covers everything from fencing materials to the basic tools needed for the job. Visit our Know-How Center at tinyurl.com for more information.

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Article by Philip Woodrow

When it comes to building a fence, you can almost put up anything between you and your next door neighbour. As long as it looks attractive. Many people who live in residential areas have gardens, and choose to have wooden fence panels on the boundaries, which are usually six feet high, and come in varying widths.

You can have a solid wood fence and place wooden posts at various intervals apart, then link them together by lengths of wood. If you visit your local garden centre or timber merchants, you will see there is enough choice to suit everyone. Prices vary according to what you want. The more wood you use, the more costly the fence becomes.

If you have never attempted to build a fence yourself before, as I had not, rather than follow my own instincts and just go ahead and build, I asked my neighbour for directions on how to build a fence. The neighbour I asked has better woodworking skills than I have, so I valued his straightforward advice on how to get started. He even offered to help me if I got stuck at any stage.

If you are just replacing a fence, as I was, there should be no need to check any building regulations, providing you are not constructing something radically different from the original.

Whatever design of fence you select, there are a few fundamentals of fence building that need to be followed if the finished job is going to look good. The wooden posts need to be vertically placed, and the distance between the supporting posts should be the same distance apart. That way you have the symmetry which makes the fence look pleasing to the eye.

Before you start placing the posts, you need to be sure they are in a straight line. This might not always be possible in some situations, but where it is, start with the end posts first, then run a line between them, and you have a straight line to locate the remaining fence posts. As I wanted a strong fence, I positioned the posts every six feet apart. It looked good to the eye.

For this project, following my neighbour’s advice, I chose concrete support posts, and he helped me put them in place. They were too heavy to manage on my own anyway.

When the posts were properly set in concrete, we slotted the wood in between them until the fence was finished. No screws or nails needed to keep them in place. The wood was pre treated so it will last a while before I need to apply more preservative.

Now that the fence is completed, I can stand back and admire me and my neighbour’s handiwork. For this project especially, I appreciated the directions on how to build a fence.

About the Author

For many more shed plans, woodworking patterns, and a free shed plan as well, visit My Shed Plans. There is also a video showing you how two guys put together a large outdoor shed in thirty three minutes. See also Directions On How To Build A Fence

Please note, I earn commissions on sales made via this link.

Article by Ted Allen

Buying goats can be a big investment. That is why you have to make sure that you protect your goats from the very moment that they set foot on your bard to the time that you sell them, and their products, to a buyer. The most elementary precaution that you can build for your barn is a fence. However, even if it may look as crude as any protection unit can look, it also offers the best protection.

Below, you will find a list of goat fencing requirements that you have to remember when building a fence around your goats’ grazing area. If you strictly follow these goat fencing requirements, then you will be able to protect your goats, and your investment, from predators and other unwanted circumstances.

First, you need to measure the property that you are going allocate to your livestock. Make sure that the space it big enough for your goats to run around in. Measuring the area will tell you how much fencing you need to buy.

To determine the number of poles that you are going to use, divide the whole are by forty feet. Use poles for the four corners of the area and the proper number of poles in between. Make sure to keep the poles evenly spaced and properly embedded to the ground.

You also need to determine where you are going to place the gate or the opening of the fence. Make sure that you have the fencing completely planned out before you buy your equipments. Find out exactly how much materials you need to prevent overbuying of materials.

After that, go ahead and buy the equipments that you need for the fencing. Use high quality equipments to ensure that your fence will hold up against harsh outdoor elements. Supervise the whole building process to make sure that everything is done according to your preference.

You may also choose to have an electric fence installed to completely ward off predators, but you need to make sure that your goats are protected from it. This will add to the total fence-building expenses but it will multiply the amount of protection and safety that your goats will get.

About the Author

Are you looking for more tips on goats fencing requirements? Separate yourself from the usual goat owners who are prone to common mistakes. If you would like to learn more tips on caring for goats and how to raise goats correctly, please visit: http://www.raising-goats.com

Article by Angus Martin

Building a garden shed requires a detailed and easy to follow, step by step set of plans. If you have a lack of building experience, a good deal of time spent on research and planning should help you to do a first rate job of creating the garden shed that you can be proud of. The time spend on planning may well be greater than actually building the structure. There are a number of excellent sources of plans available at building supply stores and on the internet.

To begin your search examine the various designs of sheds displayed at building supply stores such as, Lowes, Home Depot, Rona, etc. Look at how they are constructed, what materials they used and how they stood up to all kinds of weather conditions. Since these sheds are usually outside, see if there has been some deterioration from the weather as well as from the customers going in and out. This should give you a good mental picture of the kind of shed you plan to build.

Since there are numerous different kinds of garden sheds to choose from, select the plans for the shed that looks best in your back yard. It should adequately serve your needs for storage space and possibly a workshop as well.

As you continue your search, look for easy to follow plans with lots of detailed illustrations and well written procedures that guide you step by step from beginning to end. There should be no doubt or confusion in your mind of how to move from one step to the next.

Look for plans that go into a great deal of detail in each step so that you can quickly learn to perform the unfamiliar tasks. The steps should show detailed pictures of measuring, cutting, joining, nailing, etc. Remember, time and materials are wasted if measurements and cuts are made in the wrong place.

Some shed plans offer a few options such as location and size of entry door, windows and vents. If the building is also used as a workshop sufficient lighting will be important. If the plans do not meet all your desires, see what procedures can be changed before you purchase the plans or build the shed.

Take note of the variety of building materials recommended in the plans. Check for the different kinds and grades of lumber and sheeting you could use to build a durable and good looking garden shed.

Besides visiting several building supply stores to make or to find your garden shed plans, see what is available on the internet. there are several good plans available and all have unique features.

About the Author

Visit http://shedplansandprojects.com! to discover well illustrated step by step shed building plans. For even more great shed ideas, Click Here!.

Lowe’s home improvement expert, Mike Kraft, shares tips on building and constructing a raised garden bed. Learn what products to use and how to design a beautiful raised flower bed. For more helpful videos, visit www.Lowes.com

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