Retaining walls- what 99% of people don't know
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2021
- We have built retaining walls for 30 + years. We know what works & what DOESN"T WORK. Step by step how we work on steep & difficult sites, Build CUSTOM projects with NORMAL block & share some of our guarded secrets.
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When cutting blocks. I learned a quick trick from my mentor when I was a teen. A battery angle grinder with a diamond tooth blade. A quick run along the cut point on three sides then a single strike with a hammer and chisel and they fall apart. Half the time of doing it by hand and the ease of a masonry saw without the need of a heavy masonry saw.
That is a sweet tip!
I must say seriously, I've seen many crews with huge machines lay sewer pipe, grade lots and form sidewalks, curbs and such. But retaining walls are a whole different beast. It's definitely an art but with serious consequences to fix and what not if you don't do it right the first time. Kudos to your guys with the attention to detail and making it look easy. They are the group within the group I would seek to talk to for general advice.
Yo what’s up Stan I wanted to let you know I moved my entire loan which is 3 acres and the other 2 acres of woods to be a 5 acres in total but I have the ego power plus lawnmower and I was able to cut my entire lawn with 2, 5 amp hour batteries at one 7:5 amp and half of another 7.5 amp hour and still had enough juice to go around with the string trimmer around everything and use the leaf blower to blow off the sidewalks. really is power beyond belief. Stan i hope your day was amazing stayed home today I have no lawns this week because it’s been so dry that if I went and mowed lawns I could essentially burn my clients grass, I don’t want that to happen.so today i mowed my lawn, rain s in the forecast, they always say the landscapers lawn is done last lol. For dinner tonight we had steak Alfredo with fresh broccoli and a like tossed salad. All in all i walked almost 9 miles from mowing, and almost 20,000 steps. So tomorrow will b relaxation day, i also wanted to note, my cousins wedding was amazing, if you ever wanna see the photos, i can send them to your email, or you can check my instagram posts. My account is “Alexander_costa _drip”. Well Stan, i am gonna learn a thing or two from this video and gain the knowledge on how too do a retaining g wall the proper and safe way. God bless and go get em, your pal Alexander costa
Im glad to hear your cousins wedding was awesome! I already follow you on instagram so i can see the pics there👊. I can't believe your egos lasted all day- do you have the ego snowblower? That thing is incredible! Have you ever tried the ego back pack blower with all the attachments. Its an incredible powerhouse that just runs and runs. Franky weed whipped without stopping for 1 hour and 45 minutes without running out of juice.
I appreciate the detailed information regarding this retaining wall project. I admire people that do it correctly throughout 100% of the job. This isn't always the case in today's world. This is why I'm a loyal follower. Thanks Stan...
Couldn’t agree more! Appreciate the support Steve 😊👊
So glad I found ya'll because we are getting ready to redo a 60 yr old retaining wall. A Walnut tree was left standing too close to the house and the wall was built around it so you can imagine the mess we are dealing with. Need all the info and knowledge I can get so I know who is going to be as good at RW here in South Bend, IN Thanks for doing this. I'll definitely be looking at your other videos.
hope they help you out!
Wow! Great video. I am a digital marketing expert and my client is starting a campaign to promote his landscape and hardscape business. I came here to figure out what retaining wall is exactly so I could write effective ads lol Thanks for this! Looks like you guys do awesome work!
Thanks Stan what I love about your channel is you always promote a product that you're actually using been watching you build retaining walls for years always impressed thank you very much have a good night
I appreciate that!
I have learned more about retaining walls in the last 15 minutes than in my entire life. Thanks!!
Long time watcher first time posting. Like the way you present your material so keep it coming as I will also be following your paver patio videos as well.
Replacing a rotting timber retaining wall with cinder blocks, core fill with concrete and rebar, and geogrid every two blocks up. Compacted 3/4 crushed concrete will be used for the base on top of compacted soil. Wall is 32ft. long by 3ft-4ft tall and has a wooden picket fence that is currently behind the wall about 4ft. On the other side of the fence is my neighbors shed at the shortest part of the wall 1ft-2ft tall and the other end is a small foot path leading to a concrete pad 5ft by 10ft. Corrugated drainage pipe is going to be ran behind the wall to hopefully catch the water from the drainage problem that we are having, same 3/4 crushed concrete all around the pipe, and grade it to flow to the street. I know this is not a huge project, but wanted your thoughts as this my first time building a retaining wall. Also, would like to get closer to the fence to gain a bit more space in the backyard, but don’t believe the geogrid requirements would be met. Don’t even know if they would be met as they are currently.
Look forward to thoughts on the matter.
Thank you in advance.
I would like to see a cross-sectional drawing of the different kinds of retaining walls that you do. And then perhaps you could explain the purpose of each part and how they work with each other and build off each other, and some of the mistakes you’ve seen made on these in the tear outs that you’ve done
i love these typ of videos..learn so many things that u cant get from anywhere else..i esp like when u show when u guys mess up..theres so many things that can go wrong in ur type of biz that can get costly real quick..i cant imagine pricing some of ur jobs
Yeah exactly the mess ups are sometimes the most important part!
I just completed my own small wall and patio project. This channel was so helpful to know how to do things right. My only request is to do a video on setting the base blocks with more explicit instructions. I ended up redoing the base course twice just piecing together techniques from multiple videos but it turned out perfectly in the end.
What videos did you use if you don't mind sharing...thanks ! !
@@IPPacket Yes please share if you find the good video for an amateur to build the retaining wall from the scratch and also how to do leveling an area by myself.
I am learning so much from your videos. I am about to begin a lake shoreline sea wall on my own property and build it myself. The lake is low this summer so it is a perfect time to build the wall. The soil is a mixture of clay and sand. Someone has suggested using 6 inches thick concrete in the bottom of a 2ft x 2ft ditch as a foundation making sure it is perfectly level. The distributor suggested a road base or granular base. I haven't seen any of your videos using concrete as a base so I want to be sure of what to use. The wall is only going to be 3ft high and be stair-stepped down to nothing. Again your videos are great!
Good job & we keep learning. Spending more time but getting it done right! Thank you. Sonny
Exactly! Appreciate it Sonny 👊
Awesome vid stan! Thanks for educating all of us new guys! Keep up the great work! Stay safe!
You bet and thanks for tuning in on every video. Its much apprecited.
Would love to see the finished Down spouts. I am building a wall in a couple weeks that I would love to run some downspouts through. Thanks for the videos Stan!
You can tell by the quality of his work that it’s going to last DECADES. I see so many walls bowed and falling apart it’s ridiculous, If they were all made like this man would that be awesome
Much appreciated🙏
High quality work. And I appreciate that he mentions that the downspouts are NOT CONNECTED to the wall drainage. I can not imagine he volume of water coming off of a roof mixing with the in wall drainage. Asking for trouble.
So did the timber one is been there since the 80s he said😂. Jk I came here for help I have no idea what I'm doing.
Enjoying this series. I'm recently seeing this retaining wall system appearing here in the Caribbean. I think it will be significantly cheaper than the Cinder Block, steel and concrete method that is currently used.
Interesting!
I finished my first retaining wall with stairs in it today. I watched one of your videos on how to make stairs and columns and learn from that video
So glad to hear that!! Keep up the great work 👊
I think you've been through everything several times before but still fun to watch
Glad you enjoy it!
You and the crew look happy to be playing in the dirt after a long winter!
Thanks for the educational videos. I have never done a retaining wall before but I now have some insight thanks to you.
Yay that’s the goal 👊
Looking good so far can’t wait to see the next one and brilliant work and thanks for sharing this with us and sharing how you go about doing these retaining walls. Take care
Thanks Hayden 👍 You rock!
@@Dirtmonkey You’re welcome bud and thank you and you too. Hope everyone has a nice week/weekend
Depending on the geographical area the codes might be different. As a former inspector in S. Cal. The depth and size of fitting will be determined by the hight of the soil to be retained. Be sure to check you local building codes.
well said Dan. In TWIN CITIES Minnesota we don't need a permit for walls under 4' tall in most cities-except Minneapolis. Over 4' tall then yes and engineering. Outside of the metro area- you don't need permits or blueprints at all for retaining walls. It varies a LOT by area.
Would like to see another pool removed video
Most Engineers say that once you get 4 ft or higher your chances of failure increase dramatically.
In our area we have no codes at all which is a shame to an extent because a lot of people are building stuff to fail
I don’t get permits bc it’s MY PROPERTY!
What’s up Stan? I didn’t get the job at my dads work because I can’t work in a “hazardous area” which is stupid because all I would be doing is moving boxes but whatever. I decided to go all in at the farm and work 60 hrs a week starting at 3am. I just need money to invest and save. Looks like a great video as always. Keep up the amazing work Stan.
60 hours a week is a long week. I admire your ambition! Thats some drive!
I love this series you are doing so much info. I'm gonna be making a retaining wall in a little while and this series coming at the right time thanks 👍👍👍
Great to hear!
I'm in the same boat. I will be rebuilding 2 small walls that are failing on a property I just purchased. Right now I am in the do I really want to tackle this, or should I hire the Dirt Monkey crew?
Great Information! thankful for channels like yours that seek to make others better!
Appreciate it Nick 😊
Yay another video. Keep up the great work love watching these kind of videos.
Glad you like them!
Appreciate these videos, currently gathering estimates to replace a failed railroad tie wall. Wry helpful info.
I have a small local gym that hired one of their friends that workout there to install a retaining wall and artificial turf. The wall is about 3 feet high. Fine limestone was used as base. I wish I could upload photos in the comments because it looks horrible. All wavy up and down, front to back. Now the guy is digging the dirt out to install the artificial turf. I want to go say something to the owner of the gym or the owner/friend of the company that's doing the job. I was taught to install crushed limestone/crusher run is what we call it here in my area. Taught to install anywhere from 7-12 inches compacted stone for the base of a wall. Anywhere from 6-12 inches of base past the front and back of the wall for best support. Then for the artificial turf, I was taught to install about 2-4 inches of crushed limestone for the best drainage. Always did more than what is recommended. I just feel like I need to go say something and point out what is wrong and what needs to be done to fix it. What would you all do?
Love your videos. Building a 100ft wall myself right now. It’s going to be less than 4ft tall. Hoping to understand from you whether I have to backfill with a different soil than clay behind my wash 57 stone. Any help you can provide will be great. I’m a homeowner and doing this on my own so I want to do it right. I live in Ohio, so I’m dealing with clay
Great video
Looking forward to part three!!
Coming soon!
Retaining walls are always good to watch fascinating.👍👍👍
I agree 😀👍
Love that bobcat mini. Great video
Thanks John 😊👍
Okay so I will be your one percent , but I love these guys and the work that they do , and don’t you dare berate me for saying this because this is building education right in front of our eyes , and thank you for that Sir 👍 Tam.
Well said
Back breaking work! Kudos to you guys!😍
Great video, really enjoy how maticulus your crew is.
Aw appreciate that!
I have a regular Front yard from the street up it is like 3.5 feet, I’m getting a lift put in so they cut a trench poured a concrete walkway but now I have 2 sides that need retaining walls. With no drainage issues before but neighbours have the big box store walls all kiddywampus. The contractor for the whole job wants to just put like cinder block right on the dirt, do cinder block walls have any place,I sent the contractor this video.now he thinks I’m nuts so I will find some good contractors use your methods. I just wish you guys where here in souther Alberta. Thanks guys for great videos
Because of this channel, now I notice crappy, failing walls when driving all around the twin cities.
Hahaha I’ve done my job right 👍
It really is eye-opening not just where you live but also where I live you can see them everywhere.
For some reason people just think if they put up a bunch of block they are good to go.
Unfortunately that doesn't work with freeze and thaw Cycles very well
Hey Stanley, you could do all your shows on retaining walls and I’m in. What about the ordering process of where you get your blocks, for a DIY guy in his back yard, pavers, blocks, caps etc. etc. I really wouldn’t no where to go or how to go about getting what I need the first time. Keep rocking it man
Could you dive a bit more into the specifics in the layering process ( how much of each material you layer in behind the wall, drainage , dirt , geo etc . ) and at what specific Course it transitions. Thank !
Noted!
Which home depot had the walk behind wide area mower Fargo didn't have any yesterday. Saw one in your last video thanks Stan!
My understanding is not all locations have them. I think this was Forest lake?
Hello and thanks for all the great videos. I was wondering on a project like this if you could put in the comments an supply list of what you used? How long and high the wall was, the number and type of block, fabric, etc? Thanks again.
Want to see more on natural rock walls and the different types of rock used thank you 😎
Gotcha 👊
Hey thanks I hit you up this morning regarding a scary situation with a wall I'm currently undertaking they have some wired cribbing hold up the patio slab and then a deck above that thus vid helps alot
What happened? I didn't get any message
@@Dirtmonkey I sent it to your Instagram
Your guys do really nice work u got one hell of a team especially the fact that u don't have to be with them everytime on a job site u can trust their work
@@DuffyGabi hey thanks for letting me know its so awesome u had those guys working on ur property
yeah the biggest baffle i fight is getting people to understand soil composition and ground works. . . i'm trying to put in a natural boulder with 3x4 step sweep in a shallow grade yard and everyone wants to over engineer this thing with drain systems and fabrics and geo-retention, i'm like it's less than 18" what are you talking about. . . i just found your channel and i'd almost pay for a well written, super well shot (audio is rough sometimes from what i've seen thus far :) - which is understandable y'all be dirt monkies not studio engineers ) a to z type series of 'this is how you determine what type of wall to put in, what conditions should be considered and how to manage 'bureaucracy' and still install a wall that functions and looks good' type thing :) i'll keep sift'n through and watching but yeah man, i'm glad someone is using their brainz to build stuff cause i was getting depressed dealing with a whole bunch of over educated stupid people. . . glad i found some regular edjumikated peoples with practical knowledge and real world wisdom at hand.
Hi there! Perhaps this will be covered in the next video, but what is the final height of this wall? I ask because I noticed that the depth of the geogrid you are laying is not that far - I remember you referencing a 2 (geogrid) to 1 (wall height) ratio in a previous video and just wanted to clarify - perhaps due to this being under 4 feet this is not necessary?
Good To See How To Install A Retaining Wall The Right Way 👍 As Always Keep Up The Great Videos 😁
Thank you🙏. Much appreciated Brian👊
@@Dirtmonkey You Are Helping So Many People Out ! With All Your Years Of Experience 🙏 You Can't Get That From A Book 👊
Keep em coming bud 👍
You got it
What are your views on using geotextile fabric between the cut surface and the drainage aggregate? Would the drainage zone be clogged up by silt over time if there was no separation between the dirt and drainage?
Awesome video, very informative!
Thanks Jeremy 👍
Simply guessing there are more videos in the series, but a segment on the finishing touch: the caps, would be greatly appreciated. I can recall all the other steps in the process from past experience, but the caps is where I'm blanking. Any tips on the curving is greatly appreciated.
Want to see more on natural rock walls and the different types of rock material used
Gotcha 👍
Awesome video my man
Wondering about setting string lines and making sure your square and straight. What do you usually square off of?
When you compact the dirt on top of the gravel do you put anything in between them? Straw or landscape fabric? Or does compacting it keep it from settling into the rock?
Hi Stanley,
How would i integrate geogrid when making stone wall filled with cement? Stones are blue rock and are 1-2 ft in diameter. Planning on making a rock wall as a retaining wall that will be holding up soil that is on the side of a hill that has a cement slab up above on top of the hill. Cutting down my orange tree that is on the hill so i can make room for gravel behind the wall
Question when you build high retaining wall with higher back pressure. And limit securement because of rock formations in areas but others no rock formation. Are there anchors you can use instead like spiral anchor driven 10+ feet into the hillside or something like that.
We’re do yo put your drain in the bottom or like half way up and do you put geo grid in every 2 courses?
Recently had a house built and the driveway is a little narrow. Looking at widening about 6 ft. I have a 4' slope off the side though. Would these blocks;with a good base, work 4' tall with a drive way right above it? Or would be having a concrete cantilever style be better?
Hey Stan - How thick is the dirt backfill layer at the top of the wall. Looks like about 1 course (8") of block to me. Also wondering if you can share the specs on the drain tile and when you use it. Thanks!
Thank you for another great video you guys are awesome 👍
Thanks for watching!
Is the process much different when installing a retaining wall on an unlevel surface or slope? Ie: sloping from left to right and front to back?
this is both. It slopes side to side and front to back. We have leveled the trench for the footing as much as possible but when you watch the basing process in the next video. you will see how meticuloausly we have to account for the level.
Stan, a quick way for base is to use flowable fill, it is faster way as no leveling of the units is required and it meets NCMA guidelines.
Yeah- but I don't like using a base we can't modify. if an adjustment needs to be made to account for excess geogrid affecting the level of the blocks, or a step up changes- its tough. yes it might be faster but I like the ability to make changes on the fly.
These videos are great Stanley. Would this method work in my basement where I'm planning to build a retaining wall to shore up the dirt that's gradually eroding away from the foundation?
Wsp man!😀 don't worry bro I have watched all the videos I have just been busy with exams
All good
Down here in south Alabama (Mobile, Alabama) the versaloc blocks are REALLY expensive. Since we don't have the freeze-thaw cycle that you GUYS have in the north I have considered building a cinder block wall and putting a French drain behind it to relieve any water pressure against the wall. My soil is VERY sandy with little or no clay. Do you have any thoughts or advice? I have found all your videos ( with the exception of the snow... although I still watch intently) to be very informative.
I am eager to see the basing video but I hope it includes more about site prep and the various methods you use to achieve a level base, Hopefully a good review on a Transit level?
How thick are you putting the compacted soil and top soil on the last course of block where we see you putting soil over the top of your drainage aggregate?
How do you do stairs down through the retaining wall? Thinking about right there at that shed door.
Look at the Versa-Block documentation on their website as it has step by step instructions on how to build stairs. Stan also has another video in the past where they do a demo of building stairs.
What kind of anchoring, if any do you use in the wall construction?
geogrid
Awesome video bro 👍
Glad you liked it
what do you do when you get to the top of the retaining wall and you have to put grass on top or if you have to put a patio at the top of your retaining wall
backfill the top 12" of material with suitable material for whatever conditiojs the customer wants. the rest of the wall is stabilized with structural fill compacted in layers.
I have sandy soil should I use filter fabric between my aggregate and soil or no? Wall is 7” high and I have geogrid and am filling with concrete in the block cavities.
I am going to be building a retaining wall about 80' long. About 6' high. I was wondering about using the larger precast pieces. The 1000" to 2000# since I will have equipment at the farm but not a lot of labor. I was wondering if you have any experience with this type.
When you backfill the first sections with #57 gravels, do you pack them down like the soil after the gravel or do you just fill them without packing? Thank you.
Love the videos brotha god bless
Appreciate it Quincy! God bless 👊
I’d like to know more about how you backfill them, I see how you layer rock and the regular dirt as you build up the wall but I’m curious to the method behind how much you’re using and such
Same here
more to come
@@Dirtmonkey i would like to know when is it safe or not safe to compact behind a wall with a machine. Thanks Stan 😊
@@Dirtmonkey same question from me too. In previous videos I think you’ve shown the aggregate the full height of the wall, directly behind the block with only soil on the top few inches. This have anything to do with not being able to extend the grid further into the hillside??
I'm going to be building a 40 ft by 4 ft tall wall should I go with stone at the base or should I pour a concrete footing?
gdm and thanks for sharing these videos; can you discuss installing a four foot or less retaining wall, along a property line with a wood fence; that would be so helpful, thank you.
Why is the engine compartment always open on the mini? I have that same 325, and am wondering if there is an advantage to keeping it open, mayble to help cool it?
Great videos. I heard you mention in another video that you have created a retaining wall next to a river, do you have any footage? I live next to a river and my retaining wall is in a terrible state.
Always great videos brother.👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks Joseph! God bless 👍
Another great video and more great work on the wall….
That wall should last twice as long as the other two combined….
Thank you so much 😀
What are the grooves on the top of the blocks for? Do u connect them with rebar?
I'd like to see more details on building timber and boulder walls. I need to build a timber wall to expand my driveway and a boulder wall to prevent washout from a neighbors drainage ditch
Maaan I can go all day about Storm water management lol I'm not sure what the codes are up there but the people have no clue about rain store systems, and I am sure there's a million ways to get it done. Nonetheless if there's a chance to show off the newest methods for water retention as well would be great, u already know the draftsmanship is a life long commitment 😉
Have you ever dug out a basement before. I recently started digging ours out and released a video. I was just curious if you've done it before. Also really like this series
for a few years-before Timmy became co-owner. he headed up a section of our company that just dug basements, additions, backfilled etc. in fact Thats what started one of my software companies called "dirtmonkey".net. It was a site desined to let contractors use a map to locate other contractors that had excess fill or needed some. Simple, Genius, but didn't work.
@@Dirtmonkey oh that's cool. It's alot of work digging out basements, especially when you can access it with a machine, we are digging ours out by hand
That's actually a really good idea. Have you considered trying it again now that you have a large audience to advertise to? I would certainly use the service.
Thanks for the videos
Glad you like them!
If youre doing multiple retaining walls in a steep yard, with no restrictions regarding access, and ramps between each layer, do yall prefer to start at the top wall or the bottom wall? Or no preference?
Cool video. How do you deal with tree roots or is that not a concern?
Yes! I have this in back yard, I wanted to see something like this, to do ours.
Hope it helps!
Setting the base block (base prep, leveling techniques, making adjustments, common issues/mistakes, step ups etc)
Do you guys put a weeping drain at the bottom of your retaining to keep the pressure of the water from pushing out on the retaining wall
Hello, questions for you. What will be the harm if you had tied the downspout pipe into the pipe behind the wall? Also can contract's fabric be used to separate my gravel from the soil when building a wall.
Good video Stan. Not going to lie though kinda miss your educational commentary. Myself personally enjoy you taking us through the video. But still great video and I have learned a lot! TIA
Sweet, I appreciate the feedback! Thanks Collin 👊
simple but complicated lol Stan you're a true professional
just lots of easy steps that have to be done in a specific way or they don't work. 😂👍
Do you need to put drain pipe through the block wall for get the water out from behind it; or does it drain out naturally by the way you make up the wall and stone behind it?
If I am putting in retaining block on a sloped patio, versalok told me it is acceptable to slope my retaining block (only 2 courses in height). Should I add the dranage to the back of the first course as you guys do with larger projects?