New build house retaining wall problem

Wildsurf

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Again, going by my sister's property - built just over 10 years ago - the identical round timber posts she had were the retaining wall. When removed, the neighbour's retained garden was visible, and the fence posts of the neighb's garden fence was planted very close to the edge - needless to say the fence was starting to lean alarmingly. And it was built like this by the builder from new. Having said that, the earth/soil was very compacted and wasn't about to collapse any time soon. 

She decided to go with timber for aesthetics, and by using treated 8x4 sleepers, it should last a fair time. I also soaked the sleeper ends in further preservative, and finally coated them in 'Black Jack' paint before setting them in the concrete trench that was there, although jack-hammering the new holes for these was an absolute pain. Behind these vertical sleepers I slid 8x2s, flat on edge, and with a plastic membrane between them and the garden, and finally pea shingle poured down between the sheet and the earth to allow drainage. It all looks like a solid 'sleeper' wall. 

But, I agree - the sensible thing would be to set concrete posts there - spaced, say, 6' as with a garden fence - and then use concrete 'gravel boards' or similar to actually retain the wall. This can all be painted, or climbing plants grown up it. 

 

What you describe is the same as the contractor we got out for a quote yesterday described as a potential solution. Looks like our neighbors are interested in having there part of the wall done at the same time which may save a few £s.

Jeepers_Creepers

Sounds ideal.

Wow! Sensible neighbours! :-)

jonhickley

Just seen this thread and in a very similar position - moved in last year and over the winter and bad weather around 6 fence stakes have moved forward, when investigating all of them are completely rotten and looks as though the garden above is slowly on the move.. awful design and just like the house builders have ran out of materials.. can’t see any structure begin apart from some rotted 2x4

Irishpearce26

Where has the decency and pride in workmanship gone? Social media highlights the inefficiency of our construction industry, you only have to follow 'on the tools' page to see how much this industry doesn't care about standards.

Jeepers_Creepers

jonhickley said:

Just seen this thread and in a very similar position - moved in last year and over the winter and bad weather around 6 fence stakes have moved forward, when investigating all of them are completely rotten and looks as though the garden above is slowly on the move.. awful design and just like the house builders have ran out of materials.. can’t see any structure begin apart from some rotted 2x4

Is this 'your' retaining fence? Worth looking at something permanent. I think the simplest and cheapest would be concrete posts, and with concrete 'gravel boards' in between them (just like you'd have on the bottoms of a timber fences). That'll do the actual retaining job, and you can then add whatever you want on your side in order to give you the look you want - trellis, timber slats, whatevs.

Not amusingly, a neighb 3 houses up from my sis's - it's a terrace of 4, with all having stepped level gardens - had the same thing happen. Their retaining timber post wall rotted and collapsed, with part of their garden following it. They immediately apologised, said they'd have it rebuilt, clear up any soil, and restore it back to original - if not better.

Unfortunately, the neighb into whose garden it collapsed has a personality disorder, and demanded a block wall, rendered and painted to match her house.

Nah - that ain't going to happen, pal.

Staggeringly, they are both now into 5 figure sums in litigation.

(Told my sis all the end neighb had to do is put it in 'recorded' writing that they'd be happy to repair the retaining wall to as new - or better than new - condition, and had been turned down. End of. Some people can't be helped...)