![lowes concrete blocks lowes concrete blocks](https://hip2save.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Square-Paver-Stones.png)
This new deck will extend a few feet over the slope. To extend our back yard use, we are going to build another simple deck to tie in w/ the existing deck. we already have one deck (large) on ground level. Hee Hee - really appreciate the post - and totally identify w/ your sis in SC (and I am in NC, so that hit home, LOL!!!) I can only imagine your slope in WV!!! One of these days it might be finished! lol It's incredibly slow but worked for their budget. My sis did some interesting work in SC making her own concrete forms. Better to add fill to terracing than shift it from top to bottom. I'll be terracing my backyard which is sloped (what isn't sloped in WV?) but was warned by my inspector that I shouldn't breach the 45 degree angle of earth relative to the footings or I'd risk making the foundation of the house unstable. lower ny is stricter for instance because fatalities have already been established (and yes, a mason got put in cuffs for a 6 o'clock news perp walk). some retaining walls, where failure would result in someone getting hit in the head, are required to be performed by licensed/bonded masons. You can get around those requirements by building a series of smaller stepped walls with strips of ground in between.Īnother code to keep in mind is the height of the wall. Generally they have a limit of ~ 3 feet unprotected. The other thing to be aware of, in many locations, walls over a certain height require a fence or barrier at the top to prevent some dolt from taking a fall. If you have a site with lots of water, it might be best to put some perf pipe behind the bottom coarse and route that to drain the wall. My general overall experience with those box stores is dismal as suppliers for contractor type projects. Probably been stuck a few times too many. Lots of times the truck can not get to where you want, they can be wary of driving over grass or softer ground. They will be far more able to put it where you want the block. A boom truck is used many times or some even have a small Hi-Lift on the back of the truck. They usually have a far better selection, better prices and sometimes far better equipment for delivery and handling. Most bigger cities have a masonary type supplier. If you are in an area where there are specialized suppliers, they are far better. Usually they overcharge, the selection is small and the service is never quite up to par. No, I do not like those folks like Lowes or HD. The big trick if there is one, get the block delivered and distributed as close to where the wall will be as possible. You don't do much baby making after a hard day in the field. They typically are a curved type block and the result looks a bit like an igloo when you get done. Those type blocks are also used a lot for building on site drainage collection basins. Each project was a bit different depending on what each site required. I've done some of your typical home type walls using the blocks. Must have enough newbie skills to get it modestly level or tailored to the site as intended. Beyond the block, usually you do need some source of gravel at the minimum. The better systems probably have the bigger type blocks. If you do all the labor, the beauty in the process, you can afford to fail. Most will have a typical installation type video or instruction set for their products. I would look at other manufacturers and avoid folks like Lowes. The higher the wall the better / deeper the foundation usually is. In some cases a bedding sand might be used. This is a sort of critical point to get the foundation firm and level at the starting point.
![lowes concrete blocks lowes concrete blocks](http://mobileimages.lowes.com/product/converted/820779/820779402306_04402511.jpg)
Most lower walls, you bury the first course and provide a tamped earth footing, maybe a mix of fine Earth and cement, or sand or whatever. The one critical requirement is they all must have some way of draining water from behind them, usually they also have a fabric type barrier to prevent soil wash between the block but in some cases that might be accomplished with fine gravel. Some block systems are designed to "Step Back" each course, others are not.
![lowes concrete blocks lowes concrete blocks](https://www.chaneyenterprises.com/images/TCS/F-blocks-Solid3.jpg)
Some systems "Tie Back" into the earth better than others.
![lowes concrete blocks lowes concrete blocks](https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/0ddc9724-fcae-4a10-a383-454440f8cf95/svn/cinder-blocks-8053112-64_1000.jpg)
The beauty of the systems, the walls can move a bit, even if they should fail, can just be restacked. One common requirement is how the drainage system is designed behind the wall. A major consideration is how high is the wall. In general the requirements are sort of tailored to the site. There are many designs of those interlocking blocks, some are better than others.