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In Path and Gate Part 1 we laid a new concrete path and installed a gate as the first part of the improvement to a somewhat untidy outdoor area along the north side of the house.
As this was an area used for entertaining, an improvement was necessary and, in part 2 of the job, a small retaining wall, a fence and some new gardens complete the look.
Because the path has been laid on the lower area of the sloping section, the retaining wall alongside won't just create a barrier between the lower level and the upper level, it will also allow the top space to be levelled out, making it far more useable and much tidier. |
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The Retaining Wall
Before Construction
Before any construction takes place, run a string line along the proposed line of the wall to gauge the position and the height. It's important to do this now, as it will allow you to make any changes before the physical sections of the work have been undertaken. It's much easier to change at this point than it is when construction is underway.
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 Stringline |
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Digging Post Holes
Once this has been established, mark the positioning of the posts, then dig or bore holes for these to be concreted in place. One way of doing this is with a spade and some hard physical labour, or you could use a post-hole borer. This may cost a few bucks to hire but the time it saves is considerable, especially if there are a number of holes required. What may often take a few hours with a spade can often be knocked out in less than half an hour with a borer.
Take care when boring the holes, to make sure they are accurately placed along the line and sunk to the correct depth. This is usually one-third of the height of the posts at a minimum, but we've sunk each of these to around 500mm.
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 Boring post holes |
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Fixing the Posts
Using Drymix "Quick to Set" concrete, each of the posts is fixed into place in their holes and checked for plumb and placement to the string line before being left for the concrete to set.
Each post has also been left 50 mm-100 mm longer than the expected required length, so they can be trimmed to height later on.
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Posts in place |
The Wall
The face of the retaining wall is being constructed from H4 treated 200 mm x 50 mm tongue-and-groove timber, especially designed for this job.
After the posts have been checked for their levels and everything is straight, the first section of timber is fixed to the posts using 100 mm galvanized flat-head nails. The second section is then placed on top, locking together using the tongue-and-groove system. In some cases it may need some 'encouragement' to fit together properly but, rather than hammering directly on top of the tongue (which will damage it), use an off-cut of the tongue-and-groove timber as a 'buffer' on top of the piece you are trying to move into place.
When the retaining wall sections are in place, the tops of the posts can be trimmed to height and a capping section placed on top of the wall. In this case, a section of 75 mm x 50 mm timber was used – nailed into place using 100 mm galvanized flat head nails. |
 Retaining wall
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Behind the Wall
When filling behind the wall, consider using a coarse, porous material along the bottom to allow for appropriate drainage. Then complete the fill and level it off with a product appropriate to the surroundings.We used ahigh-quality garden mix, which was smoothed out with a rake and levelled off ready for planting. |
 Levelling |
The Fence
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It would have been possible to have completed this already, shortly after hanging the gate, but leaving it until now made it much easier to carry the required items into place for the retaining wall.
Post Holes
As with the first stage of the fence and gate project (Path and Gate part 1 ), two posts need to be concreted into place after being checked for plumb and placement. Marking the holes and boring them when using the posthole borer makes considerable sense, although some loose material may need to be removed from the hole before the posts are concreted into place.
When the concrete has cured, horizontal rails are then nailed in place between the posts. Fix these to each post using galvanised flat head nails before the vertical palings are secured in place. |
 Fence Posts |
Pailings and Pickets
The choice of palings may vary considerably depending on the style of fence you are putting up. If you have a pre-made colonial or gothic-styled gate from MLC, you can purchase matching pickets from Mitre 10, or you can opt to use rough sawn 150 mm wide pickets to complete your fence like we have done on this project.
It's important that the first picket is installed perfectly plumb, so use a level to ensure this is the case before nailing it into place. Use grooved galvanised nails to nail the palings in place; these are specially manufactured for the job. The rest of the palings should follow suit fairly simply. It's your choice whether to butt them hard together or leave a uniform gap between them but it does pay to check them at various points as you fix them in place to ensure they remain plumb. Also, ensure the top of the palings remain level with each other as they are fixed in place or trim them off with a circular saw once the fence is finished. |
 Nailing in place |
The End Result
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Now complete, the new fence, gate, path and retaining wall have totally transformed this area from something that was previously untidy and dishevelled into an area that is both attractive and far more practical. The addition of some selected plants and a coat of stain to the fence, gate and wall will complete the transformation. |
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