I am looking at putting up a fence, extending existing that ends flush
with house to extend out several feet plut at angle (around electrical
and mail box) then to run along side of house giving 6-8 feet space
along side and total stretch of 60 feet. House is on corner lot
(small lot!!).

My original idea of installing myself seems to have gone by wayside as
project has taken on life of its own. Before putting fence in, need
to build up ground with 2' tall retaining wall for majority of stretch
(60 feet).

Quotes given to me by contractors ranged from 2100 to 2600 (ProGrass
was at $5400 ouch) for a ManorStone (MutualMaterials) retaining wall
and wooden fence. After selecting one contractor, as I have made
inqueries about small changes, such as wanting 6' fence for 15 foot
stretch, then rest 5', the cost for materials keeps edging up.

QUESTION: To help keep cost down, should I consider pressure treated
wood as a form of retaining wall instead of the ManorStone? It would
definately give me more yard room as ManorStone is 12" deep + extra
setback needed for posts. With my back, digging and lifting are not
what I dream of (more like nightmares), so was also reason of
selecting contractor.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Clayton.

In article ,
doolc-at-comcast.com wrote:

Have it done in the manner that gives the best result. You will enjoy
it whenever you look at the result. It will increase your home's resale
value.

Dick


I am looking at putting up a fence, extending existing that ends flush
with house to extend out several feet plut at angle (around electrical
and mail box) then to run along side of house giving 6-8 feet space
along side and total stretch of 60 feet. House is on corner lot
(small lot!!).

My original idea of installing myself seems to have gone by wayside as
project has taken on life of its own. Before putting fence in, need
to build up ground with 2' tall retaining wall for majority of stretch
(60 feet).

Quotes given to me by contractors ranged from 2100 to 2600 (ProGrass
was at $5400 ouch) for a ManorStone (MutualMaterials) retaining wall
and wooden fence. After selecting one contractor, as I have made
inqueries about small changes, such as wanting 6' fence for 15 foot
stretch, then rest 5', the cost for materials keeps edging up.

QUESTION: To help keep cost down, should I consider pressure treated
wood as a form of retaining wall instead of the ManorStone? It would
definately give me more yard room as ManorStone is 12" deep + extra
setback needed for posts. With my back, digging and lifting are not
what I dream of (more like nightmares), so was also reason of
selecting contractor.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Clayton.

Dooler wrote [in part]:

Before putting fence in, need
to build up ground with 2' tall retaining wall for majority of stretch
(60 feet).

A retaining wall must be engineered to hold back the mounded soil.
This requires below-ground footings and might require some steel
rebar. Sometimes, the wall is best sloped back against the soil
its holding.

In some jurisdictions, even a 2-foot retaining wall requires a
permit and inspections. This is NOT bureaucratic obstructionism.
The failure of a retaining wall can be an awful mess if not a real
disaster.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

I use Mozilla as my Web browser because I want a browser that
complies with Web standards. See http://www.mozilla.org/.

Dooler wrote in message . ..

QUESTION: To help keep cost down, should I consider pressure treated
wood as a form of retaining wall instead of the ManorStone? It would
definately give me more yard room as ManorStone is 12" deep + extra
setback needed for posts. With my back, digging and lifting are not
what I dream of (more like nightmares), so was also reason of
selecting contractor.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Clayton.

Check your local building codes. In our community, retaining walls
over a certain size (right around 2 ft I think) MUST be made of stone,
brick, concrete, or some other non-biodegradable material (no railroad
ties...). Some heights require inspection, and some don't (shorter
walls are considered raised garden beds and not structural). Some
heights require more reinforcement than others (the taller the wall,
the more re-inforcement) Apparently, even if you are repairing more
than a certain % of an existing retaining wall that is made of wood,
you must rebuild the entire thing of a non-wood substance. The stone
should last a lot longer and keep you (or the next homeowner) from
having to re-do the same work in a few years--plus, it looks a lot
better, IMHO.

My husband and I have a small suburban lot (125 feet deep from street
to back, and 60 or 70 feet wide) where about 50 feet in the rear is on
a 45 degree slope downward away from the house. If you think your
estimates for your retaining wall are bad, just imagine what ours to
terrace that hill and make usable garden or patio space are like...

Good luck with your project!

--Elit.

"Pam - gardengal" in
news:qN4pc.48038$z06.6860106@attbi_s01:

"Dooler" wrote in message
...
I am looking at putting up a fence, extending existing that ends
flush with house to extend out several feet plut at angle (around
electrical and mail box) then to run along side of house giving 6-8
feet space along side and total stretch of 60 feet. House is on
corner lot (small lot!!).

My original idea of installing myself seems to have gone by wayside
as project has taken on life of its own. Before putting fence in,
need to build up ground with 2' tall retaining wall for majority of
stretch (60 feet).

Quotes given to me by contractors ranged from 2100 to 2600 (ProGrass
was at $5400 ouch) for a ManorStone (MutualMaterials) retaining wall
and wooden fence. After selecting one contractor, as I have made
inqueries about small changes, such as wanting 6' fence for 15 foot
stretch, then rest 5', the cost for materials keeps edging up.

QUESTION: To help keep cost down, should I consider pressure treated
wood as a form of retaining wall instead of the ManorStone? It would
definately give me more yard room as ManorStone is 12" deep + extra
setback needed for posts. With my back, digging and lifting are not
what I dream of (more like nightmares), so was also reason of
selecting contractor.

If you are interested in going through this same exercise a few years
down the road, then you could use PT lumber. Wood, even pressure
treated wood, will rot when in constant contact with moist soil.

yeah, wood is wood.

the cca replacement might not be a rot resistant, but shouldn't leave as
nasty stuff in the siol when it rots?



Not a
material I would consider for any type of long term garden project -
certainly not for a retaining wall. Bite the bullet, get out your
checkbook and go with the stone. It is far better to invest some
serious dollars in good, longlasting quality materials than to
economize temporarily.

Have you considered having a poured concrete retaining wall done? It
will have a much narrower profile than the ManorStone and they can
inset post clips

better check the specs on the bases.
simpson is a big mfr. i think all their post bases warn against using
without top support.
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=%
22not+recommended+for+non+top%2Dsupported%22



directly into the wall to support your fence posts.

posts could be lag bolted onto side of retaining, but that would be ugly.


Look for a fencing contractor rather than a landscape outfit - they
are more experienced in this type of application and the cost should
be very competitive.

yep yep yep

pam - gardengal

Xref: kermit rec.gardens:279504


"Dooler" wrote in message
...
I am looking at putting up a fence, extending existing that ends flush
with house to extend out several feet plut at angle (around electrical
and mail box) then to run along side of house giving 6-8 feet space
along side and total stretch of 60 feet. House is on corner lot
(small lot!!).

My original idea of installing myself seems to have gone by wayside as
project has taken on life of its own. Before putting fence in, need
to build up ground with 2' tall retaining wall for majority of stretch
(60 feet).

Quotes given to me by contractors ranged from 2100 to 2600 (ProGrass
was at $5400 ouch) for a ManorStone (MutualMaterials) retaining wall
and wooden fence. After selecting one contractor, as I have made
inqueries about small changes, such as wanting 6' fence for 15 foot
stretch, then rest 5', the cost for materials keeps edging up.

QUESTION: To help keep cost down, should I consider pressure treated
wood as a form of retaining wall instead of the ManorStone? It would
definately give me more yard room as ManorStone is 12" deep + extra
setback needed for posts. With my back, digging and lifting are not
what I dream of (more like nightmares), so was also reason of
selecting contractor.

If you are interested in going through this same exercise a few years down
the road, then you could use PT lumber. Wood, even pressure treated wood,
will rot when in constant contact with moist soil. Not a material I would
consider for any type of long term garden project - certainly not for a
retaining wall. Bite the bullet, get out your checkbook and go with the
stone. It is far better to invest some serious dollars in good, longlasting
quality materials than to economize temporarily.

Have you considered having a poured concrete retaining wall done? It will
have a much narrower profile than the ManorStone and they can inset post
clips directly into the wall to support your fence posts. Look for a fencing
contractor rather than a landscape outfit - they are more experienced in
this type of application and the cost should be very competitive.

pam - gardengal

QUESTION: To help keep cost down, should I consider pressure treated
wood as a form of retaining wall instead of the ManorStone? It would
definately give me more yard room as ManorStone is 12" deep + extra
setback needed for posts. With my back, digging and lifting are not
what I dream of (more like nightmares), so was also reason of
selecting contractor.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Clayton.


Sooner or later even dock stock will disintegrate. When large and
pressure treated timers are used in construction, their replacement on
some regular basis is an anticipated GIVEN.
It depends on your climate. something like railroad ties can last for
a very long time in a DRY CLIMATE. I doubt your building department
will give you a permit for an unsafe material for a real retaining
wall. ALSO if you can buy yourself a decade, you might be able to
afford a permanent material by then. IN Southern California railroad
ties and the like are often used; however, i used them to build a
raised bed in my greenhouse and in about 8 years some of them were
rotted thoroughly.

hermine stover