As you know, ties are 6 x 8 feet x 8 inches more or less chunks of pine. When building a retaining wall out of any material, and especially with railroad ties, you must have some sort of tie between the wall and the ground it is holding back. The advantage of the railroad ties was the number of them dropped onto the market as local rail lines got torn up and the creosoted wood was. Wooden timbers and railroad ties are popular choices for creating alternatives to retaining walls. We had 18 inches of a hill that needed to be retained. How to build a retaining wall with crossties diy mother. Thus, the thought to build a railroad tie retaining wall comes in. Cut the area to make a snug fit for the railroad ties. First, we leveled the area where to wall was going to be.
You see them everywhere and many consider their distressed appearance naturally attractive. A railroad tie retaining wall can last up to 40 years in a dry climate, maybe only 15 in a wet one, depending how its treated. Take some railroad ties, rebar and gravel, and you have all the materials for building a. Well show you how to build an attractive retaining wall thats firm, solid and will stand the test of time.
Before making an order for supplies, you need to find out how many railroad. The yard needed a gravel pad so we can eventually build a shopgarage. Remove any ties that are spongy, cracked or crumbling on any side. How to build a railroad tie retaining wall step 1 measurements. Fortunately for everyone, they also documented all the major steps, complete with some great pictures. I have a retaining wall that is roughly 5 railroad ties high by about 60 feet wide that needs to be replaced. And perhaps the easiest way to build such a wall is with used railroad crossties. They are especially useful for building raised flower or garden beds and in terracing hillsides. A retaining wall allows you to turn a useless for landscaping purposes slope into a terraced, flat area.
Railroad ties are thick, durable, cheap, recycled wood that forms longlasting barriers for beds, paths and retaining walls. Take some railroad ties, rebar and gravel, and you got all the materials for building a simple retaining wall. How to build a railroad tie retaining wall nevada railroad. Ogb presents this project by ted elsasser, owner of. Treated wood provides a natural look and longevity to a landscapes design. How to build a railroad tie retaining wall plant care today. How to build railroad tie retaining wall goodhome ids. Some of the ties are buried back into the dirt pile, called deadmen. Dig out the dirt sitting within 3 feet of the retaining wall using a shovel. This is how we made a basic retaining wall using railroad ties found on our farm.
How to build a retaining wall stronger the family handyman. Take some railroad ties, rebar and gravel, and you have all the materials for building a simple retaining wall, like the guys at such and such farms did. Estimate the number of linear feet in the length of. With railroad ties you should use a 4 foot length of a tie that goes straight into the hillside and is also resting on the wall itself. My husband built a retaining wall from railroad ties. Before making a supply order, you must know how much sleepers you need. How to build a perfect retaining wall out of railroad ties, this is the third wall ive built i get all my railroad ties from the home depot, i get a. Feb 24, 2014 take some railroad ties, rebar and gravel, and you got all the materials for building a simple retaining wall.