Wood retaining wall leaning on outdoor carport, bakfilled with large gravel rock
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Wood retaining wall leaning on outdoor carport, bakfilled with large gravel rock
I have a free standing carport at lake house that is constructed of woden posts and has retaining wall on three sides (North, East,South) with wood boards making up the retaining wall and driveway entering the fourth side(West) of the carport I dont know much about construction and I didnt think to take pics while there but I will get wsome and post. The four primary post are larger then the smaller posts that appear to be retaing the soil/gravel. The driveway is gravel of white stone approximately 1" stone. I think its limestone but not sure. Seems to me that the walls were built on three sides due to uneven terrain and bacl filed with the rock. The South wall is leaning I suppose because the lot drains that direction as well as to the East however I do not notice bulging on the East wall. I assume the bulging is due to water draining or just poor supporting structure. There are smaller posts that appear to be supporting the wall boards and they are leaning outward.
My thought on repair is excavate the gravel and then staighten/replace the posts and replace the boards. So I dont know what I dont know about this project and I'm all ears. I hope the description is enough to get started. I'll post pics and or videos (if the forum supports them) next chance I get. Does fourum support iphone video? Sorry for newbie questions.
My thought on repair is excavate the gravel and then staighten/replace the posts and replace the boards. So I dont know what I dont know about this project and I'm all ears. I hope the description is enough to get started. I'll post pics and or videos (if the forum supports them) next chance I get. Does fourum support iphone video? Sorry for newbie questions.

#2
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Welcome to the forums!
It's not a great idea to have wood retaining wall. Sooner or later it will fail from rot although drainage will help some. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html
It's not a great idea to have wood retaining wall. Sooner or later it will fail from rot although drainage will help some. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html
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I "hope" there are footings or concrete, at least on the four main posts that support the roof. Once you see pics it wil likely help. Looks like I've mastered the picture posting. Hope to have some pics by tomorrow night or Monday. Thanks
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Oh no, like I said I dont know much about construction. That pic is from the renovation from Kyle Field on the Texas A&M University campus from a few years ago. I was just practicing posting pics. They sent us to the stadium during registration process. It was a massive project and turned out really well. I'm handy enough to be dangerous but dont knoanything about construction techniques, but not afraid to learn and not afraid to work.
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So here are the pics. After taking these, I am wondering if the weight of my riding lawn mower is causing the shift in the gravel and creating the lateral force on the wall. As you can see in one of the pics, I park it along thatg wall and I often go back and forth when backing a trailer.
Here is the wide angle, the "bulge" in the wall cant really be seen here but the top boards are separated about 1/3 of the way from the opposite end.
[URL=http://s347.photobucket.com/user/swc65/media/Lake%20House/IMG_0018_zpsweyohixg.jpg.html]
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Here is straight on view of the bulge

Here you can see the bulge

Here is close up

I can see on one of the main suport posts where there are vertical cracks that have opened.
Any advice on following plus anythiong else I should think of:
1)Supporting structure prior to any excavation
2) Best way to excavate (besides a shovel!)
3) Do I straghten and reuse posts? I did not check for concrete on the short posts
4) Do I need drainage? I noticed that the natural draingage is right along side the carport. Could that be causing the posts to lean?
Here is the wide angle, the "bulge" in the wall cant really be seen here but the top boards are separated about 1/3 of the way from the opposite end.
[URL=http://s347.photobucket.com/user/swc65/media/Lake%20House/IMG_0018_zpsweyohixg.jpg.html]

Here is straight on view of the bulge

Here you can see the bulge

Here is close up

I can see on one of the main suport posts where there are vertical cracks that have opened.
Any advice on following plus anythiong else I should think of:
1)Supporting structure prior to any excavation
2) Best way to excavate (besides a shovel!)
3) Do I straghten and reuse posts? I did not check for concrete on the short posts
4) Do I need drainage? I noticed that the natural draingage is right along side the carport. Could that be causing the posts to lean?
#10
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For a wall made out of 2xs it's in surprisingly good shape. The weight of the dirt/gravel is too much to expect a wall like that not to bend/lean. I'd remove it, pour a footer and lay block. A backhoe is the quickest way to excavate but a shovel is cheaper

#11
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Most people greatly under estimate the amount of force on a retaining wall. Basically what is there is not a retaining wall.
The first step is to remove the stone on the back side to relieve the pressure and prevent further damage to the posts supporting the roof. Then you need to read up on retaining walls and pick a method that best suits your situation. It will be difficult to get a wall to coincide exactly with the edge of your carport like now but you can get close. Generally though expect the construction to be MUCH heavier duty than what you have now. A good bit of the work will be below grade to key or anchor the wall into the ground so it cannot be pushed sideways.
The first step is to remove the stone on the back side to relieve the pressure and prevent further damage to the posts supporting the roof. Then you need to read up on retaining walls and pick a method that best suits your situation. It will be difficult to get a wall to coincide exactly with the edge of your carport like now but you can get close. Generally though expect the construction to be MUCH heavier duty than what you have now. A good bit of the work will be below grade to key or anchor the wall into the ground so it cannot be pushed sideways.
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I was only kidding about the crane. I knew that you were just practicing posting pics
I agree with mark on that one & I agree with Dane on the below grade work that it will take to correct the structure.
For a wall made out of 2xs it's in surprisingly good shape.
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Thanks for the opinions and for humor (donoli2016).
I never considered block, I assume the pavestone type that has the flange on backside to create an offset?
So If I'm getting it, we are talking doing rebuild on all three walls correct? Seems it really would not make sense to only do one side because the same failure could occor on other two sides. This just got much larger than I thought!
This is a rural lake but I've seen a local hardware store that rent equipment and I've seen a mini back hoe out front. Always thought it would be fun to dig with it.
I know you cant tell me every step but humor me here.
As far as a footing, I'd have to insure the all the yelllow arrows are on the same grade. If I'm gona do this it wont be by shovel
How do you insure your excavting a level plane for footing? Eyeball and a long level on a board?
How thick of a footer?
I assume concrete? with agregate or would scacrete work? Reinforcement/ Rebar? HOw far do I need to go?
I never considered block, I assume the pavestone type that has the flange on backside to create an offset?
So If I'm getting it, we are talking doing rebuild on all three walls correct? Seems it really would not make sense to only do one side because the same failure could occor on other two sides. This just got much larger than I thought!
This is a rural lake but I've seen a local hardware store that rent equipment and I've seen a mini back hoe out front. Always thought it would be fun to dig with it.
I know you cant tell me every step but humor me here.
As far as a footing, I'd have to insure the all the yelllow arrows are on the same grade. If I'm gona do this it wont be by shovel

How do you insure your excavting a level plane for footing? Eyeball and a long level on a board?
How thick of a footer?
I assume concrete? with agregate or would scacrete work? Reinforcement/ Rebar? HOw far do I need to go?

#14
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Yes, a project like this could be a lot of fun if you've been looking for an excuse to rent some equipment. Personally I would consider an engineered retaining wall block and not the landscaping blocks sold at home centers. I have used Keystone retaining blocks for 15 years and have had very good luck with the results but Keystone may not be available in your area. The big thing is to use a block engineered for retaining walls.
Once you know what type of wall you want to build the next step will be figuring where you want to put it. You'll not be able to have your carport posts through the wall like your existing so you can go outside or inside. I'd pick putting the wall on the outside so you don't loose room under the carport.
Once you know what type of wall you want to build the next step will be figuring where you want to put it. You'll not be able to have your carport posts through the wall like your existing so you can go outside or inside. I'd pick putting the wall on the outside so you don't loose room under the carport.
#15
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I'd go with a traditional footer and block .... because that is what I know, what PD suggests is probably easier/quicker. How deep the footer goes depends on where the frost line is. If the footer/wall ends up supporting the structure then you need a substantial footer [probably 18" wide 6" deep] if it's only supporting the wall you can get by with less.
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Instead of going crazy throwing all kinds of numbers & ideas around, hire a local architect to draw a plan. It's okay if you want to frame it yourself but get a company to pour the slab. Forget about sacrete. You'll kill yourself.