- 1). Call your local builders' hot line. Ask them to come to your property and mark out all the utility lines. Most cities will do this free of charge.
- 2). Mark the location of the retaining wall using either a garden hose or spray paint. If you use a garden hose, pour some sand over the top of the hose after you have laid it out. Lift the hose out of the sand, and it will leave an indentation that you will be able to follow when digging.
- 3). Dig out the marked area of your retaining wall, creating a trench. The trench should be approximately 6 inches deep and wide enough to lay the stones in. The first layer of stackable stones will be below ground level, creating a sturdy base layer.
- 4). Tamp down the bottom of the trench with a hand tamper. Place a level inside the trench. If there are any low sections, shovel some soil back into the trench and tamp it down. Recheck with the level until the entire trench is level.
- 5). Pour patio/paver base into the trench. Smooth it over the entire bottom surface of the trench with a rake. You will need to have a 3-inch layer over the entire trench. Place a level on the surface of the patio/paver base. Use the rake to add or remove base from certain areas. Tamp the base down with a hand tamper.
- 6). Place the first cornerstone in place. Put a level on top of the stone. Place sand underneath the stone to make any necessary height adjustments. Hammer the stone in place with a rubber mallet. Move on to the next stone. Level the second stone and hammer it down. Repeat until the entire first layer of stone has been laid.
- 7). Cut the end stone to make it fit in the trench. Mark the cut location on the stone with a piece of chalk. Make the cut using a masonry saw. Sweep the surface of the first layer of stone to remove any dirt.
- 8). Measure the length of a stone. Divide this measurement in half and make a mark at that point on the surface of the stone. Use the level to make a line dividing the stone in half. Cut the stone on this line using a masonry saw. Place the stone in the starting corner for the second row. The stone is cut so that the stones' gaps are staggered. Continue laying the stones in the second layer.
- 9). Pour gravel behind the two layers of stone to act as backfill. Pour dirt behind the gravel to fill in the area behind the retaining wall. Tamp down both the gravel and the dirt with a hand tamper.
- 10
Continue laying rows of stone until you reach your final row. Backfill the retaining wall after every two rows. Tamp down the backfill each time. - 11
Spread a bead of construction adhesive on top of the second-to-last row. Lay the final row of stones on top of the construction adhesive. - 12
Lay a piece of landscape fabric over the gravel and soil. Pour a few inches of topsoil onto the landscape fabric. Smooth the topsoil with a rake.
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