Building A Concrete Sleeper Retaining Wall For Your Adelaide Property.
Retaining walls are an excellent way to enhance the look and structural appearance of your property, and one of the best materials for doing that is a concrete sleeper retaining wall.
There’s a good chance you’re in need of a structural type wall, for either the foundation of your new home or for creating new and usable land on your property, And a solid concrete retaining wall will do the job nicely for years to come.
On the other hand you might be in need of a wall that offers that visual appearance, that’s where the concrete retaining wall offers you many options.
Long gone are the days of plain sleepers, you now have many patterns and colours on offer to match your home just the way you want it. It just comes down to what you want to achieve.
On the other hand you might be needing a retaining wall for a boundary and that’s it, a plain concrete sleeper retaining wall night be the best option for you.
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Need to build a concrete sleeper retaining wall for your Adelaide home, give us a call, we offer very competitive quotes but more importantly professional service and a quality long-lasting walls.
I’m sure you’re aware, retaining walls come in different sizes, height and lengths, those factors are all based on what you’re wanting to achieve. As I’ve mentioned already, they are a must for any structural purposes, especially if the area in question is on a slope.
Concrete sleeper retaining walls are best for boundaries, for the foundation of a new home, some gardens, and ground levelling, they are very versatile.
When it comes to the appearance of your retaining wall, the concrete sleepers offer some very attractive types of patterns and colours. These walls are very strong and will last the test of time. You can be assured your investment will be there for many years to come.
If you’re unsure on what type of concrete retaining wall would best suit your home we can discuss this on a free site inspection and quote.
Like anything and the concrete sleeper retaining wall is no different, the key to a solid wall is in the preparation, and if you don’t get this right your wall is doomed to fail. If you’re going to build your wall yourself, we recommend you not to cut corners. You wouldn’t cut corners with a house and a retaining wall is very much the same.
This is another reason we recommend hiring an experienced Adelaide retaining wall builder. We know what we are doing and we are very good at what we do.
What Should I Know About Concrete Sleeper Retaining Walls.
Like all retaining walls the purpose of them is to be built strong and to withstand the pressure that’s put on them. And that’s exactly what a concrete sleeper retaining walls offer. They are very strong and constructed with reinforced steel for extra strength and durability.
Concrete sleepers are a good option for when you need a high wall and on a larger scale. Take a look at any new housing estate and you’ll see they always use sleeper walls for the construction of new housing developments.
The Visual Appearance
As I’ve already mentioned nowadays concrete sleeper retaining walls give you many options for patterns and colours. You can look for a colour that will offset your garden or blend in with your home, It’s totally up to you on that one, and as I’ve said before we can help you with the colour and pattern choice if you need any advice.
One of the big benefits of how the colours are mixed into the sleeper is they are added to the concrete and not painted on, so there’s less chance of fading in the future. That’s one of the biggest advances in the good old concrete sleeper.
The Benefits Of Concrete Sleeper Retaining Walls.
We’ve already touched on a few of the benefits of concrete sleeper retaining walls, but there are a few more than that so we’d lie to list them below.
Having said that. All retaining walls have their benefits but for the purpose of this article we will be focusing on the concrete version.
- They are resistant to termites and other pain in the ass insects.
- They are very strong
- They won’t split or rot as a timber sleeper will.
- They are very low in any maintenance unless you want to give them a wash.
- They are pretty straightforward to construct. (Meaning less on labour costs)
- They will last for many years.
- They are a great option for boundaries.
- They are great for subdividing sloping land.
A big plus in these types of retaining walls is that if you have a little construction knowledge and are keen to have a crack at building your own retaining wall, concrete sleepers are one of the better ones to build.
Having said that there are still requirements you will need to follow. If your wall is going to be over 600mm you will need to have approval from your local council, so please keep that in mind.
If you did decide to build your own wall and you went above the required legal height and something did happen, you could be liable for any damages that the wall may have caused, so please keep that in mind.
A sleeper retaining wall in the garden would be a good place to start. Anything that is for structural purposes is NOT RECOMMENDED.
Having said that if you’re looking for a quote please feel free to reach out, we’ll come to you and discuss your options and what’s the best options for you.
How To Build A Concrete Sleeper Retaining Wall.
Ok, this is where the fun begins, we will take you through building your own retaining wall. Remember, preparation and planning is the key, take your time, there’s no need to rush. Make sure you plan out each step, and you have the right tools for the job.
When preparing your base it’s vital that it’s level. You can start by creating a line with string to lie the surface and you can hold the string in place with pegs of some sort.
Now mark the areas for the holes, this will depend on the length of the actual sleepers so make sure you measure them, this way you’ll know where the holes need to be marked.
The concrete sleepers can come in different lengths so don’t make any assumptions.
The Base.
This is where machinery can be real handy if this is not an option for you then its manual labour, but if it’s a small wall this should be too bad. When excavating you’ll want to go around 600mm deep and around the 450mm round mark, you’ll want this for attaching the brackets. Make sure you leave enough room for backfilling the wall, around 200mm.
Dig And Secure The Posts.
Ok once you have the holes dug in the right place and the depth is sufficient, place the post into the hole making sure it’s nice and straight. Once all the posts are in and level, fill with concrete.
Install The Concrete Sleepers.
Once the concrete is dry and the posts are set in place, you will need to leave for a day or so for everything to be set in place. Then you can add the sleepers by simple slotting them in place.
Once you have the sleepers all in place you will need to leave the retaining wall for at least 4-6 days before you add the backfill. Remember you will need to add drainage in place for excess water. The last thing you want is for any water to put pressure on the wall. Drainage is vital for your wall to last the test of time.
I do not recommend missing this step. Retaining walls with no drainage is one of the most common causes of retaining wall failures.
Depending on what the area is for, a garden, or a levelled area, you can add the required backfill. And remember to add a soil plug. Regulations and planning are essential so make sure you check before you continue.
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