Building a concrete wall

A concrete wall may serve many purposes. It may surround your plantings, facilitate a landscape on different levels and serve as a border for your property.
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1. Excavation
2. Make the foundation
3. Install the base of the wall
4. Proceed to the on-going installation
5. Finishing

1. Excavation

Use a cotton string and stakes to locate the wall. Provide a minimum 12" space at the back of the wall for 0-¾ drainage gravel, and 12" at the front to support the wall.

1.1 

Dig a 6" deep trench, allowing an additional 10% of the height of your wall as additional depth. This will let you lay the blocks into the soil.

1.2 

Cover the back and the bottom of the trench with a geotextile sheet, making sure it's longer than the height of the wall by at least 12", you'll use the extra length to cover the drainage gravel.

2. Make the foundation

Spread 6" of gravel over the entire surface of the soil.

Use a tamper to compact the gravel, making sure that the foundation over which you're going to lay the first row of blocks is level.

3. Install the base of the wall

For the base of the wall, you have to lay the first row of blocks down, making sure they're level.

Install behind the wall a 4" diameter perforated drain pipe.

4. Proceed to the on-going installation

Lay the following rows is such a way at to make the joints overlap.

4.1 

Backfill the back of the wall with 0-¾ gravel after installing every second row.

4.2 

The first backfill should cover the perforated drain located just behind the first row. It should not be machine-compacted.

5. Finishing

Fold the geotextile sheet over the drainage gravel. Then cover geotextile sheet with soil or other material as well as the gravel at the base of the wall.

Replace the strips of sod. Be sure to water well.
And congratulate yourself on a job well done.
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