Child Item

How to rebuild sleeper stairs doubling as a retaining wall?

The previous occupants built these stairs which also act as a retaining wall. They're starting to slip so I want to rebuild it.

I would love to rip the whole thing out but it's going to be tough to get a digger in there and I don't have the back to do it by hand. Am wondering if it's possible to rip up the steps themselves and rebuild just that part, leaving whatever is inside it intact?

Keen for any thoughts and ideas people might have.

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Decking and Paving

Repairing

Building and Construction

Landscaping

Comments

Dave-1

Good Afternoon @dandydiyer

Looking at the photos (think the steps are in resonable condition btw 🙂 ) Lets step through some ideas. (and just saw the pun 🙂 )

The rear of the pavers looks like its concrete?

I cant see any posts for the rear of the side supports?

Are any of the rises (of the steps) rolling forward at all? They dont look like it? Other then the very top one.

How much do you dislike the style of the steps?

I am thinking of maybe a half half update of the steps.

- So clean the steps up with a water blast/weeding.

- Leave the existing copper half logs in place.

- Get rid of the concrete plug on the right of step 4

- Redo the very top step with new timber if needed.

- New side walls from step 4 up using Jack 650 x 300 x 150mm Black Rectangular Gabion either side. They can be stacked on top of each other as well.

The top of the existing steps timber sleepers are well on their way to becoming compost 🙂 Help them out by retiring them and a bit of a clean up with new gabions or the retaining wall blocks instead. Both use their weight to hold the soil back. (mainly so no new posts are needed)

Dave

dandydiyer

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/54512#Comment_54512

Love the pun, keep it coming!

There's no concrete there, except for that side plug. The very top riser and the next one down are rolling forward slightly. Am not a huge fan of the style of the steps, so might consider ripping all the pavers our and doing something different, but I'm trying to avoid not digging out the whole space unless necessary.

I'm primarily concerned with the retaining aspects as my whole block is on a slope. Sleepers on the back wall here don't go all the way down - what you see is all there is, so anything below that is only being held up by the individual steps. If I construct new steps, I'm not sure how to best tie them back so they don't fall forward under the weight.

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/89493#Comment_89493

Hi @dandydiyer,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

The main thing I would be looking to address in terms of shoring things up is the side walls.

I note there is something resembling a post in the corner here, but I am not so sure.

Can you see how they are anchored to the ground?

If I were doing the work, I would look to address the side walls before moving on to the steps.

You might be able to dig out behind them and install a new full-height retaining wall that runs at the height of the top step.

If I were doing the work, I would remove around 600mm of soil behind the existing wall, remove the retaining wall, then install sleeper retaining posts and then new sleepers with drainage behind. It would follow its current line to the height shown above. It would be retaining the soil to the right of the shot as well as the soil underneath the steps. Once set in place, I would backfill behind it.

I would repeat this on both sides of the steps.

Once these side walls are fixed, I would start from the top step and work my way down. I would use retaining blocks as opposed to sleepers, as they wouldn't require you to dig out holes to concrete in posts.

You could then replace the pavers on the landings with pavers that match your retaining blocks.

Ultimately, it would still be a lot of work, but you could do it in stages to reduce the strain on your body.

Allow me to tag @AlanM52, @Nailbag and @JoeAzza to see how they'd approach the job.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

dandydiyer

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/110555#Comment_110555

Thanks Jacob. I think that sounds like a good approach to me.

I would need to sink a new post front and back as the one that is there doesn't face the right way to hold those sleepers on the side. I will probably remove some of the soil in those side sections to level it out so it's not sloping.

Do the retaining blocks work in place of the timber step risers that are currently there? Do they need to be cemented in or just placed onto compacted soil or something?

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/122666#Comment_122666

Hello @dandydiyer

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your sleeper stairs repaired.

Eric

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/122666#Comment_122666

Hi @dandydiyer,

Yes, the retaining wall blocks would replace the timber risers.

They weigh enough to retain the soil behind them without anchoring them to the ground.

They would simply be placed on a strip of compacted material such as road base.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

dandydiyer

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/130512#Comment_130512

Amazing. Thank you so much folks. Gonna take me a while but I'll work on it bit by bit and report back as I do. Appreciate the advice.

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/135369#Comment_135369

I look forward to seeing your progress @dandydiyer.

Good luck!

Jacob

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/122666#Comment_122666

Hello @dandydiyer

My apologies for not seeing the question under your picture. As mentioned by my teammate the retaining wall blocks would replace the timber risers. My best advice is to double check your measurements to make sure everything lines up.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

AlanM52

Hi @dandydiyer,

I was delayed getting to this one... these days spending even more time snoozing during the day.

The view from my perch over here is that everything looks in pretty good shape - I see no major structural issues.

Top step 2.jpg

The top step is being pushed forward because that wall needs another sleeper.

I propose that creates the illusion that all the steps are being pushed forward.

The other steps.jpg

The rest of the steps look ok but do need some alignment work.

ight wall.jpg

When doing that (addinging another sleeper) line them up with the retaining wall on the right.

Top wall.jpg

Dig out to drop those sleepers.

Cheers

Child Item