How to put in retaining wall against fence?

Hi,

I recently built a house and have leftover topsoil which I plan to use some of it to build a retaining wall/garden bed and also backfill the yard.

For the retaining wall, I’m planning to put it against the colorbond rear boundary fencing but unsure how far to extend it out. It’ll be 600mm high to meet regulations. I am planning to use concrete sleepers with the posts held in place with concrete. I'll add Ag drainage behind the retaining wall also and connect it to the stormwater drain.

I’m unsure what to put in front of the colorbond fencing to prevent damage/rust to it and was looking for some recommendations/advice. I was planning to put some plants in the retaining wall.

And also, I plan to backfill the yard to level it. How high should I level it to the hardscape? I plan to lay turf down when it gets warmer.

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Comments

Jason

Hi @duza11,

Congratulations on the new house. It must be a very exciting time for you. We're certainly pleased that you have joined the Bunnings Workshop community and look forward to seeing how you can transform your background. It sounds like a big undertaking but that you have a solid plan.

Let me tag the ever-helpful @Adam_W to see if he could share his thoughts on how he would tackle the retaining wall. Adam wrote the guide How to build a retaining wall for the community and it includes a video that you might find useful.

Our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL will also be happy to assist as soon as possible. Apologies for the delay but with so many people currently in lockdown, Workshop is very busy at present.

Please let me know if you ever need a hand getting the most from the site. We're here to help.

Welcome,

Jason

EricL

Hello @duza11

Thank you for sharing your retaining wall project with us.

It sounds like you are building a raised garden bed close to your Colorbond fence. Please note that the Colorbond fence is not built to carry static weight against it. If you were to put weight against it, it would possibly bend and deform. I suggest instead building a free-standing raised garden bed so that it will not lean against anything.

Using concrete sleepers to make your raised garden bed is an ideal choice and will provide years of service. I recommend leaving a gap of 100mm from the back of your raised garden bed to the front of the Colorbond fence. This will allow you ample space to reach into the back for cleaning.

I suggest running several builder's lines from one end of the garden to the other with a slight fall towards your fence. This will serve as a guide for you when spreading the soil. This will also guarantee that when you have a large amount of rainfall, it flows out of your property and not towards your house.

Here is a handy guide for ideas and inspiration: Top 10 most popular raised garden beds

Plus a useful step-by-step guide: How to lay turf

Let me tag our experienced member @LePallet for his recommendations.

Please keep us updated, we look forward to seeing your garden ready.

Eric

LePallet

@duza11
hey there

I would recommend also running treated pine sleepers along the fence. And if your running drainage, making sure you use the recommended materials for the drainage rock

duza11

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/14355#Comment_14355

Thanks for your advice guys.
I have sort of come up with the plan for my raised garden bed with treated pine and concrete sleepers.
I plan to use treated pine sleepers held in place with posts to use at the back of the garden bed as suggested by @LePallet . If I have this next to the colorbond fence, would this take away the weight against the fence?

Then for the front wall of the garden bed, I will use concrete sleepers for better aesthetics and durability. I’ll have Ag drainage pipe at the front and then drainage rock to cover the pipe before filling it with the soil. To help with the drainage away from the house, I’ll make it slightly angled towards to the fence so the water falls toward the fence instead of the house. Thanks @EricL for the advice.

The whole garden bed/retaining wall will be 15000 long, 600mm high and 800 deep.

Is there any issues with the plans mentioned above? I’ve attached a rough diagram of my ideas

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/69774#Comment_69774

Hello @duza11

Thank you so much for the update on your project. It's great that you've received fantastic advice from @LePallet. I totally agree with his recommendation of having adequate drainage for your garden. Your plan looks good. My recommendation is to bring your plans and measurements with you when you go to the store. The team members at the store will then have a better idea of the size and shape of your project. Please keep us updated, we look forward to seeing your raised garden bed.

If you need more advice or information, please let us know.

Eric

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