Below are simple instructions for building a retaining wall for your next weekend project. This is a great DIY project that will add value to your property and help beautify your landscape. Choose your stones from Pavestone’s selection of retaining wall products on our website.

Tools needed for installing Retaining Walls:

• Shovel & Spade
• String Line
• Paver Edge Restraint
• Landscape Spikes
• Gloves & Safety Glasses
• Hand Tamper
• Paver Sand
• Carpenters Level
• Tape Measure

STEP 1: Site Preparation and Excavation.

Stake out the area where the wall will be installed. Dig a trench 12″ wide and 4″ deep.

STEP 2: Base Preparation.

Tamp soil in trench to create a ridged surface. Add 1″ of leveling sand to the bottom of the trench.

STEP 3: Leveling and Laying Stones.

Lay stones sid by side and check for level. Stack additional courses with the bond staggered on the course below.

STEP 4: Use a hammer and a mason’s chisel to score the stone on all sides except the face.

Pound the chisel on the score line until it breaks.

You can view and printout the Retaining Wall Project Worksheet here to assist in determining the square footage of retaining wall blocks needed for your project.

If you decide to install a retaining wall in your yard, please email us the pictures so we can display them on our blog.

Related posts:

1. Pavers & Retaining Wall Products
2. Segmental Retaining Walls – Not Your Father’s Retaining Wall
3. Retaining Walls – Frequently Asked Questions

Build an above ground pond using rigid liner and Pavestone on a deck

Materials

• TotalPond 20 gallon rigid liner
• TotalPond 70 gph Fountain Pump
• TotalPond Flexible ½” tubing
• 30-40 Anchor Windsor Stone® Wall Blocks from Pavestone
• TotalPond Nozzle Kit
• Chisel and hammer
• Construction Adhesive

How-to instructions

Choose the Location

• When choosing the location for your pond, there are both practical and esthetic points to consider. Ensure the pond is visible from many areas whether from a nearby window or an outdoor living area.

• It’s best to avoid locations directly under trees as falling leaves create debris that can clog the pump therefore upsetting the pond’s biological balance.

• Access to a GFCI outlet is required.

• Place the rigid liner in the desired location and mark where the wall blocks should rest. The lip of the Pavestone Windsor Stone® Wall Block serves as a guide and interlock when stacking the wall pieces on top of each other. It is best to place the base course 6” away from the base of the liner.

To prepare the base course on a solid surface, the rear “lips” of the block must be removed by striking them with a sledgehammer (approximately ten stones)
Build the base course of the pond wall Begin building the next tier of the pond wall.  Each block has a “lip” located on the back of the stone.  This lip creates a “lock” effect.  When placing the lip down, make sure it is centered over the gap of the bottom tier. The seams should not line up when creating the second, third and fourth tiers Repeat step three for the third and fourth tiers Using construction adhesive, secure the top row, leaving two stones unglued in the back for the electrical cords
Fill the rigid liner with water to 2” below the top of the liner
Following the included instructions, add fountain nozzle to pump
Place pump in the center of the pond Run the cords through the back and cover with the unglued blocks Plug into a GFCI
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Special thanks to Melodie Elliott with Sunwest Communications, a Dallas public relations firm, and TotalPond for providing us with this DIY above ground pond project.

If you liked this project, or would like more how-to posts like this, please leave us a comment below on what types of stone projects you would like to see.

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