Before you dig ANYTHING, make sure you call 811, a free service, that will help you ensure that you do not accidentally cut into service lines. This is not only a safety issue, but it could cost you big money if you accidentally cut a line (not to mention saving you from the angry neighbors that just lost a utility because you cut the line)! There's more info about 811 here, and some additional retaining wall info that might be helpful to you: http://info.basalite.com/blog/ Best of luck, Happy Building! Terrie Here is a link that might be useful: Basalite Concrete Products blog

I can put whatever grass back there is appropriate. Not married to Bermuda but the majority of yards do around here. Previously it was a 6 foot fence with a tree. Now it is an 8 foot fence and no tree. The direction the Sun travels from the picture is back to front. The shade from our house is there from morning till noon and is unchanged from the project. The shade from those houses behind us is cast before the fence. Neither of these things prevented the Bermuda from growing before. Around the tree canopy shade area yes. Was starting to see some effects but now it's gone. :) The goal of the project was to raise the area and remove the tree. Basically we are doubling the size of our backyard in terms of usable (for kids) space. Other goal is to not create a drainage problem. Before it was excellent drainage but obviously by raising it, we must be mindful not to create a problem. For instance, I have put in drain pipe for all of the gutter feeds to that area and daylighted that directly out the wall. Before it was on the plane of the yard. Not ideal green thinking wise but it's done. Now that area only takes on water from the plane of the yard surface itself. I do have a drainage question related to grading which I'll post on the landscape forum. Is there another grass that I should be using back there? It's not out of the question for me to have something completely different since the entire area save for about 5 feet, is surrounded by hardscapes (driveway, wall, patio, house). I'm open to any suggestion.

Hi Weedy, Thanks for the reply-- We currently don't even walk on the deck, the beams meeting at the outside-left corner have completely rotted away and not supported by the posts... I swear it's inertia and friction holding the thing up this point... I like your idea of having just two retaining walls and leveling out the area, the trouble is that the lowest spot in my yard is not quite as low as I'd like the area under the deck to be, meaning in order to water away from the house I'd have to either build a retaining wall there or build up a small mound to provide grade. This is why I was thinking of building retaining walls on 3 sides to box in the whole area under the deck while incorporating a set of steps into one of the walls (probably right side) to keep access. For the footings, I figured I needed to 4' lower then the lowest point around me, just wanted to hear another opinion... this a lot of digging!! Regarding posts and retaining walls... my idea was that the footprint of the deck is exactly the same as the retaining wall--so are you suggesting making the deck larger then the footprint of the retaining wall, meaning the posts are set "outside" of the retaining wall? or smaller? I wasn't really expecting to gain much by incorporating posts into the retaining wall, just trying to maximize my space under the deck for storage. Currently the deck is about even w/ the window on the right side, and off by only a couple of feet on the other, so expanding the deck parallel w/ the house could only grow by 2-3' before it starts to overhang the windows (I think it's 8' now, so it could grow to maybe 10')... I could certainly grow the deck perpendicular to the house, that might be the best option, that would also allow me have more of the deck in the sun which would be nice. I'm doing a a "hybrid DIY" on the build, I'll be hiring a family friend who is a professional carpenter, so I do have hourly costs associated with the build, but all the same I'd still rather spend more now to get a better build :) Ideally I'll be getting "serious" around July 1st, applying for the permits, taking down the old deck, etc...

I believe you with the measurements. It's just that it doesn't show up well in the photo so is misleading until you clarify twice :-) And I understand how you're going to remove more from where the grade is higher toward the corner of the wall. And all of your drainage from behind wall sounds great. "Yes" to having swale above wall to direct water from spilling over it. (But I know in real life that some may go over the top of wall.) Nevertheless, the design should be directing water to run toward ends of wall since you want it to go around the sides of house. This would happen both above and below the wall. We haven't seen the slope so don't know what you're working with (against?). Keep in mind that you DON'T want water rushing down the hill, collecting directly at the back of the wall, and then running left or right to get to the wall ends. Such a volume of water, running fast, would wash out material from the back of the wall. Chances are good that you don't have a lot of room for creating a swale. You might need a flume instead. Keep in mind your wall should turn 90* back into the slope at its ends. This part of what it takes is to prevent washing out from behind the wall. There are a lot of details for this project and site that we are unaware of, so ask where things are not clear.