Recommendations on fence/retaining wall problem..
We are nearing the end of our build and as such the builder is rushing the final outside items.. Especially since winter is now inevitable here in NJ and temps are going to be drastically falling.. With that said I got a phone call from the builder and he inquired about the retaining wall he would be installing and our fence plans.. I told him we are planning to install a vinyl fence all along the side the property where the wall would be going.. He gave me two options.. He said he could push the wall as close the property line as possible and then we could build our fence behind/on top of it, OR, he could leave a space so that we could put the fence in front of the retaining wall.. The retaining wall ( as per our site plans) was supposed to be no more then 10-12 inches in height.. He said he needed an answer asap.. Based on the site plans I figured we would be better off putting the fence closer to the neighbors property and then having our wall behind the fence on our side. After-all, our grade would be close to even with the height of the wall... Well, I just stopped by the site and see they left about 1ft-1.5ft of space between the wall and neighbors property so we can install the fence, however the wall is looking like it will end up becoming a 2 - 2.5ft high wall.. Granted I could still plop down my fence between the wall and neighbors property, however the ordinance in my town specifies that I can only have a 4ft high fence in the front of the property.. Obviously if I put a 4ft fence in front of the wall we would only end up with 2ft of fence on our side.. Just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas on what would be the best method for handling this.. We could still put the fence behind the wall, however we would then essentially have given up 1.5 feet of our property.. The other option which I am not sure if it will meet the town ordinance is to drop a 6ft fence between the wall and the property line.. This would give us the 4ft at our grade level, but like I said, I am not sure if this will be "violating" the township ordinance.. The other option, and again not sure if it "violates" the ordinance, would be to install a 4ft fence but have it raised on the post.. Any ideas?
Comments (6)
DLM2000-GW
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Retaining Wall Advice
Comments (8)I thought I saw that the posts were going to be buried and set in concrete to a depth greater than their exposed height above grade. The terminology of parts used is foreign to me and since I don't do wood walls, I'm not offering a professional opinion of how sound I think the wall will be. My gut says the posts will be sturdy enough, but that the horizontal wood members are too thin and will bulge after not too much time. Double that thickness, at least, seems more appropriate. Insofar as having "no posts supporting each end of it" [per my suggestion] I don't think that's the case as there is a post supporting the end of each primary wall. That support carries through from the primary wall to the diagonal piece, which is "keyed in" as well as being attached by a spike and held in place by earth pressure. However, if the posts eased out of position over time (which, of course, would never happen!) then the corner intersection of the wall could split apart. As I said, however, I think the horizontal pieces (which we would basically call 2 x 4's -- I think -- are too thin and weak for building a retaining wall. I've seen such used before and they bulge. Using them requires a much tighter post spacing. Being thin, they are also likely to succumb to rot much earlier than a stout member.) Regarding the latest proposal, I think appearance would be the problem. The rectangular milled lumber profile introduced where all other vertical members are round posts ... well, it would look like a band-aid from the start. I think doing the same thing with just another post like you are already using would look much better. I don't even think people would say you messed up. If you are concerned about symmetry, you could even add a third post (on the other side of the corner post, placed around corner at 90*) in order to have is seem like a planned design detail. It wouldn't seem strange, I don't think, to have it look like you are beefing up the corner....See MoreAttaching low retaining wall to fence post
Comments (13)Yogy, there is no need for retaining walls here. Incorporating them would only add complication and expense to your project, create a less desirable patio than otherwise could have been had and lean toward "junking up" the appearance...simply because they are uneccessary. At most what you need to do is rework the bottom of the fence at the side where the gate is to make it accommodate the new patio grade. It would be much easier to construct a patio like this if the fence was not in the way. If you can disconnect the fence panels and move them out of the way while the patio is being built it will be a big help. The posts can stay and will not be a problem to work around. You'll need a 6 1/2" - 7" depth excavation in order to accommodate all the layers that comprise the paver patio. It looks like that excavation is already started near the side door just off of the walk. The patio should meet flush the edge of the existing walk unless you intend to do away with the walk. If its surface is in good condition, uniform, and you are content with its appearance, there's no need for you to remove it. The soil that you excavate can be used to retain the patio at areas where there is a dip in the grade. It can be used to blend the grade and fill in any other areas where you need it around the yard. When doing a project like this you must figure out all the drainage ahead of time. Your pictures don't show the other side of the fence and what's behind the camera. One picture suggests that the grade falls off in the direction of the camera. Just make sure that all the water that falls on the patio will have unimpeded access to lower ground so that no water pools. If you think any of it is questionable, you should add more pictures that show an expanded area where the pictures explain the conditions....See Morefence on retaining wall?
Comments (4)One of the issues is that if the wall was built properly, it'll have at least a foot of aggregate (gravel) backfill behind it. This, and the fact that the soil behind the wall is probably not compacted, will allow the fenceposts to move too much in the wind. *If* I were to do this, I'd want to treat the bottom of my wall as if it were grade, and have my fenceposts (or whatever the steel is they're referring to) set the requisite depth below that- in other words, if you have a 24" tall wall and the fenceposts need to be 36" down (not saying that's the depth- I do walls, not fences), your posts will extend 5' below the grade at the top of the wall. Just think about the physics that are at play here, and proceed cautiously. Dave...See MoreDIY retaining wall w/ fence.. Need it redone and done correctly..
Comments (11)There's a lot of scary talk here, but the gist is that a retaining wall is trivial except when things go wrong. These things can include anything from waterlogged soil to earthquake, but we won't think of them too much lest they come true. Here in Arizona, the counties regulate building codes, and Pima County says: "Engineering is required if the wall is over 4 feet high, measured from the bottom of the footing, or for any wall height with applied surcharge loads" such as driveways on top or slopes pushing sideways. Also, and here's the good part: "For retaining walls up to 8 feet high, Pima County Building Safety pre-approved details may be used." That means they have a homeowner-oriented form designed to make it easy unless you're dealing with an intense situation. Forget engineers. Forget lawyers. Call the building permits people and ask THEM, not us. If you follow their plans and have it inspected by them you can expect a reliable wall and a lawyer-free future for it. If your building codes/permits people donâÂÂt have such a handout, get the one from Pima County and see if theyâÂÂll accept it. ItâÂÂs very BS free....See More
just_janni
8 years agonjbuilding143
8 years agonjbuilding143
8 years ago
rwiegand
8 years ago
njbuilding143Original Author