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...

We're desperate for some advice. We want to build an interlocking retaining wall off of our concrete patio, then extend the concrete patio over to the wall. However, I'm getting different advice on whether or not to just pour the concrete right up to the wall (direct contact) or to put in some sort of expansion joint. Those that say to just pour up against the wall state that the material in the expansion joint will just deteriorate over time and you'll have a gap where water will get in. Others who say pour up to and against the wall say that over time the concrete will pull away from the wall eventually, then you just "fill it" with some sort of gap filler that will then expand and contract. We're so confused. Any advice and photos would be much appreciated. Thank you!!

Sorry I was not very clear, I was just referring to the walls proper. You can run each wall conduit back to the house or from wall to wall then the house, depends on what is convenient. Just be sure to size the conduct properly (larger is ok) for the number of wires required. Your local building inspector can tell you what he will accept. Add one wire for the earth ground, it must be connected to your panel. I would suggest you get some landscape wire and run one to each wall, then you can connect speakers to it (the purest s will complain) but it works. 5 amp at 8 ohms will give you about 200 watts. Remember to check the voltage drop in the wire so you can size it properly.

In order to solve all the problems your yard offers, you need a complete plan which includes retaining walls and planting. To be sure, it is much easier to care for a yard that is organized and has organized plantings, as opposed to one which is hodgepodge. Personally, I think you would do yourself a favor to hire a landscape designer or L architect in order to determine the complete concept for the property: walls/planting and whatever else that's needed we don't yet know about. (Here, we're looking only at piecemeal images. It's very difficult to grasp the existing conditions of the property and understand the extent of what is needed.) You probably need some walls, but in some places, slope will probably work fine. It's a matter of determining how it can all work together. If you have DIY skills, I would suggest you pursue the comment of plsx88 ... "... low walls of less than 4 ft are within what a homeowner can build himself at a fraction of the cost a contractor wants." Even so, you would probably need a designer to help you determine their design. A timber wall would probably suffice if you just want someone else to come in and do it. But it will not be as nice and enduring as a concrete wall. Given that you got some prices, I'm thinking that you've either had some design work done, or you're getting prices based on some vague suggestion by a contractor. If it's the latter, abandon that idea. You can only get a price based on a plan and specs. Otherwise, you will not know what you are getting until it's too late.