# Forum Home Renovation Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors  Retaining wall issues

## Chiefnz

Hey guys 
I am wanting to build a small retaining wall in the front yard.  When standing on the foot path looking at the house the yard slopes down from the right to the left and also down toward the house.  We are wanting to build a retaining wall (will be 600mm max) that will then have a big section in front of the house level with the road. However do we make the wall level with the house line (so perfectly level) or follow the level of the road (down right to left). I thought it would be following the road but when I put a string line out it looks a little weird against the house backdrop as obviously that is level.  Am i answering my own questions here and should just be doing it level or ?????? 
Cheers
Aaron

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## Marc

> ... that will then have a big section in front of the house level with the road.

  What does that mean?
Can you make a sketch or take a photo?

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## Chiefnz



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## Marc

I see ... sort of  :Smilie:  
The top of the retaining wall will always be following the level of the soil you want to retain. If you want a section of ground, horizontal, you must have a wall that ends horizontal. If you want the ground retained forming a slope, the wall must be sloped. 
So it is not a matter of aesthetics but more of what you want to achieve. In your case, if I understand the situation, if you want the green section to be flat, horizontal ... you will need two retaining walls or rather three. One along the house, another along the road and a third joining both on the brown side. Perhaps you can obviate the one along the road by sloping the ground gradually towards the road (?) 
A flat section of yard in front of the house is in my opinion more practical, but a sloped yard is not wrong and would need a lower and less intrusive wall. 
Not much of a muchness either way. Most important is the choice of materials for your wall. Something that says, heavy and permanent is always better than flimsy DIY Bunnings fantastics. Think sandstone blocks for example, but of course I am not paying  :Smilie:

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## Chiefnz

Thanks for your reply Marc.   
Lol yeah not the best pictures but was a quick job.  The reason for lifting the level with a wall is that we will plant along the edge which will give us a screen of sorts along the front of the property.  Will be far enough back that sun will still stream in but high enough so that from the road you cant see right into the window as you can now with the road being higher than the house.   
So the plan was to have grass level with the pavement and as it heads towards the house will slowly level out to the level retaining wall running along the width of the property (as in the retaining wall is level.  OR have the retaining wall running the width of the property the same slope as the pavement.  However when you look from the pavement to the house will it look horrible to then have the retaining wall not perfectly level against the backdrop of the level brick house.

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## Marc

So you have a sloping road and a levelled house envelop and inbetween ... the big question ...  :Smilie:  
i would have a smaller retaining wall, say half the height of the highest side, running all along the house side, a sort of step up all level with the house ground.
Then shape the soil between the retaining wall and the footpath warped, so to match the edge of the wall and the edge of the footpath.
The green section will have a variable slope that goes from steeper at one end to almost flat at the other end

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