Retaining walls and patio

[Muhammad]

Less than $2500 you did good

There was also the day labor, lumber for forms, and bobcat rental for another $1100 but the lumber will be re-used.

 

[goeduck]

the lumber will be re-used.

you can probably rent those forms out and make a buck or 1000s

 

[Muhammad]

It's looking good day after. Watering 5x a day for a week to cure.

Next photos will be when the forms are off.

 

[EddieWalker]

Which one did you put your name on?

 

[Muhammad]

Which one did you put your name on?

I buried a TBN mug in the first step.

 

[MossyDell]

Awesome project and photos, Muhammad. The plantings on the original site were beautiful, and I am very interested in the re-landscaping.

One thing I'd suggest is some kind of ground cover on the big hill above the retaining wall. I think it would help hold the hill and certainly should stop minor surface erosion on the wall and below.

In the East, there's Boston ivy, Vinca, euonymus, etc., but I have no idea what would work in CA. I was actually born in Hemet, in Riverside County, but we left for Florida when I was tiny.

 

[Muhammad]

Forms off and floating steps revealed.

Dirt will be covered with either turf or landscape stone.

 

[EddieWalker]

Steps look great.

One of my favorite groundcover plants when I lived in California was Wild Strawberry. Wild strawberry - Fragaria vesca | Plants | Kew

 

[Muhammad]

Walkway

 

[Muhammad]

One of the sections had a 2x6 doubled up that nobody remembered to remove so the step has a funky 2"x8" strip of concrete that didn't get broomed. I wasn't there for that part.

 

[bigtiller]

While the ruff spot is still green, take an ice/sidewalk scraper and "sand" it smooth. It won't match perfect but it will be less noticeable. Or a cement block will give the same results.

 

[dragoneggs]

Those floating steps came out looking great!

 

[Muhammad]

DIY driveway coming soon!

 

[Muhammad]

Graded and ready to compact and form.

 

[Xfaxman]

 

[dstig1]

That driveway looked to be in decent shape. Why would you tear it out and start again? Your brother got too much money or somethin'?

 

[EddieWalker]

I sure wish I lived closer. I'd love to have all that broken up concrete!!!!

 

[Muhammad]

I sure wish I lived closer. I'd love to have all that broken up concrete!!!!

Paid $600 in recycling fees to dump it. They just grind it up into sand.

@dstig1 It had some cracks in it!

 

[MossRoad]

My father built many retaining walls in our yard, and steps down to the lake behind our house out of broken sidewalks and driveways that he'd haul home in his VS bus. There were about 150 steps down a 90' escarpment. I really like the look of the broken edges in a retaining wall.

 

[bigtiller]

My father built many retaining walls in our yard, and steps down to the lake behind our house out of broken sidewalks and driveways that he'd haul home in his VS bus. There were about 150 steps down a 90' escarpment. I really like the look of the broken edges in a retaining wall.

That was a lot of work for him.
I moved a 30 ft. long sidewalk that was only 2ft. wide when I was 21. I did it all with a 20 lb. sledge hammer, spade, a flat shovel and young muscle. It'd be undoable now.