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Yesterday's Job


HubbardRA

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On Saturday I used my EF1 and helped my oldest son Russell build a retaining wall along his driveway. Over the past few years the dirt had washed down the bank and caused a slope on the driveway sides that was making the driveway smaller. We dug into the slope and installed the wall, then leveled the driveway back to where it originally was. He gained about 4 feet of usable driveway width in the area where the cars are parked. At the right end of the wall you can see what the slope was like before we started. We only have the top row of blocks above the level of the original slope. We plan to put in a second short wall above that one and create a terrace flowerbed. The dirt piled above the wall will then be spread to re-direct the flow of water from the lawn away from the wall and driveway and into the ditch along the highway in front of his home. We were lucky. We finished and put the tools away, and just as I got home after the 16 mile drive from his house, it started to rain. It rained off and on all night into this morning. Luckily we set up the dirt piles to re-direct the flow of rainwater till we can finish the whole project. If weather is cooperative, we will complete the job next weekend. Pardon the picture quality. I forgot my camera, and Russell took this picture on his cell phone and sent it to my email.


Russell's wife dropped by and gave me a couple pictures that she had taken on her camera before she left for work. We were just starting on the project then.




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Nice results Rod, but where's the action shots??? Glad your getting some time with the new tractor. Look forward to seeing the finished product.
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Very nice work you do there. I have seen retaining walls that landscaper install not look half as good as this one.
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Dave, I forgot the camera. Hard to get many action shots when you forget about pictures till you are almost done. Roy, that is what is called a rake. You may remember using one back in the olden days.:D
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Yes, Roy, I used it to dig down where the wall is sitting. Used it to level that part of the driveway in front of the wall, and to move the dirt up to the top of the bank above the wall. That wall is about 20 feet long and has 95 of the 25 pound blocks in it. We filled and packed the dirt in behind each row of blocks as we laid them, to prevent settling. We bedded 4 inch solid cinderblocks into the ground as a foundation to put the landscaping blocks on. That wall is put together much better than most of the local professionals would do it. At no place does the wall sit more than 4 inches from undisturbed dirt. We wanted minimum fill behind it, for stability. Before anyone asks, you couldn't afford me, as slow as I am about doing things.:D
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