5 Mistakes beginners make when building a concrete sleeper retaining wall

• Know where your boundary line is

Knowing where your boundary actually lies is very important and is a common factor that is often overlooked when building a concrete sleeper retaining wall. Often people will trust the existing fence or wall as being where the boundary lies, but this generally isn’t the case. If you are going off general plans and don’t get a surveyor to double check the boundary line, you may be building the wall on your property, minimising the size of your block; or you may be building on your neighbour’s block, in which case you may have to rip out your wall and start again. Regardless, checking where your property boundary lies allows you to be certain that your retaining wall is going in the right spot. 

• Don’t get caught out without engineering. Know what is required in your council area.

In Queensland, most walls under a metre don’t require engineering. However, some councils (e.g. Logan City Council) require engineering for a wall of any height. Knowing engineering is required is a big help as it assures you that the wall you are building won’t fail.

• Always measure the length of your concrete sleepers as they can vary from company to company.

Lots of companies have different sized concrete sleepers. The most common type of concrete sleeper, the 2.0m concrete sleeper, comes in varying sizes. The sizes vary between 1,980mm to 2,000mm. This will affect the spacing of your holes and can cause problems if not measured correctly.

• Don’t skimp on your drainage

The drainage of a wall is often overlooked as a small part of your concrete sleeper retaining wall. Having the correct drainage in place will allow water to be diverted from your wall, easing the pressure. This is especially helpful in Queensland as we are prone to getting massive amounts of rain that, if not properly managed with sufficient drainage, will cause a wall to fail. 

• Get help from someone who knows!

Concrete sleeper walls are expensive to build, and making mistakes can be costly. Having someone who has built a wall in the past helping you is really going to increase your odds of building a good looking and reliable retaining wall. Although the steps to build a retaining wall are rather simple in theory, the practice can be rather different. If you’re not sure, ask for help.