PROBLEM
Our back yard was not a functional space for several reasons:
- A significant slope from the edge of the concrete patio
- The 20-year-old wood retaining wall was failing
- The trees and plants along the retaining wall were dying
- The freeway is .5 mile away and downhill but was resulting in too much noise to have a reasonable conversation…and the dying plants meant that we could see headlights from our living room
All of this meant that we couldn’t safely allow our toddler to play in the backyard and it was a constant distraction when we were inside in the main living area. Additionally, we have plans for a future deck, a paved area, and a shed replacement. This “re-leveling” project needed to accommodate those future needs.
SOLUTION
- Level the yard
- demolish the old retaining wall
- build a new reinforced retaining wall
- Improve safety and comfort
- build new fence
- mount acoustical dampening fabric
- Accommodate future plans
- belled footings to accommodate future shed cantilever
- tall posts to accommodate future covered deck frame
IMPACT
This project required me to carry the heaviest piece of wood I’ve ever carried and mix more concrete than I ever have which meant that I also had the sorest left bicep that I’ve ever had…I seriously thought I had broken it. Luckily I recovered and we now have a beautiful new backyard that was immediately useful even during the construction of the fence. My son loves the space and we are able to let him roam the backyard on his own without fear that he’ll fall over the wall or escape to the road in the front. We have also had a major reduction in traffic noise even before the acoustical fabric has been hung. And we’ve hung some outdoor lights on the fence bringing us joy and making the living space feel bigger when it’s dark outside.
