Here's everything you need to know about the tools, materials, and preparation it takes to build a retaining wall out of wood ...

Reducing soil erosion, turning steep slopes into terraced backdrops, creating focal points in the landscape—retaining walls serve many purposes. Indeed, they are some of the most common ways to ...

I want to build a three-foot-high retaining wall behind my house out of pressure-treated wood. Thoughts?—Shawn B., Sioux City, Iowa Go ahead, but do your homework. First, call 811 before you dig. The ...

The desire to have a bit of land to call your own is not an uncommon one. However, in the Bay Area, finding our own personal outdoor space can be a challenge. Some of us live in newer housing ...

Last week I wrote about my recent trip to Southern California. I was fortunate to spend time with a dear friend and his wife. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a person who’s more in love with a home ...

Humans have been building retaining walls for thousands of years to create flat, or gently sloping, terraces on hillsides. A lot of my readers have them on their own property — or need to build one — ...

Size the trench so there's enough room for the retaining wall block and at least 8 in. of space behind it. Excavate deep ...

Garden retaining walls should, it seems, be made out of stone. By its very nature, stone is at ease in the garden; stone walls have a strength and soft irregularity that embrace and guide a garden ...