Because a retaining wall is going to be in contact with the ground make sure you use lumber that s rated for ground contact.
Building a retaining wall with landscape ties.
Staple a layer of landscape fabric to the back of the wall to keep soil from filtering through the gaps between ties.
Drill holes along the timbers every foot and.
With railroad ties you should use a 4 foot length of a tie that goes straight into the hillside and is also resting on the wall itself.
Timber walls tall walls building codes and other stuff by themselves landscape timbers and a railroad tie retaining wall lack the weight to hold back soil.
Avoid railroad ties they re heavy and soaked with creosote which is messy and can harm plants.
Use a rake to ensure the stones are evenly distributed.
Due to soil erosion your retaining wall should be built on a solid foundation made from gravel.
They are especially useful for building raised flower or garden beds and in terracing hillsides.
Walk 3 feet back on soil side of the retaining wall and dig a trench parallel to the wall that equals the width and height of the landscape timbers.
Your best choice is a pressure treated wood that has a rating of 40 or higher.
Fill the trench with a 2 to 3 inch layer of gravel.
When building a retaining wall out of any material and especially with railroad ties you must have some sort of tie between the wall and the ground it is holding back.
To make these walls strong you need to add dead men anchors that lock the wall into the soil behind them.
Bulldoze or dig a section of the dirt from the hill out to where you want to build a railroad tie retaining wall.
Choose gravel that has stones sized between 1 2 inch and 3 4 inch.
Then fill in the rest of the space behind it with good soil.
Provide a layer of gravel at the back of the wall to promote good drainage and improve the lifespan of your wall.
2 level the ground along the entire stretch of hill so the wall will sit flat by packing it down evenly with your foot shovel or a board.
Make the area about 5 or 6 inches deeper than the railroad ties so you have room to fill the area behind the tie wall with gravel.
You want to cut the area where the wall will be square so the ties fit in there nicely.