Re: Cheap retaining wall tip
Handyman, Just saw your post and am really interested in seeing your tire wall! Did you cut you tires in half or did you have them cut. Also if you can, a picture would be greatly appreciated. How high was the wall and did you screw thru the bead or the middle of the side wall.
I'm putting another double wide in for my wifes quilt machine and have to have 4 feet of hill taken out on the one end. Any suggestions you have would be great.
Thanks
arkydog
Re: Cheap retaining wall tip
Hey Arkydog,
I used whole tires, securing the first row down and then filling and back filling as the wall went up. I screwed them in 4 places on the bottom where it made contacts with the lower layer and then two screws side to side right threw the cords.
This really was only to keep the tire from moving while its being filled in and back filled. The tires will be pretty secure once the dirt and rock settles in time.
I used my tire wall to resolve washout problems with a seasonal creek that occasionally floods. Its been 8 months now and I have no problems with errosion any longer and the wall has held up as hoped. I'm going to add one last row to finish the course and dress things up when the weather allows.
The only issue you might come across will be rodents, but that could easliy be resolved by screwing some lath on the face of the tires and stucco it. This will eliminate the pockets as well as give it the apperance of a cement wall, just without the cost.
Like I mentioned before... Labor is cheap, tires are free and with a little work and a couple dollars (screws, lath & cement)... you can have yourself a nice wall.
Re: Cheap retaining wall tip
Thanks for the reply. Did it make any difference as to the tire size with the one next to it?
Thanks
arkydog
Re: Cheap retaining wall tip
Not really... Of course you want to stay with the same size to a degree as in if you do a row with 14" tires, then I suggest to finish the row with 14" tires...
When I did my creek, I ankored 14" tires to the creekbed then used semi truck tires because I used a lot of rock as fill and I am dealing with mother nature and needed something that would be able to withstand the water pressures of flooding.
Re: Cheap retaining wall tip
I had some ideas for dam construction and other projects using tires. Very cost effective material. Unfortunately in Oklahoma the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) forbids the use of tires for a number of things. There is a limit to the number of used tires you can have on your place (25, I think.) Interestingly enough the DEQ approves the use of ground up tires as a substitute for septic gravel in leach fields. GO FIGURE!
Hope the "TIRE POLICE" don't rain on anyones parade.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Re: Cheap retaining wall tip
Using tires instead of concrete or stucco for retaining walls sounds cost-effective but I just worry its long-term use.