Let's build a retaining wall

We've been planning for this retaining wall for nearly a year.  I first told you about it when we installed our construction driveway.  It's finally a reality.

Forms are set

Forms are off!!

This retaining wall is an integral part of how we're developing this property and I am so happy to finally see it installed.  It allows us to:

1. Lower the elevation of our house by about 4ft, which helps it better fit into the neighborhood 
2. Flatten out sections of the yard for the kids to play in 
3. Flatten the driveway 
4. Save that big oak tree on the left side of the 2 above pics.  We didn't want to be like most other people who build a new house and clear cut the lot.  There were 2 large trees on the land and we wanted to save them both.  After talking to an arborist and the State Forester, we decided that the best way to save the oak tree would be to extend the retaining wall around its root system.  So that's what we did - built a lot more retaining wall...a lot.

The edge of the driveway is actually the property line

The pic above really shows how the yard gets defined by the space between the house and the retaining wall.

Bye for now,
​TJ

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