Okay, so I was messing around with this “muro de ross” thing today, and let me tell you, it was a bit of a journey. I’d heard about it online, some kind of retaining wall system, and I figured I’d give it a shot for my backyard project.
Getting Started
First things first, I gathered all my materials. I’d already sketched out a rough plan of where I wanted the wall to go, so I got some blocks, some gravel for drainage, and the usual tools – shovel, level, that sort of stuff. I am not sure if it is correct at first, I just did as what I thought in my mind.
The Digging Begins
Next up, the not-so-fun part: digging. I marked out the area where the base of the wall would be and started shoveling. It’s always tougher than it looks, especially when you hit those stubborn rocks. I made sure the trench was level and deep enough for the first layer of blocks and a good layer of gravel.
Laying the Foundation
Once the trench was ready, I poured in the gravel. This is super important for drainage – you don’t want water building up behind your wall and messing things up. I made sure it was nice and compacted, then laid down my first row of blocks. I used a level constantly to be sure these first blocks are perfect, because everything else builds on top of them.
Building Upwards
From there, it was pretty straightforward, just stacking the blocks, row by row. I made sure to stagger the joints, just like you would with bricks, to make the wall stronger. I checked the level every so often, and used some shims here and there to make small adjustments.
- Stack the blocks row by row.
- Stagger the joints to make it stronger.
- Keep checking the wall level, adjust it at any time.
Finishing Touches
After I got all the rows in place, I filled in behind the wall with more gravel and soil, making sure everything was packed down tight. The last step was to place the top blocks. Now the project seemed has already been done.
All in all, it took a good chunk of the day, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s not perfect, but it’s solid, and it’s definitely an improvement to the backyard. I might add some plants or something later on to dress it up, but for now, I’m just glad it’s done!
