Railroad Cross Tie Retaining Wall

[Big Lou]

Need to ask questions about repairing, adding to small existing cross tie retaining wall.

 

[sissy]

here in VA like some other states they are banning them because of health hazards .Some mortgage companies will not even give the loan after reading an inspection report stating they are on the property .My neighbor had to remove there 's after inspection report red flagged them .They had no choice or sale of the home would fall through.Some states they are even don't allow them to be sold any more .Funny thing is they still sell them here and people still buy them not knowing .

 

[Fishylove]

Same here sissy. They aren't band here tho

 

[sissy]

Funny thing they only band them in certain areas and not fair to people who do not know but find out when they put there home up for sale or there home owners insurance company checks out the house and then get told to remove them or they will not renew there policy and they red flag them to other insurers .My neighbor paid a thousand dollars to take them out and then had to pay a 5 thousand dollar disposal fee .Hazardous waste material .They had put them up 2 years before to protect the hillside from sliding down near the basement door . :sad: Talk about unhappy people and yet they bought them locally and they still sell them .

 

[Fishylove]

Well that sucks! Someone drop the ball there huh?

 

[sissy]

maybe the places who sell them own the disposal company and are making money on both ends of that .You never know ,they charge you to dispose of them and resell them .

 

[Big Lou]

Due to our neighbohood's topography cross tie retaining walls are a common feature due to the low cost of cross ties as compared for man made retaing wall blocks. Also our neighhood was built before man made retaining wall blocks were widely available.

 

[Fishylove]

Sounds like a conspiracy

 

[Big Lou]

I'll go ahead and post my situation just in case some can provide suggestions. Thanks to you all.

_____________________

Our cross tie retaining wall needs a bit of repair plus the addition of another row to increase the walls height.

INFORMATION:

1. Our approximate 4' high (current) x 15' long cross tie retretaining wall is located on the back north corner of our 60' wide x 100' long city residential lot. The length of the retaining wall lessens from top to bottom. Our cross tie retaining wall is approximately 19 years old (built when our home was built). The wall is constructed so that ground water from our left rear yard filters through the retaining wall onto the neighbors property. It was built per city code.

2. This vertical non-offset retaining wall is on the property line between our lot and that of our rear neighbor. Our lot sits atop a hill. The back yard slops down to the same level as the neighbor except for the portion along the retaining wall. The neighbors house is approximately 5' below grade of both the street and our current retaining wall. The neighbors front lawn slopes down to their house. The neighbor has a french drain running alongside and past our retaining wall in their side yard.

3. We need to add an additional top row because of ground height changes to the section of our yard situated along our retaining wall.

PPROBLEMS:

1. Our retaining wall has a slight outward lean.

2. Approximately 6" of one deadhead has deteriorated thus leaving a crevice in the wall.

3. We are working with a shoe string budget so the retaining wall cannot be torn down and replaced with a new one.

________________

QUESTIONS:

1. Is there any way to correct the lean or brace the wall to keep it from leaning futher out of level?

2. Am I correct in assuming that if there is no way to correct the lean then the new additional top row should be shimmed to level?

3. What should we use to fill the open crevice in front of the deteriorated deadhead end?

________________

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Mmathis]

I didn't know that about cross-ties [that some places ban their use in landscapes]. Never planned to use them, but you WOULD think there would be better consumer info out there. There are just some things you don't think about asking, and I wouldn't have thought to check on whether cross-ties were legal or not, especially if they are sold in my area.

 

[Big Lou]

Ours is in an isolated area so the look is not that important to us. Used railroad cross ties are low in cost and have a life span of about 20 to 30 years.

 

[Mmathis]

Ours is in an isolated area so the look is not that important to us. Used railroad cross ties are low in cost and have a life span of about 20 to 30 years.

Where in "North Texas" are you located? Is that considered the panhandle area? I'm in NW LA, which is more-or-less like being in East TX.

Sure wish I could offer advice, but I'm construction-challenged.

 

[Big Lou]

Where in "North Texas" are you located? Is that considered the panhandle area? I'm in NW LA, which is more-or-less like being in East TX.

Sure wish I could offer advice, but I'm construction-challenged.

We live in a suburb of Dallas. Here is a good explanation of the Texas panhandle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Panhandle

Btw, my wife is from St. Landry Parish in SW Louisiana. I absolutely love the French Acadiana region. We lived there for the first 15 years of our marriage. In October we will celebrate our 33rd anniversary.

 

[Big Lou]

Ours is in an isolated area so the look is not that important to us. Used railroad cross ties are low in cost and have a life span of about 20 to 30 years.

I meant "Ours" as in "Our retaining wall".

 

[Mmathis]

In October we will celebrate our 33rd anniversary.

OK, thanks! I didn't realize Dallas was considered "north." Duh! When we tell folks where we're located [or do "searches" via zip code], it's actually more accurate for us to say that Shreveport, "is about 3 hrs. east of Dallas," as that's closer & more direct than New Orleans or Baton Rouge.

Congrats on 33 years! Hubby and I will be @ 24 yrs. in April. It seems like just yesterday