How do I end my retaining wall?

There are many ways to complete your Allan Block retaining wall project and they are all dependent on the look you are trying to achieve along with the general layout of the wall you are building. Caps are typically adhered in place on top of the retaining wall with a concrete adhesive to begin the finishing touches. 

In addition, it is very likely you will have step downs as you finish your retaining wall – there are multiple options you can choose from to step down your wall and several of those include:

Use our AB Lite Stone or the Europa Barcelona for a gradual step down as shown in the photo here. (Lite or Barcelona units shown by arrow)

For a steep step down, use the AB Corner Blocks from the AB Collection or the AB Europa collection as shown here. 

Create a planter by turning the wall in or running your corner back further as you near the conclusion (proper preparation such as a base trench will need to be created by excavating and compacting similar to the base course when using these methods). 

 Create a soft ending to the wall by using a curve while stepping down. 

If you find yourself in a situation where the bottom of the wall is rising and the top of the wall remains the same, you may want to follow one of these two methods:

Retaining wall curves into the hillside (most often the quickest and economical option).

 

Retaining wall turns a 90 degree corner into the hillside.

 

Proper backfilling and compaction is important where the wall turns back into the slope. To ensure the turn-in areas doesn’t settle, make sure the entire area below the new base is compacted thoroughly.

To read more about finishing your Allan Block project, visit Finishing my Allan Block Wall Project.