Cornered

Originally, I was sad to be spending so much money on another retaining wall when there are so many more exciting things we could be doing.

Now that it's done, I'm glad we did it.  It makes a big difference not having to look at all the weird little shed structures our back neighbors have built along the property line.

We'll be planting the avocado and the lime tree back here soon.

 

Can't wait to do the south side now and have the whole backyard enclosed.  That one should be a lot less expensive since no retaining wall is needed -- just  a fence.

The Fence Continues

We are continuing the retaining wall from the north side of the yard to the east side.

This time, we are using steel posts, to help it stand up better to the winds than the north fence did.

Also, this time, the guys are prestaining the wood and then assembling it, instead of staining it after it's build.  We'll see if that makes a difference in its longevity...

Block Party

I've been out of the country on business and A LOT got done while I was away.

First, the rest of the cinder block was laid for the retaining wall, the concrete was poured in to hold the rebar, and the trough next to the was was backfilled with dirt.

We are supposed to put a picket fence on top, but that is temporarily on hold because Rob wants to put up something higher for more privacy.

Another Block In The Wall

This may not look like much to you, but work has finally begun again on the retaining wall. Woo-hoo!

Look for more details on why we are moving forward, FINALLY!, in a future post.

Stalled, Stopped, Stuck

This is where we're at with the retaining wall.

To save money, our contractor wants to pour the concrete into the cinder blocks at the same time as the floor in the basement. This is because the wall won't use a whole truckload of concrete.

I'm all for saving money, but it would be nice to feel like something is finished. I'm not 100% clear on why we're held up on pouring the floor in the basement, but I suspect it's because of the plumber...

Block Party

We finally got our neighbor to give us a written statement that it's okay to take down the chain link fence between the properties.

Let the retaining wall move forward!