ᐅ Retaining a 2-meter slope: L-shaped concrete blocks, dry stone wall, or other solutions?

There are quite a few options. For example, about 15 houses on our street have a 2–3 meter (6.5–10 feet) high slope in their gardens. What you decide to do depends, among other things, on how you want to use the garden.

For instance, we have three terraces:
The first terrace is made with 50 cm (20 inches) L-shaped retaining wall blocks, which extend about 40 cm (16 inches) above the garden level. On top of that, we placed a wide natural stone window sill (about 40 cm (16 inches) deep and a total of 6 meters (20 feet) long, divided into one piece of 4 meters (13 feet) and another piece of 2 meters (6.5 feet)), creating a nice bench that runs several meters along the garden. Above this are two more terraces (each about 60 cm (24 inches) high steps with an additional 20 cm (8 inches) of built-up soil), which we planted with perennials and shrubs.

Other neighbors use their terraces, for example, to grow vegetables. Depending on the orientation (ours faces south), vegetables thrive especially well there.

We also have a centrally located staircase with 15 cm (6 inches) high steps, 14 in total.

Therefore, I recommend considering whether your priority is to have the largest possible lower part of the property (for playing soccer, badminton, etc.) or if you prefer to make the lower area smaller and use the terraces for garden design. Personally, I wouldn’t find a 2-meter (6.5 feet) high wall attractive.

I would definitely create two levels to manage this. It will take up a bit of ground area, but at the same time, it creates a raised bed. Also, planting between the levels helps visually reduce the height. I would always prefer a natural stone wall over a concrete wall, as it simply looks much better.

I wouldn’t recommend just sloping the ground, as it requires a lot of space, is difficult to use, and hard to maintain. The option of combining a wall with a slope combines these disadvantages with the cost of a wall.

Thanks to all of you already for the information and tips. 🙂

haydee schrieb:

Maybe a basement underground level. It’s unlikely that the plot is flat and then suddenly slopes sharply.
What did you submit with the application?
What does the development plan / zoning plan require?
A structural engineer wouldn’t be a luxury.
Has the area for the house and terrace already been filled?
Have plate load tests been conducted to check compaction?

There is no development plan / zoning plan. Most neighbors have basements and then made the basement level accessible at ground level on the downslope side. That was no longer financially feasible for us, so no basement underground level.

In the application, the slope simply continues with about 35° (degrees).
The basement is currently being filled in and will initially look like this so everything is prepared for the foundation slab:
Garden side ___________/‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ House/street side.
So the garden is level again and flush with the neighbors.

NatureSys schrieb:

There are quite a few options. For example, around 15 houses on our street have a 2-3 meter (6-10 feet) high slope in the garden.
What you do also depends on how you want to use the garden.

For example, we have three terraces:
The first terrace uses 50 cm (20 inches) L-shaped retaining stones, which stick out about 40 cm (16 inches) above garden level. On top, we placed a wide natural stone windowsill (about 40 cm (16 inches) deep and 6 meters (20 feet) long in total – divided into one 4-meter (13 feet) and one 2-meter (6.5 feet) section), so you have a nice bench over several meters in length. Above that are two more terraces (each about 60 cm (24 inches) high and then another 20 cm (8 inches) raising fill), which we planted with perennials and shrubs.
Other neighbors use the terraces for vegetable growing. Depending on the orientation (ours faces south), vegetables grow particularly well there.

We have a centrally located staircase with 15 cm (6 inch) steps, a total of 14 steps.

I therefore advise you to consider whether it is mainly important to have the lower part of the plot as large as possible (for playing football, badminton, etc.) or if you want to make the lower part smaller and use the terraces for garden design. Personally, I would not find a 2-meter (6.5 feet) high wall attractive.

Three terraces would certainly reduce the "bulkiness" of the whole design. Are all three terraces made from L-shaped stones? Or are the upper two made of a different material?
I would be worried that if the L-stones are only 50 cm (20 inches) high, they might be pushed away from the terrace. Have you had no issues with that? If I understood your setup correctly, it’s similar to the attached cross-section I included here?
We also planned a staircase, probably just installed as stepping stones.
And using the terraces facing south as planting beds is also our plan. 🙂

WilderSueden schrieb:

I would definitely choose two terraces to break the slope. It will cost you a bit of ground area, but it also creates a raised bed. Additionally, planting in between visually reduces the height. I would always prefer a natural stone wall over a concrete wall as it simply looks nicer.

Simply grading the slope would not be my choice, as it takes up a lot of space, is difficult to use, and hard to maintain. The combination of wall and slope has these disadvantages plus the cost of the wall.

By two terraces, do you mean with three retaining walls, like NatureSys also described?

Here is a quick visualization of how that might look.

hausamfeld schrieb:

Two steps, do you mean with three walls, as NatureSys also explained?

With three walls, the problem is that it’s hard to access the middle area. So I would rather make two sections waist-high if possible.

gutentag schrieb:

Why don't you ask the person who planned it?
I would like to see the submitted site plan.

I have so little to add to that that it really wouldn't fit in 30 characters ;-)

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Have a structural engineer take a look since you have already backfilled under the house.

And build a ramp for transport.