- Location
- Wexford, PA
- Completed
- July 2025
- On site
- 3 weeks
The brief
What we did
The original timber wall had rotted and was leaning badly. Rather than rebuild one tall wall we split the height across two tiers, which reduces the load on each and creates a planted bed between them.
Both walls have drainage stone and pipe behind them running to daylight. That is what the original lacked, and it is why it failed.
Scope of work
- Demolition of failed timber wall
- Two tiered segmental block walls
- Drainage stone and perforated pipe to daylight
- Planted terrace between tiers
- Steps linking upper and lower lawn
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Services used
What went into it
By the numbers
- 2
- Wall tiers
- 7 ft
- Total height retained
- 3 wks
- On site
- 90 ft
- Drainage pipe laid
The brief
A timber wall
leaning downhill
The original timber wall had rotted through and was visibly leaning. It had no drainage behind it — which is why it failed, and why rebuilding the same wall would have failed the same way.
We split the height across two tiers and drained both properly.
- Height split across two tiers to cut the load
- Drainage stone and pipe behind both walls
- Planted terrace between the tiers
Build sequence
How it was built
-
01
Demolition
Failed timber wall taken out and removed from site.
-
02
Lower tier
Base course set below grade, drainage laid and run to daylight.
-
03
Upper tier
Second wall set back to create the planted terrace between.
-
04
Steps and planting
Steps linking the lawns, terrace planted to soften the stone.
Details
What made the difference
-
Drained properly
Perforated pipe and washed stone behind both tiers — what the original lacked.
-
Load split
Two lower walls rather than one tall one, so neither is working hard.
-
Usable terrace
The gap between tiers became planting rather than dead ground.
-
Engineered base
Compacted base under both base courses.
“They explained why the old wall failed instead of just quoting to build the same thing again.”