Construction of the Corners of Retaining Walls

Types of Corners

• Retaining wall corners can take two distinct shapes. The first is a squared corner, which takes the form of an abrupt change in the direction of the wall. Even though they are abrupt, squared corners don't necessarily need to be set at 90 degrees. Another option, which is also appropriate for any type of angle, is a curved corner. This is more complex to build and allows the wall to curve gradually to change directions. Your yard's layout and topography will determine which type of corner is most practical.

Preparation

• Building a retaining wall with a corner is not as simple as building a wall, then adding another straight wall that abuts it. Instead, you'll need to plan for the corner from the beginning, marking off the curve or squared corner with paint and digging a foundation for the wall that includes the corner. A leveling pad base, made of crushed stone, will allow you to compensate for changes in the terrain as your wall turns a corner, allowing the corner to be perfectly level.

Using Pavers

• Precast cement pavers are one option for building retaining walls with corners. Pavers come in a range of shapes and sizes, meaning that you'll need to arrange them in the optimal way as you construct your wall. An offset pattern with individual pavers that overlap two pavers below them can continue around the corner. However, on the second course, or the second layer of pavers, you'll need to make sure that the pavers are aligned so that their faces fill in any gaps in the face of the wall and establish a pattern for the higher courses that won't include gaps or channels, which become weak points in the wall.

Brick Walls

• Brick retaining walls are also common in residential landscaping. Since bricks have a regular shape, they are especially useful for building squared corners. If your yard will allow it, the easiest corner to construct is a 90-degree squared corner made by offsetting courses of rectangular bricks. Bricks can also produce curves, which will force you to calculate the radius of the curve in order to account for the wall's slope and the number of bricks you'll need to complete the corner.