How to Grade a Terraced Wall

Setting the grade for your terraced wall means adding, moving or removing dirt to create a grade that allows water to shed away from your house and toward a natural runoff point. When grading for a terrace wall, you need to adjust the grade so it ends at the height of your terrace wall. Set your grade and then build your terraced wall. Once your wall is complete, you can finish the grading of your lawn.

Stakes
Tape measure
Twine
Shovel
Gravel
Dirt
Tamper
Terracing blocks
Level
Fill dirt
Rake
Top soil
Grass seed
Sod

Instructions

- 1
  Drive stakes into your yard at 10 foot intervals, starting at your house and ending at the location of your terraced wall.
- 2
  Wrap twine around the stakes, creating a line that connects all of the stakes.
- 3
  Adjust the twine on each stake, so the twine slopes away from your house at a rate of 1 foot for every 10 feet of lawn.
- 4
  Build your terrace wall. Dig down at least 8 inches and lay a draining bed of 2 inches of gravel. Fill in 4 inches of soil and compact it with a tamper. Set your first row of blocks, making sure each is level. Add the second row, staggering the seams. Continue until your terraced wall is at the height you desire.
- 5
  Bring in fill dirt and spread it around your lawn, back-filling the terrace wall and matching the grade of your twine. Tamp the fill dirt down and cover it with 2 inches of quality top soil. Rake the topsoil to the same grade as your twine. Remove the twine stakes, seed, or resod your lawn and water daily.

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