The Continuing Saga

In my last post, I wrote about how a section of our back retaining wall collapsed last autumn. Throughout the fall and winter, we worried about how it could possibly be repaired, and whether we would find anyone to do the work. We called some excavating companies, but they were not available or willing to do the work.

In October, the owner of a local excavating company came and looked at the fallen wall and said he could do the work but he was very busy. The earliest he could come would be in March. 

In February, we hired someone to demolish the shed and remove several more sections of the fence. Larry from the excavating company said he'd stop by at the end of February, but he didn't, and we couldn't get in touch with him. And then late in the afternoon of March 12, a Friday, Larry dropped by. He apologized, saying he'd been extremely busy, but he could start the job next week or the week after. 

That weekend, we dug up all the shrubs and small bushes that were in the section of the yard where the equipment needed to work. We set a few of them aside to be transplanted back into the yard later. The rest we gave away. Our friends D & G recently moved into a new house nearby and wanted to do some landscaping. They came over and helped us dig up shrubs, and took lots of them home for their garden.  

Early Monday morning, we looked out the window to see an excavator being unloaded onto our front lawn. The front lawn would serve as a staging area for the equipment, soil, drain rock, and large boulders for the new wall. 

The Excavator at Work

Excavator Tracks

It was fascinating to watch Jody, the excavator operator at work. The first thing he did was use his bucket to dig up the remaining trees and two large bushes and set them aside. We phoned D & G again, and they came over again. We sent them away with two more car loads full of trees and shrubs. We kept four of the trees aside to transplant back into the yard later. 

This photo shows the narrow area along the side of the house where the excavator came through to the backyard. The light coloured sand in the lower right corner of the photo is the location where the shed used to sit. It was built on a base of large concrete composite pavers resting on compacted sand. 

Jody used the excavator to dig down along the edge of the steep hill to create a wide, flat platform all along where the middle section of the retaining wall used to be. Soil from the backyard as well as the rocks from the old retaining wall went over the edge of the hill.
 

Once the earth platform was created, Jody and his assistant Parker built a new wall using huge rocks. The load of rock was deposited in our front yard, and then Jody brought over a bulldozer (skid-steer) and used its bucket to bring the large rocks around to the back. Jody laid down a row of rocks using the excavator, while Parker directed the rock placement from below. It was amazing to see how precisely he could place each boulder with the bucket and thumb. 

Old Wall Meets New Wall

Once the first layer of boulders was in place, they back-filled the area behind them with drain rock. They also put down geo-grid, which is held in place by the second layer of rocks, as well as by the garden soil that they replaced over the drain rock. 

Parker hand-built the connector sections between the old part of the drystone wall and the new wall. The remaining part of the platform where the new wall is now serves as a path along beneath the wall.

We did not have to tear down the gazebo or the fish ponds! In fact, the goldfish seemed completely unperturbed by all the work going on around them. Presently the gazebo is serving as a tool shed, as we no longer have a shed.

New Wall and Path

As you can see, the slope of the hill below the wall is very steep. 

The whole job of rebuilding the wall and cleaning up the work site was finished by Friday. Yes, that's right. It took only 3 1/2 days in total and cost less than half as much as Larry had quoted. We are very happy with our new wall.

Of course, the story isn't over. There's lots still left to do.

We will need to have a fence built along the top of the new retaining wall and at the side of the house. Without a fence, the deer will come into the yard and eat everything in sight. Although the landscaping at the front of the yard is deer-resistant (plants the deer don't like to eat), the backyard plants are not.

We would like to have a shed, and we need to re-landscape a big section of the backyard, and repair the damage to the front yard. We want to get some plants established on the steep slope below the wall.

The Backyard After the Wall was Finished

Before the excavating company left, they covered the areas where they had worked with topsoil, and left us some of the load for our future landscaping. Our first task was to replant the trees and shrubs that we had set aside.

Replanting Trees

It is a tremendous relief to have a new retaining wall in place. We are thankful that we contacted Larry when we did, because all of the contractors are extremely busy this year. There are a lot of new houses being built, and also lots of people are renovating. All of the tradespeople are fully booked. 

Look for another installment on this topic. In it, I will tell you about the fence, the landscaping, and the slippery slope. . . .

The Wall Went South

This is a story about a wall. No, not that wall. 

Last fall, the retaining wall across the back of our property failed. Throughout the month of September, a lot near us was undergoing site preparation so that the new owner could build a house there. We reside in a very rocky, rugged, hilly coastal area, and so for three weeks we lived with the noise and vibrations caused by heavy equipment and a rock-breaker nearby. 

Fence Falls Over the Edge

The week that that the rock-breaking stopped, on a wet stormy day, we looked out the window and noticed that our fence had a sag in it. Our fence was built along the top of our retaining wall. Rob went out and inspected and saw that a few large rocks were bulging out of the wall and pulling the fence down. 

Thinking that the vibrations of the rock-breaking had loosened our wall, I immediately called our house insurance agency. But it was a Friday, and no agents were available to take my call. 

In heavy rain over the weekend, a section of the rock wall began to collapse. The collapse pulled the fence apart, and two sections of it went down the hill. 

The only thing that seemed to be keeping the fence from tumbling all the way down the steep hill was that it, and the big chunk of concrete it was attached to, was hung up on a small tree, part of the natural wild vegetation on the hillside. 

On Monday, I managed to reach an insurance agent, who transferred me to the insurer, who transferred me to someone else, who transferred me to someone else. I spoke to people in Toronto, in Calgary, and who knows where.

Fence Gone

Eventually, the company sent someone local out to have a look at the failed retaining wall. We waited to hear about the results of our claim.

In the meantime, the heavy rain continued nonstop. More of the wall fell away and the rocks rolled down the hill. Rob went out and dismantled the pieces of fence -- a dangerous job as large rocks and chunks of concrete loosened from the wall teetered precariously above him. 

A month after the event, we received news from the insurance company that they would not cover the cost of repairing the retaining wall.  

We began phoning excavation companies trying to find someone to come and repair the retaining wall. We knew it was going to be very challenging to repair for a couple of reasons.

• The slope beneath the retaining wall is very steep
• There is no access route for equipment to the retaining wall from below 
• There is no access to the backyard for heavy equipment from the front of the house, either, because the house extends almost all the way across the width of the lot. A deck on one side stretches out almost to a large cedar hedge, and a fence and shed block access on the other side of the house.
  

Looking Over the Edge Down the Steep Slope

Fortunately, we own the land below the retaining wall, all the way to the road below. It has been left in a natural condition, so we didn't have to worry about damage to other people's property or to any landscaping below. Also, fortunately, our house is built on solid rock and is far enough away from the retaining wall and steep slope that we weren't worried about damage to the foundation of the house. 

However, the entire backyard is a beautiful garden. The previous owners were avid gardeners, and one of the reasons we were so attracted to this property was because we loved the landscaping. 

Around the end of October, we found a local contractor who said he could do the work. He came highly recommended by two friends who both have engineering backgrounds. However, he was very busy and said he couldn't do the repair until March. 

He said the shed and more sections of the remaining fence would have to be dismantled to get the equipment in. 

We were worried that as we waited throughout the winter, more of the retaining wall would fall away. We have ponds and a gazebo, both quite near the edge, and feared that we would lose both in the repair process. He said he thought he could reconstruct the wall without taking down the gazebo or ponds.

View From Below the Collapse

Meanwhile, we had one of the rainiest winters on record. Throughout the winter, we watched more rock go down the hill.

The Shed

I dug out several small shrubs and perennials from the area of the garden above the collapsed wall and transplanted them to other places in the yard. We left some shrubs and all the trees in place because they were too big for us to move. Also, we hoped their roots would help hold the soil in place until it was time for the excavator to come.

In early February, we hired someone to come and dismantle the shed and some sections of fence. I felt sad to lose a perfectly good garden shed. It seemed like such a waste. However, it needed to be taken down so the equipment could get into the backyard. 

I was also sad that we would be losing much of the beautiful garden in the backyard. 

The Beautiful Garden in October

On a rare sunny day last October, I took this photo of the back garden with all its colours. 

So, how does this story end? Did the contractor show up in March? Was it possible to repair the retaining wall? Did the fishpond have to go? To be continued...