Q&A for How to Build a Wood Retaining Wall

Mainly when you build a retaining wall, it's because you have a slope and you want to prevent dirt from running down into your driveway or the street.

Drainage is very important when you build a retaining wall. If you don't have proper drainage, the water pressure can push your retaining wall until it cracks or falls.

I'd recommend putting a 16 penny nail or a deck screw between the boards to space them for expansion. If you are worried about dirt coming through that space, you could put landscaping fabric on the hill-side of the wall.

On dirt, use a taut string and stakes, plus turf-marking spray paint if needed. On long boards, a snapped chalk line works best. For shorter boards, a straight level, and a pencil do the trick. If you are using a straight edge to guide a cut and are worried about it moving, a clamp at either end out of the way of your saw is a great help.

You can use 4x4 posts. However, if you do not already have them that would be an unnecessary expense. 2x4's will do quite nicely and cost less. The 'studs' should be 16 or 18 inches apart on 'load-bearing' walls. A 'stud' is a support that is nailed. The nails help a person find the stud on a finished wall. This would be handy if a person were hanging a picture or putting up a shelf. That way they can nail into the stud and what they are putting up will be secure. 'Load bearing' is when the wall is supporting something besides its own weight, like a roof. If the wall is not holding extra pounds of weight, 32-34 inches for the studs is just fine.