How to Build a Railroad Tie Retaining Wall

Co-authored by Grant Wallace

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

A large sloping backyard may look appealing, but once you start mowing this unusable side hill, you may consider the benefits of getting rid of it. Thus, the thought to build a railroad tie retaining wall comes in. Cutting a large part of a sloping yard out to make room for a livable, usable back yard is a possible solution with the addition of a retaining wall.

Steps

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out to where you want to build a railroad tie retaining wall.
along the entire stretch of hill (so the wall will sit flat) by packing it down evenly with your foot, shovel or a board. Place a level on the surface of the ground to make sure it is level along the entire stretch where the first layer of railroad ties will be placed.

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with a tape measure. First measure the length from one end of where you want the wall to sit to the other. Next, measure up from the ground to determine how high you want the wall to be.
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out along the prepared ground making sure the ends fit snugly together. Cut any excess off one end of a railroad tie to fit your area if needed.
- Make sure your ties are sitting flush on the ground by setting a level on them periodically throughout the length of the wall to check.
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about 1 foot (30.48 centimeters) apart through all of the base railroad ties.
- The hole must be big enough to fit a piece of rebar through. The rebar should be at least 2 feet (60.96 centimeters) long.
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and hammer it into the ground until the rebar is flush with the top surface of your railroad tie base.
- - The rebar acts as your stabilization for the wall.
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once your first layer is in place and stabilized, set your second layer of railroad ties on the first making sure to stagger them like bricks so 2 meet in the middle of a railroad tie above and below it.
- Use nails, L-brackets or rebar to secure each layer to the layer below before adding additional tie layers.
  - Each layer will need to be cut individually so the ends of each tie meet at different spots to avoid 2 ends meeting at the same point as the ties above or below it.
by filling in between the back of the railroad ties and the ground with stones. This will also help with drainage.

What Should I Know Before Building a Retaining Wall?

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Starting your bottom layer with a slight tilt towards the ground behind it can also help prevent the wall from tipping over as the hill moves behind it over time.

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Construction adhesive can be used between the layers of railroad ties as an alternative to nails, brackets or rebar.

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Warnings

Most railroad ties, even those sold as "reclaimed" at home improvement centers, contain creosote. The EPA states that creosote is hazardous, and has no safe use in or around the home. Handling the ties is hazardous to humans, and creosote can leach from the ties for many, many years to harm animals and contaminate ground water and plants. Locate untreated ties (some manufacturers are switching to safer methods than creosote), or use ties that are known to be treated with materials that are safer than creosote.

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