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Topic:   Front Entry from Hell - 669 visits (1 today, 2 this week)

Rick Hurst
Member



Posts: 3766
From:Rockwall, TX
Registered: Oct 2003

posted December 14, 2005 09:18 PM            

Here are some pics I took today. Why would anyone in their right mind want to have to deal with this?

I asked the builder in front of the city inspector where was the drainage openings for the retaining walls. He had this look or horror come across his face. Himself, the city inspector, and myself all went out to take a look.

While walking down the walkway the city inspector slipped down. I mentioned a handrail should have been installed. He was red faced and said he had completely overlooked that.

It looked like the Christmas holidays with all the red tags in the windows.

Rick

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Scott Patterson
Member



Posts: 2959
From:Ridgeland (Jackson), MS
Registered: Mar 2001

posted December 14, 2005 09:38 PM            

quote:

---

I asked the builder in front of the city inspector where was the drainage openings for the retaining walls. He had this look or horror come across his face. Himself, the city inspector, and myself all went out to take a look.

---

Rick Hurst
Member



Posts: 3766
From:Rockwall, TX
Registered: Oct 2003

posted December 14, 2005 10:47 PM            

Scott,

Every one of these type of walls (Keystone) in this area have a drain opening near the bottom or at the end of the wall.

My son worked for a SE who was also a retaining wall specialist recommended any retaining wall over 4 ft. to have drainage openings.

The walls have some type of drainage piping behind them near the surface and at the bottom row of stones.

At least around here they do.

Rick

Rick Hurst
Member



Posts: 3766
From:Rockwall, TX
Registered: Oct 2003

posted December 14, 2005 10:51 PM            

Here is a drain opening which is on a keystone wall directly around the corner from my other pictures.

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Rick

John Ghent
Member


Posts: 354
From:Trumbull, CT
Registered: Aug 2001

posted December 15, 2005 03:37 AM            

Are you sure the picture is not a downspout drain or some other drain? That type of wall is self draining.

John Arnold
Member


Posts: 605
From:Philadelphia PA
Registered: Dec 2001

posted December 15, 2005 03:48 AM            

Might want a guard rail at the top of that wall, too, Mr. Builder. yikes.

Rick Hurst
Member



Posts: 3766
From:Rockwall, TX
Registered: Oct 2003

posted December 15, 2005 06:23 AM            

John,

Drain was not from any other drainage systems such as surface drains in yards or from connections to downspouts.

In our area, it may be due to the expansive soils and the sloped yards but any retaining wall (stone, concrete, keystone) all have to have a drainage system if the walls are over 4 ft.

This particular job I was on, it had got overlooked at the front walls at several houses.

Rick

Jerry Peck
Member




Posts: 7858
From:Pembroke Pines, FL
Registered: Feb 2003

posted December 15, 2005 07:04 AM            

Okie dokie ...

Back to another discussion which was never finished ...

(oh-oh)

"While walking down the walkway the city inspector slipped down. I mentioned a handrail should have been installed. He was red faced and said he had completely overlooked that."

"Might want a guard rail at the top of that wall, too,"

And the building code addresses these items, right.

(I am now ducking for cover.)

------------------
Jerry Peck
South Florida

Fritz Kelly
Member


Posts: 227
From:Camp Verde, AZ
Registered: Aug 2005

posted December 15, 2005 07:24 AM            

Interresting. I have never seen drains or weep holes in interlocking block retainers here. Water seems to flow right through the joints. But its pretty dry here.

Michael Thomas
Member


Posts: 163
From:Evanston, IL
Registered: Jul 2005

posted December 15, 2005 07:51 AM            

According to Keystone, “Under most circumstances… No weep holes are necessary”.
http://www.keystonewalls.com/media/literature.pdfs/gwater.pdf

That would make a great tobogan slide.

[This message has been edited by Michael Thomas (edited December 15, 2005).]

Rick Hurst
Member



Posts: 3766
From:Rockwall, TX
Registered: Oct 2003

posted December 15, 2005 03:15 PM            

"Under most circumstances" is attorney talk for Keystone. Their not saying you have to put in weep holes or drainage but if you think it is necessary go for it.

Its a CYA comment. Imagine that.

Jerry,
The gaurd rail had already been written up by the city inspector, he had just "overlooked" the handrail now he says today.

Rick

Jerry Peck
Member




Posts: 7858
From:Pembroke Pines, FL
Registered: Feb 2003

posted December 15, 2005 04:57 PM            

quote:

---

"Under most circumstances" is attorney talk for Keystone. Their not saying you have to put in weep holes or drainage but if you think it is necessary go for it.

---

I beg to differ, what they are saying is that 'no weep holes are necessary in most installations, and it is up to you to decide if that is the case in your installation', so, when there is a failure, they can now say 'guess YOU were wrong when YOU decided YOUR installation did not need weep holes'.

Still attorney speak, though.

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Jerry Peck
South Florida

Lou Collier
Member


Posts: 71
From:Richmond,VA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted December 15, 2005 05:18 PM         

The retaining wall height may also be too high. I think Keystone walls can only be around 6 feet high without special engineering.

John Arnold
Member


Posts: 605
From:Philadelphia PA
Registered: Dec 2001

posted December 15, 2005 05:37 PM            

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Six feet,you say? Hmmm ...

Lou Collier
Member


Posts: 71
From:Richmond,VA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted December 15, 2005 05:50 PM         

Wow!

Gunnar Alquist
Member



Posts: 1021
From:Santa Rosa, CA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted December 15, 2005 10:05 PM            

Around here, any retaining wall that exceeds 4' or holds a surcharge (slope/hill) must be engineered.

That said, I have seen some pretty tall segmented retaining walls, one on a road project. Nothing quite like John Arnold's though.

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If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Richard Shaffer
New Member


Posts: 6
From:Marblehead, Ma.
Registered: Nov 2005

posted December 19, 2005 12:04 PM            

Beautiful house,good luck with the wall