We are building a gunite pool (roughly 20’x40’) on a sloped yard. It appears we will need a 70’x6’ retaining wall for our slope. One person that builds retaining walls suggested building the wall one foot below the pool deck (5’) and then adding dirt and covering the wall with dirt/sod so it’s hidden in the grassy slope. Interestingly, several homes in our neighborhood appear to have skipped a retaining wall completely and just added incredible amounts of dirt to deal with their sloped yards. If we build the concrete retaining wall, is it ok to landscape over it so it’s beneath the landscape?
Concrete – Bury a Retaining Wall
concrete
Best Answer
Covering concrete with soil will not affect the structural integrity of the concrete. If anything, doing so will enhance structural integrity because the soil will protect the concrete from the extremes of weather.
Building a 6' high retaining wall is not something you want to DIY. You really want the design (and probably the construction too) to be done by somebody with suitable liability insurance.
One point about covering the wall with soil, is that it allows the wall to be banked, rather than vertical. That will mean you can have a much less substantial wall.