This retaining wall project took me almost 3 full days longer than I planned

I took on a curved retaining wall job for a client near the old mill pond in Amherst. I figured maybe 6 days tops, but the soil was way softer than expected and I had to dig down an extra 2 feet to get a solid base. By the time I got the first course of bluestone laid straight, I had already burned through 8 days. Has anyone else run into a situation where the ground conditions made your timeline double?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabethhayes3d ago

Hold up though, bluestone isn't typically the best choice for a curved wall because it's hard to cut and shape without a lot of waste. I'd have gone with a irregular fieldstone or even segmented concrete blocks that follow the curve way easier. Saves you time and your back in the long run.

riley_taylor3d agoMost Upvoted

Wow, wait... fieldstone for a curved wall? That sounds like a nightmare to me honestly. I am sitting here trying to picture trying to get those irregular shapes to lock together on a curve without a ton of mortar and guesswork. Bluestone is a pain to cut, sure, but at least you can get clean joints and a consistent radius if you take the time. Segmented blocks I get, but fieldstone just seems like you'd be fighting the stone the whole way to make it look half decent.