Did you ever start one of those projects where you think "That shouldn't be too hard...", only to find out that it was much bigger than you anticipated, just when you've only gotten to the point-of-no-return? I definitely felt that way when I started the infamous retaining wall project.
It all started out when we were first considering buying our new home. It was noted the the back of the house was in danger of potential damage caused by termites, carpenter ants, and water damage. This is mainly because of the interesting topography of our landscape in that the basement is fully exposed on the front of our house but the backyard was right up to the level of the window sills on the first floor (see pic right).
I had discussed with a soil engineer about different ideas, and decided that digging a trench and putting in a "small" retaining along the foundation was the way to go. So I set to measuring, shopping, and drawing up plans for the project. Little did I know how crazy-involved this project was going to be (or how much it would strain my relationship with Kathy).
You can follow the pictoral timeline of events for the project here.
And you can check out the project statistics here.
And here's some pics of the final project (click pic for larger image):
There are still some odds and ends to do. But the most difficult part is done. I plan to update this as I finish the last refinements in the spring.
The wall project has had some impressive stats:
Phase 1 - Excavation