Gardening & Landscaping

Unhappy with retaining wall

Anonymous user 23 February 2024 - 3.06 PM

Hi there, We had our patio extended and a retaining wall of sleepers installed with some steps, as we have a sloping garden. Not been able to get a proper look til yesterday (Sunday 1st jan 2017) as was told not to walk on the patio slabs (work finished fri 30th dec 2016 at lunchtime) and have discovered things we aren't happy with. The retaining wall has been put in at an angle and not to the right fence posts (we asked for it to start 3 fences from the back going forward as the remaining fences at the sides were all different widths), we have no shingle channel between the wall and patio as asked. The steps are very short in tread (21cm tread-can't get my whole foot on it, and 20cm in height) and have no protective fabric behind them. The finished timber work is messy in places (wood not sitting flush with each other and pressed up against our satellite cable and blocking a drain pipe), one of the patio slabs is rocking already in its bed. We asked for slabs on the steps but felt he made excuses about it not looking good so we said ok how about cementing in some shingle. Discovered they haven't been cemented in (well top step is very slightly) but the other 2 steps have just had the stones shoved in and packed down. It just looks a bit crap and with that alarm bells started ringing, as if he couldn't be bothered to do the steps properly, then what else is wrong? He suggested putting artificial grass on the steps at first, but I said no (thought that was a crap idea) Some of the sleepers have big bits sticking out or chunks missing (splintered). We have invited him back to discuss what can be done but not sure what to say. We still have plenty of sub-base? (red coloured sand/gravel stuff), two bags of cement, patio slabs, some fabric and the cement mixer. He's picking the cement mixer up tomorrow so we can talk then but I'm worried about how to approach this. Update- 7/1/17. He came back tues and we discussed some of the issues. Mainly the steps and finished look. Said he would come back thurs to do it. Thurs came and i got a msg to say he wont be able to come as his van got hit. Since then ive sent msgs asking for a new date but no reply. I know hes read the msgs. Worried now. If i get an independant surveyor or another landscape gardener in do you know if they charge to just look and see whats not right? No idea how much that would cost either. I feel like hes just got our money now and wont come back.