Retainer Walls:

Retainer walls are used to hold back a bank of earth or similar. They range from small walls in a garden, holding back raised beds, to massive structures, 10m or more high, retaining a motorway embankment.

For low embankments, 600mm or less, a flag on edge retainer may well be adequate, and will certainly be cheaper than a brick-built wall. Other options include gabions, timber crib structures or proprietary retaining wall systems.

The important points to note are that the foundation is laid on a solid base of clay or stable ground, or with 300mm of cover; that the rear of the wall, in contact with the earth, should be protected with a damp-proof membrane such as PIFA 1200, and that there should be some method of draining the bank, either via weep holes or by means of a perforated drain.

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Techniques:
Textured concrete forms the basis for decorative concrete in pool decks and spa areas. It is especially effective with colored concrete, as described below. Imprinting can replicate the look of natural stone, either with embossing skins that leave a continuous pattern or with platform imprinting tools that create the look of individual stones or tiles. Other imprinting patterns look like wood or bricks. Tisherman also likes simple steel trowel, exposed fan and board-formed concrete finishes for a contemporary look. Varying textures throughout a project adds interest and helps define different outdoor areas.



Texturing works with various coloring techniques. Integral color is dispersed through the whole slab and the finished translucent color has the appearance of depth. True coloring admixtures, unlike raw pigments, are streak-free, UV-stable and non-fading.

Dry-shake color hardeners hand- broadcast and toweled into the surface of freshly placed concrete offer more opaque, vivid colors than integral color. They also improve durability and increase resistance to freeze-thaw cycles.

More complex color effects are added to both integrally-colored and color-hardened concrete when imprinting tools are used. These tools require a release agent to allow the imprinting tool to be lifted without pulling up the cement paste. Colored, powdered "antiquing" release agents add a color or multiple colors to a project. These colors complement the color of the concrete and add to a natural, dimensional look.

Chemically reactive stains are less commonly used outdoors, but their unique interaction with the materials in the concrete creates one-of-a-kind, natural-looking effects. Stains can only be applied after the concrete is fully cured. Stains can be used to dramatic effect by hand-applying them to just a few elements, stones or tiles in an imprinted pattern.

A note about color selection: dark colors result in a hotter surface, so they should be used where landscaping or structures provide some shade. Dark colors also show contaminants like pollen or chlorine residue and so need to be cleaned more often.