I have a (roughly) 60ft long and 5ft tall wooden retaining wall behind my house
Most likely built in early 80s (just like the house)
About 7 years ago I noticed that the top pieces were beginning to rot so I replaced them
Now the new ones are literally crumbling and they weren't even in contact with the dirt behind them
All the other pieces still look good except the deadmen anchors that show some signs of rot
My plan is to tear it down and replace only the anchors and reuse the old logs to rebuild it
I'm afraid to use new logs especially after talking to a wall and deck contractor who said the new stuff is crap and there are no alternatives
Should I eve use new stuff for the anchors or reuse the old stuff and use new logs for the top layers (that can be replaced easier in a few years?
And, most importantly, how do I dismantle it in order to best preserve the old logs?

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ACID
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>>2931346
will that make the new stuff last longer?
how would that affect staining it?

>>2931345 (OP)
Railroad ties.

You could always paint them, I would think paint would make wood last longer unless that would trap water in them?

>>2931413

Or use old railroad ties, they use better wood preserving chemicals that are banned for consumers

get the driest lumber you can and soak it during hot weather in a blend of diesel used motor oil and copper sulfate

>>2931345 (OP)
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/farm-management/structures-and-mechanization/300-series/378600-3_wood_preservation_on_the_farm.pdf

>>2931405
Duh….soak em in ACID

>>2931345 (OP)
thick chunk of wood looks magnificent

So ... the general consensus is to NOT reclaim the old wood but use all kind of stuff to make the new wood last longer?
I guess you might be right considering I could not find any video on youtube where they (nicely) take apart a wall and then reuse the logs

>>2931622

to know shit about retaining walls you need to interact with sloped land and like actually do shit, I dont think you've gotten any serious answers yet. if you can get a machine back there and can run one, concrete waste blocks are the cheapest most effective retaining wall bar none.
Trucking and moving the 2x3 half size ones is hard and time consuming, but possible as an individual. Paying someone to do the 2x6 ones will be expensive but never move or rot


wood is just not the right product, stone is for retaining walls. There are different grades of pressure treating you should know about if youd like to use wood.

reusing wood thats been in contact with the ground sounds sketchy. if some is displaying rot, the rest isnt far behind.

the acid guy is legitimately just a waste product of the internet, ignore him.

>>2931728
I think used railway ties would last decently and not be too much $but everything else wood is a joke yeah

>>2931345 (OP)
I wanted to redo mine with this stuff, but white was special order and I didn't need 2 pallets. It's good.

>>2931728
The land behind my house is weird
Imagine the back of the house, then a 10ft wide deck that ends in this retaining wall that's around 5ft tall on average and right behind it there's a more or less 45 degree slope uphill for another 20-30ft (to the top/crest) then there's a forest
And there's no way to bring any machinery there. the only access is either a steep slope (my neighbor's lawn) or some sort of steps
Everything needs to be carried by hand
I know, it sucks
The only plus side is that the ground is sandy which means there's very good natural drainage and also full of huge boulders which, in addition to the roots from the huge trees in the woods means there's absolutely no risk of any ground moving
Based on the (very short) conversation I've had with contractors, I understood that old wood most likely came from old growth while the new one is new (accelerated) growth. How true (and important) is that?
About the different grades of pressure treated wood, where do I find ... the best one? I assume NOT Hone Depot or Lowes

>>2931751
I read a bit about that and some people complain about the plastic being fragile and easily being destroyed when handling it

Build a new one using brick, stone or concrete directly in front of the old one and anchor it to deadman behind the old wood. Why are you even considering a retaining wall in wood at this point? That sounds insane. Why even tear it out? That sounds crazy, too.

>>2931912
you mean make the deck even smaller?
yeah ...

Carbonize anything exposed to dirt.