Phase 1 Done - Major Boulder Retaining Wall Overhaul in Deephaven

This Deephaven property had a lot going on - a failing timber retaining wall, uneven grades across different areas of the yard, and no real functional outdoor space to speak of. Timber walls have a lifespan, and when they start to go, they go fast. The soil moves, the wall leans, and everything behind it becomes unstable. That's exactly what we were dealing with here.

Phase 1 started with tearing out that old timber wall and replacing it with a boulder retaining wall built to last. Boulders are a completely different animal compared to timber. They don't rot. They don't warp. And when they're set right, they hold through decades of freeze-thaw cycles without budging. The new wall creates a strong, natural-looking transition that fits right into the wooded setting of the property.

A big part of this phase was also building up a new sport court pad. That meant importing structural fill soil to raise the grade and then surrounding the pad with a boulder retaining wall to contain everything properly. Getting that pad level and stable is the foundation for whatever gets built on top of it - you can't cut corners on that part or you'll pay for it later.

We also put in additional boulder retaining walls to handle the elevation changes across other areas of the yard. Properties with this much grade variation need walls that work together, not just one wall here and one wall there with no real plan. The goal was to tie the different levels of the property together so the grades are clean and each area flows into the next. From excavation to final grading, every piece of this phase had to be done in the right order.

There's still more to come on this one. But Phase 1 laid the groundwork - literally. The site work we did here, the excavation, the grading, the structural fill, and all the boulder retaining walls, sets everything else up to be done right.