Using Rocks And Wooden Steps On A Slope Or Bank

Rocks and wooden steps on a slope make a great outdoor feature. Natural or commercial rocks can be used. There are varying degrees of incline in many landscape slopes. Many people feel their bank or slope is an eye sore. Here are two suggestions for you to think about to improve the look of any hill tops or slope area. Build wooden steps up the bank and surround the steps with stones. I will describe the process of putting the stones along the slope as well as ideas in building wooden steps. The other option is, slope planting with evergreens and rocks. Either one of these suggestions make a great look for any hillside landscape project.

The photos below will give you an idea how it looks. This particular slope didn't have a steep incline. Natural stones were used from the owners property. The wall was put in when the house was being built. This job was done after the stones were on the bank. You can apply the stones first or build the steps first. Lets walk through the stages of applying the stone.

Rock Wall	Wooden Steps

1. Measure the length and the width of the entire slope. This will give you an idea on how many stones you will need. You can use different size stones throughout the bank area. A recommendation if buying commercial stones, bring your measurements to the supplier and they will help you decide on the amount you will need.
2. Any vegetation alive must be killed off. Wait at least one week to make sure all grass and weeds are dead.
3. Rake and smooth out the ground as level as you can.
4. Use the commercial landscape fabric, Jute. If this product is not available in your area, regular landscape fabric is fine. The advantage of Jute is the burlap texture. This will hold your stones in place.
5. Start building your wall from the bottom up. Put the first layer all the way across the bottom of the slope. Use some of your biggest stones on this layer. Continue working your way up the slope arranging the stones in a manner so they won't slide. Using different sizes will help secure them in place.
6. Your top layer should be right over the crest of of the slope. This layer should be considered as the finishing step. Put larger rocks across the top row. Doing the larger stones on the bottom and top will give you a sturdier wall as well as a balance appearance.

Building wooden steps can be done in one day. Materials needed for constructing the steps are...

• Tape Measure, square, level and pencil


• Pressure treated lumber


• Power screw driver, drill and decking strews


• Power or regular saw. If using a power saw, always wear safety glasses.

In this job, we removed the rocks where the steps were going and cut frames using two by eights. We cut two frames. You can also use two by tens, depending on the length of the slope. You will need to cut through the landscape fabric or jute and indent the frames into the ground. Put the frames on either end length wise on the slope. Due to the fact this wasn't a steep incline, the steps were made wider.

Cut ten two by four runners to hold the steps in place. Take decking screws and attach the runners where each step will be built.

Use one by six decking boards and cut three foot lengths. You also can get a heavier board if needed. Cut three decking boards per step. Attach with deck screws.

When installing each board adjust the rocks underneath, so your step will be level. The stones also will add strength to each board. Add an extra board on the top step. This adds a nice little touch into your garden area.

Your square is used when cutting the boards. Use the level on every step to ensure your steps are straight.

These are very basic steps in applying rocks to a slope and adding steps. We actually built two eight foot steps on either end of the wall area. Notice in the picture next to the steps is Evergreen Vinca spreading down over the rocks. Many different ground covers are available. Your amount of lumber and width of steps will solely depend on the how steep the entire slope area is. Leave the wood its natural color, stain or paint the steps to match your home colors or other outdoor features. Either planting with evergreens, building steps, or using stones on a slope is a great outdoor feature and also a wonderful landscape solution.