Story: Outcropping Wall Weathers Harsh Great Lakes
Homeowner chooses the natural look and durability of Rosetta Outcropping to upgrade his shoreline on Lake Michigan
With the look of natural stone and the ability to be engineered, homeowners like Hutchinson don't have to settle for a shoreline protection wall they don't like. With Outcropping, they get the best of both worlds. Products shown: Outcropping, Dimensional Steps, Irregular Steps as coping
Nothing beats watching the sunset with a warm cup of coffee and your honey by your side. Products shown: Outcropping
Homeowner Steve Hutchinson loved his Lake Michigan view, but he didn't necessarily love his home's landscaping. After admiring a nearby project that used Rosetta Outcropping, he started exploring if it would work for him, too.
With the crumbling remains of previous attempts to protect the shoreline, Hutchinson knew he'd need more than just a good looking solution. He'd need an engineered solution to stand up to the harsh weather conditions along Lake Michigan. He found that solution in Rosetta Outcropping.
Team Elmers installed Hutchinson's Outcropping wall in 2015, using a cofferdam to withhold the waves and water from the construction site.
The engineered design of Hutchinson's shoreline protection wall called for a concrete backfill zone. Elmers used rebar to tie the Outcropping blocks into the concrete, creating a wall to withstand the harsh weather and ice conditions along Lake Michigan. Products shown: Outcropping, Dimensional Steps
With a new Outcropping wall, Hutchinson is able to enjoy the view and an added sense of security. Products shown: Outcropping, Irregular Steps as coping
Years after the installation the water level has risen nearly two feet, but Hutchinson is still able to enjoy his new backyard space thanks to the Rosetta Outcropping. Products shown: Outcropping, Dimensional Steps, Irregular Steps as coping
Pleased with the Outcropping wall, Hutchinson has since used Rosetta for other landscape upgrades, including a patio with fire pit, additional steps, and walkways. Products shown: Outcropping, Dimensional Steps, Irregular Steps as coping
With the look of natural stone and the ability to be engineered, homeowners like Hutchinson don't have to settle for a shoreline protection wall they don't like. With Outcropping, they get the best of both worlds. Products shown: Outcropping, Dimensional Steps, Irregular Steps as coping
Nothing beats watching the sunset with a warm cup of coffee and your honey by your side. Products shown: Outcropping
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With heavy wind, waves, and ice from Lake Michigan, homeowner Steve Hutchinson needed a stable retaining wall solution to bring his landscape upgrades to fruition, and Rosetta Outcropping fit the bill.
As he contemplated the project, Hutchinson admired a nearby wall that used Rosetta Outcropping, and he was leaning in that direction. "I think the product is outstanding," he said. "It's beautiful."
Once he knew that Outcropping - made of wetcast concrete with natural stone textures -- wasn't just a pretty face of the wall, but also a large block solution that could be engineered to withstand the harsh weather that hits the shoreline during seasonal changes in Northern Michigan, he knew it was the right product for his project.
To construct the retaining wall Team Elmer's built a cofferdam to hold back water, allowing them to dig below the waterline. At the time, Elmer's set the base course of the wall on a gravel foundation two feet below the waterline, but it's currently about four feet below the surface due to increasing water levels.
After three rows of Rosetta Outcropping blocks were stacked, the design called for a four-foot-by-two-foot section of concrete backfill that was tied into the product with rebar. Two more rows were stacked before the crew poured another section of concrete backfill.
"If our wall moves from ice or something, we better be moving out of this country because it's bad. The world is coming to an end if my wall moves," said Hutchinson.
The concrete backfill design used on Hutchinson's property is a common solution for retaining walls throughout the Great Lakes, able to hold off the big waves and icy conditions.
"We haven't had a lot of ice damage with the front of the stone chipping or anything, and we haven't had any movement or anything in it, so yeah, I'm very pleased [with the performance of the wall]," said Hutchinson.
Since building the wall in 2015, Hutchinson has moved forward with other landscape upgrades using Rosetta products, including several other retaining walls, as well as a patio with a fire pit, steps, and walkways.
PROJECT DETAILS
Manufacturer: Highformat (Rosetta of Michigan) Installer: Team Elmer's Case: 035 - Rosetta of Michigan Outcropping Wall