Completed project · Arlington, TX
Front-Yard Railroad Tie Tree Bed Rebuilt in Natural Milsap Stone in Arlington, TX
The dark timber edging around the tree bed came out. A natural Milsap stone wall with a flat cap now holds the raised lawn, turning the same corner beside the front walk.
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4.9out of 5 on Google Reviewson Google115 Google reviewsProject at a glance
- Location
- Arlington, TX
- Service
- Retaining wall replacement
- Removed
- Railroad tie edging, four courses high
- Built
- Natural Milsap stone retaining wall with a flat cap
- Setting
- Raised front-yard lawn bed around two mature trees
- Warranty
- Written 5-year warranty on the wall
- 4.9across 115 Google reviews
- BBB A+accredited business
- 5-yearwarranty on every wall
- Since 2006same DFW ownership
- Freesame- or next-day estimates
Before & after
Before and after: the tree bed from the front walk
The same corner of the bed, photographed from the front walk. The trees and the raised lawn stayed; the timber around them is now natural stone.
A tie edge that set the tone for the whole front yard
This Arlington home has a raised lawn bed in the front yard, built up around two mature trees. Until now the bed was edged with railroad ties, stacked four courses high and squared off at the corner by the front walk.
In the before photo the ties are dark and weathered, and the courses no longer sit in neat lines. Because the bed is the first thing seen from the street, that tired timber framed the whole front of the house.
Railroad ties are wood, and wood in contact with wet soil breaks down over the years. Robert’s crew replaced the edging in natural Milsap stone, which holds the raised lawn without rotting.
How the Arlington tree bed wall was replaced
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Free on-site estimate
Robert looked at the bed, measured the run around the trees and gave the homeowner a firm price for the replacement.
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Permits
Any permit the City of Arlington asks for on a wall like this one was JCL’s to pull and handle, not the homeowner’s.
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Ties out
The railroad tie edging was taken out around the bed and hauled away.
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Milsap stone wall
A natural Milsap stone wall was built around the raised bed, holding the lawn and the two trees inside it.
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Flat stone cap
The top of the wall was finished with flat cap stones, giving the bed a clean edge seen from the street.
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Clean-up
The front walk and the lawn around the bed were left clear, with the grass on top of the bed still in place.
Why it lasts
Why a stone edge suits a bed built around trees
A raised bed around trees is a small wall with a long job. It holds soil and roots in place in the most visible spot on the property.
The bed keeps its shape
When timber edging gives, the soil and lawn it held start to slump out over the yard. A stone wall holds the bed’s line, so the raised lawn stays where it was built.
A material that outlasts the timber
Railroad ties have a service life in the ground. Natural stone does not rot, so the edging is no longer the part of the yard waiting to be replaced.
Curb appeal from the street
Milsap’s warm tan and gray tones sit well against brick. With a flat cap on top, the bed reads as part of the house rather than an add-on.
Built for North Texas clay
Arlington sits on expansive clay that heaves after rain and pulls back in a dry spell. JCL plans each wall around that seasonal push, and puts a 5-year warranty on it in writing.
★★★★★
“I chose JCL Landscapes after getting 3 other bids for my rotted and collapsing retaining wall… did exactly what was described and cleaned up during and afterwards without destroying my lawn.”
Mark Davis5-star Google review for JCL Landscape Services
Get a free estimate on your Arlington tie wall
Say where the timber edging is and about how far it runs. Robert usually visits the same day or the day after and puts a fixed figure on swapping it for stone.
Arlington tree bed and tie wall questions
Can a railroad tie bed around a tree be replaced with stone?
Yes. On this Arlington job the tie edging around a raised lawn bed with two mature trees was replaced with a natural Milsap stone wall. Robert looks at each bed and its trees at the free estimate.
Do the trees and lawn on top of the bed have to come out?
Not on this job. The two trees and the grass on top of the raised bed stayed in place while the railroad tie edging was replaced with stone.
What does a flat stone cap add to a retaining wall?
A cap finishes the top of the wall with flat stones. It gives the bed a clean, level edge and a finished look from the street.
Is Milsap stone a good match for a brick house?
It is a natural stone quarried in Texas, with a cream-to-tan face and gray flecks. Against the red brick of this Arlington house it ties the front bed to the home instead of competing with it.
Do you handle permits in Arlington?
Yes. If the City of Arlington wants a permit for the wall, JCL files for it and sees it through. The paperwork never lands on the homeowner.
What does swapping tie edging for stone run in Arlington?
The figure moves with how long and tall the bed edge is and how many corners it has. Robert prices it on site for free, and the number he quotes is the number you pay.
Retaining walls in Arlington
Timber edging and tie walls come out of Arlington yards most weeks. These pages go further on the work shown here:
More recent DFW projects:
Railroad ties framing your front yard?
Stone puts an end to replacing timber every few years. Robert will look at yours for free, usually within a day.