Retaining Wall Construction Specialists
Do I Need a Retaining Wall?
Is your yard sloped?
Does it contain unsightly hills or dips?
Then you might need to consider a retaining wall installation. Commonly used in residential landscaping, retaining walls serve a variety of purposes around the yard. Their most basic job is to prevent the earth on steep slopes from moving downhill or collapsing.
Benefits of Retaining Walls
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Types of Retaining Walls
In addition to preventing soil erosion, retaining walls give homeowners the chance to include custom stonework or other hardscaping into their outdoor spaces. Below are the four primary types of retaining walls and their specific purposes:
Gravity
Gravity walls use their own weight to maintain stability and hold back soil. This common type of retaining wall can be constructed from a variety of materials including concrete, stone, and even brick masonry.
Cantilevered
Also known as reinforced retaining walls, cantilevered walls are supported by a slab foundation that extends back into the hill. This added strength stabilizes the wall and prevents it from sliding or tipping forward.
Sheet Piling
Sheet piling walls can be composed of a number of materials, such as steel, aluminum, or wood planks. Best used in soft soils, piling walls are driven directly into the ground and are typically constructed when there is a limited amount of space.
Anchored
Anchored walls are the strongest type of retaining wall and can add support to any of the other techniques mentioned. As the name suggests, a cable or anchor is wrapped around the wall and driven into the rock or soil behind it to provide further stabilization.
How to Build a Retaining Wall
Additional Information
Retaining walls may look simple, but it requires a significant amount of planning and knowledge to engineer a strong and long-lasting wall. For this reason, it’s always best to enlist a professional retaining wall builder who will give thought to not just the outer appearance of your wall but the structural considerations, and the retaining wall installation itself.
Here are the most important features of a well-built retaining wall:
- Level surface First and foremost, your retaining wall builder should ensure that the layer of base material below the first course (or row of blocks) is perfectly level. If the blocks are set on an uneven surface, it will result in an unstable, lopsided wall.
- A solid foundation - The strength of your wall depends on establishing a solid foundation. In order to do so, the first course, or couple courses, should be laid below ground. A good rule of thumb is to bury roughly 10% of the height of the entire wall.
- Stepped back materials - Well-designed retaining walls use gravity to their advantage. To avoid being pushed outward by the pressure of the soil, the concrete blocks, stones, rocks, or whatever material you choose should be ‘stepped back’ so that it leans into the soil instead of being perfectly vertical.
3 Common Retaining Wall Mistakes
Depending on your needs and chosen material, prices will vary. A high-quality wall built by an experienced professional is always worth the cost because retaining walls are one of the most commonly mishandled projects.
That's why it’s important to be aware of the three most common retaining wall installation mistakes: