Stop Water By Adding Drainage for a Retaining Wall
There are numerous benefits to adding a retaining wall to your property, including adding more usable space, slowing erosion, and increasing property value. But one of the most important functions of a retaining wall is to stop or divert the flow of water on your property. Adding drainage for a retaining wall installation project is an important step in managing water flow and increasing the wall’s effectiveness.
Our team of retaining wall contractors in Nashville, TN takes a different approach to building retaining walls than other companies. We only use durable, quality materials in our functional drainage solutions, no matter what size the wall is. If you need help with your retaining wall project, contact us any time.
Retaining Wall Basics
Retaining walls can transform landscapes so drastically that we’ve included them in our list of Top 7 Hardscape Features for Nashville Patios. These walls might not look like much at first glance, but the right retaining wall can help turn an underwhelming outdoor space into a beautiful, functional part of your home.
Before we dive more deeply into the importance of including drainage for a retaining wall project, let’s quickly review what retaining walls are used for.
Reasons for using retaining walls. They build up and level off sloped ground. It can divert water flow. They can help water drain more efficiently.
Build Up and Level Areas of Land
One of the main uses for a retaining wall is to build up and level sloping ground. This can:
- Reduce a slope’s steepness
- Prevent or slow erosion
- Create more level (and therefore usable) space
If your property is sloping or uneven, adding a retaining wall is one of the easiest things you can do to make the space more usable.
Divert Water Flow
In addition to reducing slope to create more living space, one of the most important functions of a retaining wall is taking care of drainage issues on the property by stopping or diverting water.
If water on your property isn’t draining properly, it can result in:
- Pools of standing water
- Flooding
- Damage to the home’s basement or foundation
- Dead patches in lawns
Retaining walls affect your landscape grading, and if properly installed can redirect water so it drains more efficiently.
How to Stop Water With a Retaining Wall
Retaining wall installation is one of the most effective drainage solutions available. If built properly, these hardscapes will stop water and move it away from problem areas, protecting your property from water damage. There are a few things you can do to make sure your retaining walls are as effective as possible.
Plan Ahead
Plan ahead. Before begininning a retaining wall project, ask yourself this: Where does most of the water flow from? Where are the problem areas? where should the water flow to?
Before beginning a retaining wall project, it’s crucial to take the time to observe the way water flows through your property. Make sure to consider:
- Where most of the water flows from?
- Where the problem areas are (your home’s foundation, areas where water tends to pool etc.)
- Where the water should flow to?
It’s not difficult to figure out where you want to keep water away from, but deciding on the appropriate area for the water to be diverted to can be a little trickier. The last thing you want to do is divert the water to another problem area, such as a neighbor’s property.
“Work with skilled Nashville hardscaping and outdoor construction professionals who understand your vision and respect your schedule. Contact us for a free quote!”
Use the Right Materials
It’s important to take your local climate into consideration when choosing your building material. For example, Nashville, TN, gets a fair amount of rain, so an organic material like wood is likely to rot and need replacing.
You’ll also want to use materials that won’t buckle or give way over time.It’s easy to underestimate just how much weight retaining walls need to hold, but the weight of soil, especially when saturated with rainwater, is tremendous.
At Greenway of Nashville, we recommend the ultra-tough Belgard Wall Blocks. In fact, most engineers will only sign off on walls over 4’ high if they’re built using Belgard AB Wall Blocks – that’s how reliable they are.
Using only the strongest, most durable blocks for your retaining wall installation will ensure you get decades of use from these structures, keeping water from damaging your property.
Add Drainage Features
Retaining wall used for drainage.
Adding proper drainage for a retaining wall project is crucial to:
- Stop water from pooling up behind the wall, which can weaken the structure and cause it to collapse
- Effectively divert water to where you want it to go
We highly recommend creating a French drain system behind your retaining wall, which is the drainage solution we use behind every retaining wall we install. We prefer using durable Schedule 40 PVC pipe for drainage solutions, since it holds up better over time than corrugated pipe does.
Looking to Add Drainage for a Retaining Wall on Your Property?
It’s certainly possible to add drainage for a retaining wall yourself, but it often ends up turning into a larger DIY project than originally anticipated. If you have experience with landscaping and hardscaping, you might enjoy the challenge. But if you’re not absolutely confident in your abilities, or you’d just like the project to be done, it might make sense to call the professionals in.
Retaining Wall Services From Greenway of Nashville
Our team of retaining wall contractors in Nashville, TN, has been helping clients transform their outdoor spaces since 2009. We would love to help you with your retaining wall project – contact us to get started.
