While retaining walls can be a gorgeous addition to your yard, they can also lead to potential problems in the long run. Your wall design and drainage system should be created by experts. Otherwise, you may not get to enjoy your retaining wall for long.
Most likely, you have seen examples of badly made walls in your neighborhood. Without the proper design, your wall could easily crumble apart in just a couple of years. To make sure your wall looks beautiful for decades, you should use the following tips.
1. Avoid Water Problems
Over the course of 6 million years, the Colorado River formed the Grand Canyon. While water may seem gentle, it gradually wears away at even the toughest stones. When it comes to retaining walls, a proper drainage system can prevent water damage.
Your goal is to keep water away from your walls as much as possible. When you create your design, you should use pea gravel and underground pipes to divert water away from the wall. If water is allowed to seep through the wall, it will eventually cause the wall to fail.
2. Get Permission
Many people forget to ask permission before they build a retaining wall. If you are adding bark, digging a hole, or doing a similar landscaping task, you generally do not need to ask the authorities for permission. Retaining walls are different because they could impede the natural flow of water.
Depending on where you live, your community may require you to get a permit before you construct your wall. If this is the case in your community, you may have to submit your building plans. Then, a property inspector will have to inspect your retaining wall construction for drainage problems.
To be extra safe, you should call DigSafe at 811. This nationwide service works with local utility companies. After you place your call, the utility company can come out to show you where their lines are so that you do not accidentally dig them up.
3. Pick the Right Materials
The material you choose will determine how long your retaining wall lasts. Depending on your region, climate, and embankment type, there are a number of materials you could use. If you are building your wall design by yourself, you should pick a material you can easily work with. Most people are able to maneuver stones and blocks fairly well.
Blocks and stones are also a good choice because they come with an even base. This is important because you want the wall to be as level as possible. Manufactured stones will also come with a flange that locks each piece into position, so your wall remains firmly in place.
If you are working with a professional, you can pick other materials as well. Timber and concrete might be harder to work with, but they are also extremely durable. Plus, they can handle high levels of pressure.
No matter what material type you choose, you should always focus on building your foundation first. After marking the location for your future wall, you can use wooden stakes to clearly show the wall’s placement. You can attach a string to the stakes to demonstrate how high you want the wall to become.
Afterward, you can dig a trench and fill it with gravel. You should also install a drainage pipe to help run water away from your wall. By designing the base correctly, you can avoid foundation repair projects in the future.
4. Avoid Organic Matter
While organic products might be popular in the grocery store, they are a horrible choice for your retaining wall construction. Organic soils are not strong enough to keep your wall standing. Instead, topsoil will break down over time.
Rather than using topsoil in your wall design, you should use stones, concrete, or blocks. Then, you can use topsoil and grass for the area behind your wall. Organic matter will look great behind your wall, but it should never be a part of your wall’s building materials.
5. Pay Attention to Engineering
Although you might want to keep your budget as low as possible, you should splurge on the cost of an engineer. A skilled engineer can make sure your wall design is strong enough. They can also check to see if your wall was installed correctly. Ultimately, an engineer can save you money in the long run by spotting potential problems before they happen.
6. Make a Level Wall
The last thing you want is a problem with your concrete leveling. If your wall is not level, it will fall apart right away. To prevent this from happening, you should use sand or gravel beneath the wall. The sand will naturally shift until it is level, which can save you a lot of time and effort. You should use a tamper to compact the sand and make it level. A portion of your blocks should also be installed beneath the surface of the soil because this will increase the wall’s stability.
7. Create a Backward Slope
When you create your wall design, you should make a slight backward slope. By doing this, you can get your wall to lean into the soil. Instead of the soil pushing the blocks outward, it can actually provide extra support.
For each foot the wall rises up, it should slope an inch horizontally. If you are using manufactured blocks, this slope is incredibly easy to achieve. Because they use locking flanges on the bottom edges, these blocks naturally stop your top blocks from getting pushed outward.
8. Backfill the Right Way
Other than figuring out the perfect wall design, you also need to choose the right backfill. You should use pea gravel or sand in the space behind your wall so that water can drain away from it. After filling a few inches of the space with gravel, you should use a hand tamper to compact the material. Then, add a few more inches of gravel. By doing this, you can make sure the wall is securely supported.
A good retaining wall can last for more than 100 years. To achieve this longevity, your wall needs to have an excellent drainage system and a professional design. Plus, the right building materials and backfill can help your wall remain strong and stable for decades.
