How to Ensure Proper Retaining Wall Drainage

There are plenty of methods that you can adopt to waterproof your home. This is a level of care that should also extend to the rest of your property. The best way to do so may be to build a retaining wall. This will be all the more true in areas such as Raleigh, Durham, Wake Forest, and Chapel Hill because of flooding.

Proper Drainage is Essential for Your Home

The entire reason to build a retaining wall on your property will be to ensure the proper level of drainage. This is crucial during the rainy season in North Carolina and the rest of the Triangle Area. Since heavy rain is a factor in the prevalence of flooding, you will need to protect your home against its effects.

The best way to do so will be to make sure that your retaining wall is in place and fully up to speed. You can handle the expense of building such a wall on your own. However, if you aren’t an expert in these matters, it may be better to call on a qualified local service. This is where we can step in to do the job.

The Main Types of Retaining Wall Drainage

There are four major types of retaining wall drainage to be considered. The first is known as a weep hole. These are small orifices in masonry walls that are drilled in order to provide drainage throughout the length of the structure. These are easy to make although they must be placed sparingly for best results.

The second major type of retaining wall drainage can be achieved via specially molded PVC pipes. These pipes are set up in order to allow water to pass through the wall without putting too much pressure on it. The relief that these pipes bring can help to keep your wall fresh and viable for many more decades to come.

You can also order a wall built of materials that are designed to be permeable or granular. This creates an aggregate system for drainage that allows the water to flow directly through the interior of the wall. It then flows out the other side on to the ground without ever having been trapped inside the wall.

The last major type of retaining wall is one that is built on an incline. You can use these natural areas of your property as the perfect perch for such a structure. You can incorporate additional inclines built into the wall as a conduit. This will serve to draw water away from the wall without touching it.

What Does a Drainage System Consist Of?

The average drainage system will tend to consist of a base of crushed stone or gravel. Other elements may include some type of filter fabric or perforated pipe. These are the most common building blocks of a retaining wall. If you are not sure if your wall requires drainage, a few factors need to be considered.

The first will be how high your wall is. If you plan to build a wall that is 4 feet or higher, it will definitely require some sort of drainage system. If the wall is to be terraced or tiered, this will be a necessity. The more nuanced your design is, the higher the chances that it will need to drain off water.

If you build your retaining wall from poured concrete or cinder block, you will need to include a system for drainage. This will also be the case if you are building your wall on soil that is predominantly clay or otherwise impermeable. In this case, the water will pool around your wall if not properly drained away.

You will definitely need a drainage system if there is already ground water present in and around the area. This will be all the more true if the ground around your wall slopes down toward it instead of away from it. This type of ground should be avoided for wall building unless there is no other option.

Contact Drainage & Waterproofing, LLC for Solutions

If you own a property in the Triangle Area, you already know how hard it is to keep it dry. This is an issue that has caused concern for home owners since the area was first settled. The best solution to the problem will be to build a retaining wall. This will keep water at a safe distance away from your home.

Drainage & Waterproofing, LLC has long been the leading expert in these matters. We serve homes in Raleigh, Fayetteville, Southern Pines, and all surrounding areas. Our skills and experience are second to none. Now is the time to get in touch with us to learn more about what we can do on your behalf.