Retaining Walls in Landscaping

Retaining walls serve as both functional and aesthetic elements in landscaping, holding back soil and adding character to outdoor spaces. In this exploration, we’ll uncover the key aspects from their practical purposes to the diverse materials and design options available, empowering you to make informed decisions for your landscaping projects.

The Purpose of Retaining Walls: They play a crucial role in managing elevation changes in landscapes. They prevent soil erosion, offer structural support to sloped terrain, and create level spaces for gardens, patios, or walkways. Understanding the specific purpose of a the wall—whether for erosion control, creating usable space, or adding visual interest—lays the foundation for a successful landscaping project.

Material Matters: They come in a variety of materials, each with its unique characteristics and aesthetic appeal. From classic brick and concrete to natural stone and timber, the choice of material influences the wall’s durability, maintenance requirements, and overall look. Consider the specific demands of your landscape, such as soil type, climate, and desired aesthetics, when selecting the material for your retaining wall.

Designing for Functionality: Beyond their practical purposes, retaining walls are integral to the overall design of a landscape. Design considerations include the height and slope of the wall, drainage solutions to prevent water buildup, and compatibility with the surrounding environment. The incorporation of steps, curves, or terraces can enhance both the functionality and visual appeal of the retaining wall, creating a harmonious and well-integrated landscape.

Building for Durability: The longevity depends on proper construction techniques. Adequate drainage is critical to prevent water pressure behind the wall, which can lead to structural issues. Compacting the soil properly and using quality materials contribute to the stability and durability of the wall. Professional installation or consultation can ensure that the retaining wall is built to withstand the test of time and environmental factors.

DIY vs. Professional Installation: While there are DIY retaining wall kits available, the complexity of the project often warrants professional installation. Professional contractors bring expertise in assessing the site, engineering the wall for optimal support, and navigating potential challenges. Whether opting for a DIY approach or hiring professionals, ensuring the project aligns with local building codes and regulations is paramount for safety and compliance.

Sustainable Retaining Walls: As sustainability becomes a focal point in landscaping, exploring eco-friendly options for them is essential. Materials like recycled concrete, reclaimed wood, or permeable concrete blocks can contribute to a more environmentally conscious project. Additionally, incorporating native plants and greenery into the design not only enhances aesthetics but also promotes ecological balance.

7. Maintenance Tips: Retaining walls, like any outdoor structure, require regular maintenance to preserve their functionality and appearance. Inspect the wall for signs of erosion, addressing any issues promptly. Clearing debris, maintaining proper drainage, and repointing any loose stones or bricks are key maintenance tasks. Periodic checks and timely repairs can extend the life of your wall.

Conclusion: Retaining walls are not just structural elements; they are integral components of a well-designed and functional landscape. By understanding their purpose, selecting the right materials, and prioritizing proper construction and maintenance, you can create retaining walls that not only stand the test of time but also elevate the beauty and usability of your outdoor space.

Do’s and Don’ts of Building Retaining Walls

Many North Carolina homes are built on properties with slopes, hills or inclines. This makes building retaining walls to prevent landscaping issues, soil erosion and protect your foundation from improper drainage very important. Even a slight incline can keep you from achieving your lawn and garden dreams. The drainage issues such a slope creates can also cost you a lot of money if water reaches your foundation. All of these reasons make building retaining walls a necessity.

Building retaining walls is generally best left to the experts. Although there are many aspects of lawn care that you can DIY, these structures require drainage planning and skillful engineering. Below, we explore some do’s and don’ts of building retaining walls to help you visualize your project and enlist the right professionals when you are ready to begin.

Don’t start building retaining walls without proper permits.

Many communities require permitting before building retaining walls. While this sounds like unnecessary red tape, the permit serves a highly valuable purpose. 

The permit process serves to ensure the walls built on your property do not direct water and drainage problems onto your neighbors’ land. Sometimes these permits require submission of engineering plans and compliance with a property inspection. Your local Raleigh, Southern Pines and Fayetteville area pros of Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions understand your city’s laws and proper methods of building retaining walls.

Do choose materials that suit your property.

Building retaining walls includes the process of choosing the right materials for your property. There are many materials to choose from. You can request natural stones, bricks, poured concrete, timbers and other options. But your best choice are materials designed specifically for this purpose. 

Working with the pros of Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions makes the material selection process easy. We know which materials will suit your terrain and aesthetic when building retaining walls around your home or commercial property. We can make recommendations for the greatest value and longevity of your retaining walls. 

Do choose pros with experience in building retaining walls.

Besides needing expert help in getting through the permitting process for building retaining walls, you need pros who know how to engineer these structures. The last thing you want is a disaster on your hands after a heavy rainfall. 

When building retaining walls, proper engineering means many things. For example, the walls need strong support. This support starts with appropriate trenching and foundation material. 

Your retaining walls also require a perfectly leveled surface. Otherwise, your walls will lean like the Leaning Tower of Pisa before falling apart after a downpour. Any slant at the bottom looks exaggerated at the top.

Proper engineering and for building retaining walls you also must ensure proper stacking of the above-ground materials. While you do not want a wall that improperly leans, you do need one with a slight backward slope to prevent soil erosion. You need walls with appropriate drainage and backfill, too.

Don’t build one wall where you need multiple.

Many people building retaining walls try to cut corners by building one wall where multiple will work better. Tiered walls require close attention to positioning, distance and height to ensure strength and support. 

Having tiered walls instead of one tall one adds visual depth and interest to your property. These shorter walls are less prone to failure, too. Being shorter, they hold less soil weight and therefore experience less pressure. 

The pros of Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions can develop an engineering plan that meets all of the support needs for your property while also providing the most visual interest. 

Do call upon the experts of Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions.

For your Raleigh, Southern Pines, Fayetteville or surrounding area property in North Carolina, call upon the experts of Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions for your retaining wall design, engineering and construction. We are the pros for building retaining walls and other drainage, waterproofing and moisture control services such as:

• French drains
• Basement waterproofing
• Foundation waterproofing
• Basement moisture control
• Crawl space encapsulation
• Retaining walls
• Crawl space sealing

Call Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions today at (919)508-7503.

Why Retaining Wall Installation Makes Financial Sense

Today, builders in North Carolina sometimes opt to do retaining wall installation for an entire subdivision. This type of large construction project often produces excellent results. It frequently helps reduce waterproofing concerns within a neighborhood. This outcome, in turn, may boost the value of new homes. Subdivision-wide retaining wall installations also offer several other important benefits.

Retaining Walls as Waterproofing Tools

For centuries, human beings have used retaining walls to help control the flow of water. Additionally, in many parts of Asia and South America, terraced retaining walls promoted agriculture along steep mountain slopes. Today, these structures still assist many property owners in preventing erosion. Installing this type of wall sometimes prevents water runoff from damaging building foundations and other structures.

Include Retaining Walls Within Site Development Plans

Developers gain important advantages by considering every aspect of a new subdivision in advance. Managing water runoff and yard drainage issues proves essential, for example. In certain situations, grading hillsides and installing retaining walls during development assists large construction projects. By addressing a subdivision’s retaining wall needs comprehensively, builders may create significantly safer, easier working conditions. Erecting a series of homes often proceeds more cost-effectively this way.

Real Estate Buyers Appreciate Pre-Installed Retaining Walls

Today, buyers sometimes prefer to purchase homes on hillsides already protected by retaining walls. A correctly placed waterproofed retaining wall may help prevent unsightly soil erosion problems. If often helps safeguard building foundations against pooling water. Additionally, well-graded surfaces provide more easily maintained spaces for installing outbuildings, yards, and gardens. Imagine the difference in mowing a level terraced yard compared with one on a steep slope?

Some Benefits of Subdivision-Wide Retaining Walls

When a developer considers the need for subdivision retaining walls comprehensively, a neighborhood avoids many potential water runoff problems. First, HOA covenants may create uniform guidelines for retaining wall installations. This practice often contributes to the aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood.

Second, planning for retaining wall installation comprehensively at the subdivision level often prevents future problems. Developers may create easements for the installation of a long retaining wall across multiple lots. Taking this step alone may prevent dissension and lawsuits at a later date.

Third, by considering water runoff issues comprehensively, a developer can lay out lots and roadways to help minimize residential flooding. New homes tend to command higher sales prices when a builder devotes attention to waterproofing and yard drainage issues. Sometimes new buyers lack the financial resources to install a retaining wall immediately. Also, a builder may view this structure as an essential component of the neighborhood infrastructure.

Assisting Well Established Neighborhoods, Too

Of course, residents in older neighborhoods also frequently discover benefits in considering this issue. In some cases, homeowners join together to install retaining walls across multiple tracts. They may combine resources to repair or replace an aging retaining wall. Taking this step helps property owners create eye-catching neighborhoods. It also helps ensure water runoff creates fewer drainage problems.

Retaining wall installation sometimes proves complex in a well-established development. Furthermore, individual landowners may need to address a variety of unique concerns. Yet in some cases, retaining walls provide excellent solutions for local yard drainage and erosion issues. Requesting a waterproofing inspection conducted by an experienced contractor offers valuable assistance to impacted homeowners.

Obtain Knowledgeable Retaining Wall Installations

Perhaps you’ve contemplated developing a new subdivision in the Greater Raleigh Area? Also, perhaps you simply need to coordinate the construction of several different retaining walls on a large tract? Furthermore, consider calling upon Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions, LLC. We’ll install a single retaining wall or multiple retaining walls.

Our firm specializes in using retaining walls to help waterproof man-made structures. We serve clients across Raleigh, NC. We also provide this service in Fayetteville, Southern Pines, and outlying areas. Our business possesses expertise installing and repairing retaining walls for landowners.

We’ll gladly assist developers and contractors seeking to prepare effective waterproofing plans for new construction. Yet we also help individual homeowners obtain effective solutions for waterproofing problems. Contact us at 919-508-7503 or 919-235-5219 to speak with us. We look forward to helping you!

Retaining Wall Installation Company

Has a retaining wall started buckling on your North Carolina property? Fortunately, this problem occurs infrequently today. Yet sometimes, retaining walls near yards, driveways, roads, or flower beds gradually lose proper alignment. Also, the wall may begin cracking or tilting precariously. Furthermore, property owners should not ignore these changes: consider calling a retaining wall installation company for assistance!

Why Buckling Retaining Walls Require Prompt Attention

A buckling retaining wall will eventually break apart completely. This problem sometimes proves quite serious. Also, it may permit retained earth to spill across sidewalks, driveways, or hillsides. Erosion sometimes results after this type of mishap.

If you notice a retaining wall beginning to buckle, consider correcting the problem quickly. The damage to this man-made structure won’t resolve naturally. Property owners essentially enjoy two options in this situation. One completely demolishes the wall (and then rebuild). Two, contact a retaining wall installation company to provide skilled repair services.

Two Common Types of Retaining Walls

A retaining wall installation company typically constructs two basic types of retaining walls. Also, both kinds of walls serve the same basic purpose. These man-made structures help contain soil within a desired location effectively:

1. A Gravity Wall: Very common in NC, these types of walls typically taper in width proceeding from the base to the top. A cross-section of the wall resembles a trapezoid. The thick base of the wall helps confine loose soil within a desired location.

2. A Cantilever Wall: This kind of retaining wall resembles a backwards “L” shape. The long heel of the wall extends deep into the surrounding earth. Typically, heavy steel reinforces the vertical section of this structure.

Retaining Walls And Pressure

An experienced retaining wall installation company understands this structure must withstand considerable lateral pressure. Furthermore, the weight of the retained earth presses against its entire length. Most walls of this type require strength simply in order to remain plumb. Probably for this reason, builders generally use cement, concrete, or heavy stone during retaining wall construction.

Both the height and the thickness of the retaining wall and the amount of contained soil typically matter. A retaining wall installation company needs to exercise care designing retaining walls. Therefore, these structures must resist lateral pressure from the retained earth. Construction errors ultimately weaken this landscaping feature.

The Vital Importance of Proper Drainage

As you probably suspect, yard drainage also impacts retaining walls. Persistently waterlogged soil may contribute to the pressures placed upon this structure. Also, usually, a waterproofing retaining wall installation company will include a drainage system for the wall. Also, this feature helps channel water run off in a desired direction.

Waterproofing companies sometimes serve as installers of retaining walls for this reason. These firms possess the skills needed to assess yard drainage issues. In conclusion, they appreciate the importance of protecting a retaining wall against water damage.

Seven Common Causes of Retaining Wall Buckling

Property owners should remain alert for signs of possible retaining wall problems. Additionally, pay close attention if you notice a wall appearing to bend out of alignment. Also, cracks in this structure often serve as an early warning sign of buckling. Even damage to low-lying retaining walls proves unsightly and inconvenient.

Buckling occurs for a variety of different, complex, reasons. For example, engineers recently listed seven common causes of retaining wall damage:

1. Faulty Design
2. Construction Mistakes
3. Inadequate Drainage
4. Soil Exapansion or Contraction
5. Inadequate Reinforcement
6. Poor Foundation Footing
7. Wall Overloading

It usually makes sound financial sense to obtain fast assistance if you observe possible retaining wall damage. Don’t wait to seek help until the wall actually buckles!

Seek Waterproofing Retaining Wall Installation Company Services

Drainage and Waterproofing Solutions LLC serves as a popular residential retaining wall installation company in North Carolina. Additionally, we help customers across Raleigh, NC by building attractive retaining walls to promote waterproofing. We also offer this service in Fayetteville, Southern Pines, and outlying areas. Call us to install, repair, or replace retaining walls!

Our firm offers basic waterproofing skills to help property owners maintain dry basements, crawl spaces, and foundations. We frequently install French drains and retaining walls, for example. Furthermore, if you need prompt assistance to correct a buckling waterproofing retaining wall, simply contact us. Lastly, call 919-508-7503 or 919-235-5219, we look forward to speaking with you!

New Retaining Wall

Frequently, our customers North Carolina customers request the installation of a retaining wall on their property. Of course, retaining walls are key elements of creating & maintaining desired yard drainage and prevent soil erosion. At Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions LLC we work hard to please our customers. We construct attractive, durable products that serve their intended purpose for decades. We serve homeowners and businesses in the greater Triangle Area as well as Fayetteville & Southern Pines.

Consider three popular reasons why customers ask us to install this important landscaping feature:

One: We Always Consider Waterproofing Issues When We Build Retaining Walls

First, we always pay close attention to yard drainage issues. Ultimately, a well-placed retaining wall may help help re-direct the flow of water through a yard to prevent damaging hillside erosion. It sometimes accompanies the construction of a French Drain, for instance.

A retaining wall enables property owners to grade steep outdoor terrains. This process allows residents to create more useful surfaces for lawns, gardens, or patios. By enabling property owners to control damaging soil erosion, the improvement usually increases the ease of mowing and caring for sloping yards. It may help eliminate muddy “problem” areas on hillsides, for example.

Two: Our Firm Relies Upon Experienced Builders

Second, our company offers the skills of talented, experienced builders. Our experience in the construction field helps us provide high quality, attractive retaining walls. By choosing to erect a stylish retaining wall, landowners maintain realty in a more appealing condition.

No one can guarantee that adding a retaining wall to a property today will result in future realty appreciation, of course. Yet homes which display excellent “curb appeal” frequently do increase in market value over the course of time. By asking Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions LLC to build an attractive retaining wall, a customer in the Raleigh Area gains the assurance the new outdoor feature will enhance (and not detract) from the realty’s appearance. Our company takes great pride in supplying solidly built, fashionable retaining walls. When you select us as your waterproofing landscaping contractor for installing this improvement, you’ll gain peace of mind knowing the final product will furnish literally years of value!

Three: Obtain a Free Written Estimate Before Construction Commences

We maintain a policy of supplying free written estimates before undertaking waterproofing improvements. This practice ensures our customers gain a better appreciation for the costs of the project. We’ll work with you to develop a realistic budget for this undertaking. Ask us to discuss different available building materials and options, so you know right up front what to expect in terms of the total price when you ask us to construct a landscaping retaining wall.

For example, the specific materials used in constructing a retaining wall impact the final price. While concrete offers a very cost-effective component, customers may also choose to include natural stone or pavers in their walls. The size and length of the wall and the extent of any excavations may all impact construction costs, too. Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions LLC strives to supply transparency during the process of planning and erecting new retaining walls.

Request a Personal Consultation

Have you considered installing a retaining wall on your property in the Greater Raleigh Area? Take a moment to schedule an appointment with our firm first. We’ll evaluate this proposed improvement from the standpoint of its impact on yard drainage and waterproofing issues. Our company assists customers by supplying skilled waterproofing inspections in North Carolina.

When we conduct waterproofing inspections, we endeavor to consider yard drainage issues, carefully. We’ll help you consider a variety of available options for maintaining dry, comfortable basements and crawl spaces and well-drained, attractively landscaped yards. Installing a new retaining wall may pose just one possible improvement when a property owner develops a comprehensive long term waterproofing plan for real estate, for example. Sometimes waterproofing contractors suggest additional (or alternative) landscaping measures.

Request Waterproofing Services Now

Would you like assistance installing a well-built, cost-effective retaining wall on your residential or commercial property? We offer this service, as well as a variety of other important waterproofing technologies. Water may cause extensive property damage in the Greater Raleigh Area. To obtain a full spectrum of knowledgeable waterproofing assistance, simply contact Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions LLC today. Reach us conveniently online. You may also call us at 919-508-7503 or 919-235-5219. We look forwards to helping you obtain dry, waterproof premises and well-drained, attractive landscaping.

Residential Retaining Walls –

Residential Retaining Wall