Say goodbye to landslides and hello to retaining walls. What is a retaining wall you may ask? A retaining wall is a structure which can be added to your yard to hold soil in place. This is important if you have a yard which is not level and slopes and even more important if you have a pool or driveway which you don’t want filled with soil after a heavy rain! Occasionally, retaining walls are built to give a home a better aesthetic appeal.
Whether you choose a retaining wall for structural aid or just to create an overall curb appeal, it is important to do your homework and research the various kinds to determine which is the best suited for your needs.
Gravity Retaining Walls
Most retaining walls are gravity retaining which depends on the weight of the material used to resist the pressure from the soil behind. They often may require anchoring to the ground depending on the desired height of the wall. Gravity retaining walls can be made out of the following materials:
Railroad Ties – one of the most common types of retaining walls used in past years. You or your neighbor may already have one of these next to your neighbor’s driveway. While railroad ties are affordable, often the ties will rot over time and will need to be replaced.
Stones or Rocks – while lovely to look at, these retaining walls can be very expensive to build and require massive amounts of time and back-breaking labor.
Bricks – an updated version of the railroad tie wall, bricks are commonly used for low walls such as around a tree or to form a planter. Brick walls require mortar bonding in between the blocks to give it extra strength; however, drainage is sometimes a problem and water pressure can cause issues.
Concrete Blocks – a popular and affordable alternative to railroad ties or stone walls, which can be a DIY project or your local landscaper. Just place one block on top of the other for a unique design and create a maintenance free structural fence to hold the soil in.
Regardless of the materials you choose and whether you opt to do it yourself or hire a professional landscaper, make sure you know the proper dimensions and what costs are involved.
Contact the Atlantic Maintenance Group.
The Atlantic Maintenance Group is a full-service landscaping company, providing maintenance, design, and construction, as well as snow removal, asphalt, and concrete services. We are your source for complete landscape and facility maintenance for commercial and residential properties throughout Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. We are a self-performing landscaping company, meaning we don’t hire subcontractors, and senior management is involved with every project. Our highly trained team of professionals receives constant, ongoing education on the latest industry trends, updates and safety measures. This ensures we can deliver outstanding customer service and results to our clients, regardless of the size of your job.
If you have any questions about retaining wall installation and/or to get your free quote today, give us a call at 410-768-4720 or contact us via our website today.