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Retaining Walls

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Considerations When Building Retaining Walls

• choosing the right materials for the wall and the situation it is being used in
  
  
• if you need a structural or decorative wall
  
  
• ensuring that the placement is correct – it is both expensive and difficult to move retaining walls
  
  
• ensuring that drainage from behind the wall is sufficient so that there is no pressure on the wall from water build up
  
  
• choosing the correct foundations for optimum stability
  
  
• if using a structural wall, ensuring that the wall slopes backward slightly – this provides extra stability

Types of Retaining Walls

Materials Used in Retaining Walls

The most commonly used materials in retaining walls are stone, timber and brick.

• Stone – stone can be used for both decorative and structural walls and stone retaining walls are very durable and can last many years, in some cases, as long as the home.  There are two types of stone retaining walls – wet and dry.  Wet stone uses mortar or other fixatives and thus is suitable for the more structural walls that need to hold back a large volume of earth.  Dry stone walls are where the stone is fitted together without actually using any form of fixative.
  
  
• Timber – timber does not last as long as other materials used in retaining walls and it generally has a lifespan of around ten to twenty years.  If using timber, ensure that it is suitable for soil contact and that it is of at least a H4 rating.  If the timber is being cut at all, the ends will need to be painted with a treatment solution.
  
  
• Brick – brick retaining walls are strong and last for a long time.  If using brick it is important to get the foundations right as movement can cause a great amount of damage to the wall.
  
  

Hiring a Professional

Professionals are also able to design a retaining wall that specifically suits your needs, taking into account things such as the structural requirements, soil conditions, the best materials to use and how cost effective the retaining wall will be.  If you have a particularly complex retaining wall, you may need the services of an engineer as well as the professional that is building the wall for you, just to ensure that it is structurally sound.

When choosing your professional, you should ensure that they are appropriately qualified and experienced.  They should be willing to give you a quote first so that you know how much the project is likely to cost all up.