What Property Owners Should Know About Concrete Retaining Walls

Most properties today boast of several outdoor fixtures and features. Some of these fixtures and features serve aesthetic purposes while some have more functional values. Others, of course, have both aesthetic and functional values.

Retaining walls are one of the outdoor fixtures that both have aesthetic and functional purposes. In general, retaining walls are built primarily to control and prevent erosion and to stabilize soil on landscapes that slope or in areas where the land drops off at certain levels.

Retaining walls can be made of different materials. However, one of the most popular materials used for the construction of this fixture is concrete. Many builders and property owners choose to have an outdoor wall made of concrete since concrete can be enhanced during the manufacturing process. With the right process and additional materials, concrete become fire resistant, sound proof, damage and impact resistant, and even pest-resistant. Because of these qualities and features, concrete retaining walls are the number one choice of many builders and property owners.

The process of building or installing concrete retaining walls, if a precast one has been purchased, usually starts with levelling the slopes and creating one or more terraces. A sloped or hill area will be dug out first and its size will depend on the extent of the project. A contractor can do this by hand if the area is small. Larger areas would usually require the use of a small bobcat or other types of larger earth digging equipment for bigger areas. The slope or hill will then be evened out and depending on your requirements, a smooth gradient slope or one that has terrace effect which are like built-in steps will be created.

Before this fixture can be installed or elevated, the ground needs to be leveled out first. This is usually done by adding sand to the area or packing down the surface with a yard roller. The contractor would then lay down the bottom row of the wall and double-check the ground to make sure that it is properly leveled.

If the property has no slopes or hills, a concrete retainer wall can become a creative decorative outdoor feature. Smaller retaining walls can be built from the ground level up so that raised flower beds or water features can be created and added to a landscaped garden. Landscaping experts recommend having these features measure up to 2 feet tall only so that they can help create depth in a flat landscape.