The Fundamentals of Retaining Walls that You Should Never Ignore

Retaining walls are excellent investments when it comes to enhancing the look and feel of landscaping designs. No matter whether you opt for a timber wall or a concrete one, they go a long way to lend a character to your landscapes. They break the visual monotony of your landscape, and add an extra dimension that makes all the difference.

But then, you have to have the wall set up perfectly. For that you need to know certain basics in regards to these retaining walls. In this write up, we discuss the fundamentals of these retaining walls. Though it will be up to the professionals to set the wall up perfectly, you, as a stakeholder, must know them as well.

Mind the Base

The base of the retaining wall has to be strong, to start with. A retaining wall has to be built on a strong, suitable base. Thus, when it comes to constructing concrete sleeper retaining walls in Brisbane like anywhere else on this planet, the professionals would put maximum emphasis on starting off with a solid base.

The base of the retaining wall needs to be set below the ground level, and thus trench has to be excavated for creating the base. Now the depth of the trench will depend upon the thickness and the height of the wall. The taller the wall is, the deeper the trench has to be, to ensure a solid, stubborn base made up of a compacted mixture of gravel and sand, surrounded by firm, compact soil.

The Backfill Has to Be Rock Solid

Secondly, the retaining wall, regarding less of the material it is made up of and its height, has to have properly set up compact backfill, which is the dirt that accumulates behind the wall. However, there has to be a proper drainage system in place as well. A backfill without drainage will be detrimental to the health of the wall, as this will cause a steady seepage of water into the base, causing damage in the long run. To provide proper drainage, a minimum of 13 inches of granular backfill has to be set up right next to the wall, with a decent drainage system.

Opt for a Decent Drainage

Now let us turn to drainage. Since the majority of the retaining walls are impermeable (most – not all), there has to be a decent drainage system in place. It is an extremely crucial factor that makes a lot of difference. The absence of an effective drainage system will lead to the buildup of hydrostatic pressure behind the wall, causing it to crack and give in with time.

In the case of timber retaining walls, the issue of impermeability does not arise. But in the absence of a drainage system, the water may flow through the timber, causing it to rot or build up of moss, mould and mildew, resulting in very fast depreciation. That is the reason experts who are into construction of timber retaining walls in Brisbane will always vouch for a decent drainage system.

So you see, these are the fundamentals on which the feasibility of the retaining walls, and their longevity will depend. That is why you must put money on an experienced company. The experts will leave no laxity in the setting up of the walls. What better name can you opt for, than BB Decking? Call us at 0434554470 or 1300 155 677 for further details.