Retaining Walls: Drainage, Landscaping, And Maintenance

26 March 2020

Retaining walls can add layers to your landscaping, help manage drainage, and beautify an outdoor space. Here are some tips to help you maintain, landscape, and manage drainage issues for residential retaining walls.

Maintaining

Retaining wall maintenance should be seasonal occurrences.

• Spring: When your yard is ready to regrow, your retaining wall should help facilitate this renewal. You should repair any new gaps that might have formed over the winter in the pavers/blocks, test out the sprinkler system, and level out the soil in the beds.
• Summer: Weeds aren't just unsightly, they can also jeopardize the integrity of the retaining wall structure. Applying an herbicide at the beginning of each summer can keep weeds from growing into the cracks and gaps in your retaining wall. Additionally, you should weed your retaining walls periodically.
• Fall: As the growing season winds down you may want to turn off and blow out your sprinkler or drip system. You should also spend some extra time making sure that any soil connected to your retaining wall is flush with the surface, as it can act as a barrier for any accumulated snow and ice that might form during the winter.
• Winter: Periodically knocking off ice and snow masses from your retaining wall can prevent some of the expansion and contraction that can foul the structural integrity of your retaining walls.

Landscaping

Once a retaining wall is built, the landscaping design you choose should blend in with the rest of your yard.

• Go Native: choosing native shrubs, bushes, and/or flowers can create continuity with your environment and climate. When looking for native options to integrate into your retaining wall design, be sure to consider the shade and exposure to the elements. Because many retaining walls are higher than the surrounding landscaping of your yard, the sun and wind can be particularly hard on the plants you chose.

Drainage

If your retaining walls don't drain, they likely won't last very long.

• Percolation: your retaining walls should include a layer of rocks or gravel that facilitate efficient percolation. If you aren't sure how your retaining walls have been layered, you should excavate down to the base of a small section of your retaining wall.
• Channeling: once water percolates through your retaining wall, it needs to be channeled to the lowest points of your retaining wall. Creating water spouts or run off drains in these key spots can allow gravity to do most of the work for you.   

For more information on retaining walls, contact companies like Rock Solid Services LLC.