If the concrete retaining wall in your front yard tilts or leans forward, replace it soon. Your retaining wall may potentially collapse if you don't do something about it soon. Learn why retaining walls tilt or lean and how you can replace your retaining wall below.
What's Happening to Your Retaining Wall?
Although retaining walls can sustain a great deal of weight, the structures can deteriorate with age. If the soil or grass sitting behind an aging retaining wall becomes too great or heavy, the pressure can push the wall outward. The wall will tilt or lean forward. Some old retaining walls can also crack, crumble, or fracture under stress.
A tilting, leaning, or cracking wall can collapse with time. If your retaining wall does collapse, it could cause damage to your yard. The soil, rocks, and plants behind the wall will spill out onto your property and make a mess. If the wall contains water, the water will also seep onto your property.
If you suspect your retaining wall will collapse in the near future, replace it.
How Does the Professional Replace Your Retaining Wall?
Although you can try to replace the wall yourself, you want to have a landscaper do it for you instead. Concrete retaining walls can be extremely heavy, even after they become damaged. If the bricks in the wall fall out of place during the replacement, the entire wall may collapse on you.
A landscaper will use the push test to see if your retaining wall is stable enough to work on. A landscaper will push against your wall to see if it moves back into place against the soil and grass. If the wall stays in place, a landscaper may be able to repair it with anchors. The wall may not be as weak or damaged as it initially appears.
If the wall moves back and forth or continues to tilt forward during the push test, a landscaper will install a new wall in its place. The base of the wall may be too weak to keep the wall upright. The blocks or concrete supporting the wall may also be too deteriorated to leave in place. The wall is at risk of collapsing in the future.
A landscaper may remove most or all of the contents inside the retaining wall during the replacement. A contractor may refill the space after they complete the work for you.
Contact a company like Sculptured Earth to learn more.