Retaining walls and building them with professional help

Retaining walls is a structure which has the ability to retain or hold the soil behind it, many a type of material can be used for making retaining walls. Some common retaining wall materials are concrete blocks and poured concrete, timber which is treated, and boulders and rocks for those looking for a natural and aesthetic finish.

Retaining Wall

Things to consider before hiring professional help:

Ask yourself some of these questions before enlisting professional help; is there soil, clay or sand in between the retaining walls? Do you have anything above the wall which is heavy, say a garage? What will the slope of the ground below and above the retaining wall? The height of the wall/ all these are important things to consider because they will decide whether you need a gravity retaining wall or a Geogrid Style reinforced retaining wall. For the uninitiated, gravity walls rely on self-weight and setback and also are shorter in height. Geogrid walls are reinforced walls using geogrid in order to combine the soil and block, thus forming a soil mass that is reinforced.

1. Things to look out for in a professional contractor:

The words say it all; a professional contractor is a person whose profession is to fulfil a contract within a stipulated amount of time. A few things make the best contractors stand out from the rest;

• Experience: you wouldn’t want a greenhorn digging up your garden in the name of experimentation, for heaven’s sake! A top of the line contractor usually hires a sub-contractor as he has more than one project going on, but if he’s good, he’ll stop by to check on the work in progress.

• Reputation: this follows on the heels of experience and is built up on it. If he has been doing good work, you’ll see recommendations from friends and relatives. If information from them is not forthcoming, check out previous clients as well.

• Integrity: a reputable contractor will never ever over-charge you, because word of mouth will do him irreparable harm. If there’s a mistake in the execution of laying the retaining wall, he’ll make sure it’s rectified.

• Listening to the client: This is the most important bit. He has to make sure what the client specifically wants as it is your money.

2. Project costs:

Retaining walls serve multiple purposes and because they are quite visible parts of the exterior landscape of the home, they enhance he beauty and overall appeal of the house too. Beauty and functionality are the keys here.

Retaining Wall

3. Labour:

This varies with different factors, all of which can drive up the cost of labour real high. Ease of access to the site, the height of the retaining wall, the materials used, these are all to be considered before investing in professional help.

4. Materials:

You are in control of what kind of material you desire. While beauty might play on you mind, remember that the wall has to retain its functionality as well. So ask your contractor for some options as he is much better informed and will ensure that the most suitable material is used that can blend in with the surroundings and yet stand out.

5. Miscellaneous expenses:

These can include anything from specific tools required for the construction of the retaining wall to additional material charges. Retaining walls constructed on soil with high clay content for example, require additional materials like fabrics that can evenly distribute the weight over the retaining wall to avoid failure. You can expect per foot miscellaneous costs to run into $1 at maximum.