Ledgestone retaining wall repair recommendations: Block retaining walls are lightweight, cost-effective, and easy to build. They come in a wider range of styles and colours and are more versatile than concrete sleepers, creating curves and tiered walls can be achieved with ease. Block retaining walls have a wide footprint so if your access is tight or room on your property is at a premium then blocks would not be for you.
Why you should compact the trench? Compact the soil in the trench bottom with a hand tamper or vibrating plate compactor. This step is often neglected. The excavator, and even hand shovels, can disturb and loosen the top inch or two of soil, and that’s enough to make your wall settle-settling is bad! Our experts prefer crushed stone for the base rather than naturally occurring gravel dug from a pit. Crushed stone is a little more expensive. However, it provides better drainage, and because of the sharper angles on the stone, it requires less compacting, and once it’s compacted, it stays that way.
DON’T forget to allow for drainage. Groundwater is the natural enemy of retaining walls. When it saturates clay-type soils, they swell and put excessive pressure on the backside of the wall. To avoid failure, make drainage provisions at the same time as you go about building the retaining wall. Backfilling the space behind the blocks with crushed stone and then installing a flexible perforated drainpipe (available at The Home Depot), also called “drain tile,” at the base of the wall could create the necessary escape route for groundwater. The perforated pipe will carry groundwater to each end of the wall where it can drain harmlessly away. The ends of the drainpipe should then exit on each end of the wall, and you may cover them with crushed stone to camouflage their appearance.
Good drainage is essential for any retaining wall. Drainage is provided by filling coarse gravel behind the wall and by building weep holes into the wall. Make weep holes by inserting short lengths of 2-inch plastic pipe or 3-inch drain tile in the forms when they are built. The first row should be 2 inches to 4 inches above ground level. If the wall is higher than 4 feet, place a second row of weep holes 3 inches above the first. See even more details on Colorado Retaining Wall Builder.
We also repair existing retaining walls. Many railroad tie walls or older concrete retaining walls which may or may not include rocks or boulders are beginning to show signs of failure. Often times a homeowner will build a DIY retaining wall that needs help after years of service. We serve all of Colorado out of our home office in Colorado Springs. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. Estimates are always free and everything we touch comes with a warranty.