While they may look like decorations, retaining walls serve a very important purpose.
Chances are, your home or business doesn’t have a retaining wall already installed and you can’t think of the last time you saw one. However, many businesses and homes use retaining walls as part of their landscaping without you ever realizing it. What are retaining walls and should you consider installing one for your home or business?
What Does a Retaining Wall Do?
Retaining walls are typically installed to offer extra support in areas where soil would move downhill from erosion without a little help. Retaining walls help to prevent gravity from doing its typical job and pushing earth downwards. Retaining walls also help to make unusable land usable, manage and decrease the effects of water runoff, and even can provide extra seating in the outdoors. Retaining walls are very effective and functional pieces of your home that can decorate your yard in addition to helping water your plants.
Who Needs a Retaining Wall?
Here are some of the most common reasons that homeowners install retaining walls on their properties:
- Downhill Erosion—If you have noticed a great amount of downhill erosion around your home, a retaining wall can help limit it. Materials that are washed downhill can clog other areas of your property and lead to flooding or unnecessary water retention. Retaining walls decrease the angle of the slope in your yard and will prevent soil from moving downhill as quickly as a result.
- Soil Fault Lines—If your home is downhill from soil fault lines, erosion might not be effecting your home and landscaping yet—but it definitely could in the future. If an earthquake occurred on your property or in your area, land would slide away from the soil fault lines. If you are downhill from a fault line, a retaining wall can offer you extra protection and peace of mind in the event of disaster occurring.
- Sliding Hill—If your foundation is being threatened by erosion, whether it is uphill or downhill, a retaining wall can help decrease the amount of erosion. Retaining walls can help save your foundation and prevent future issues from occurring as well.
Ready for a Retaining Wall?
Testa Paving is ready to help you repair, replace, or initially install a retaining wall for your home. For over 35 years, we have provided northern Virginia and Maryland with top-notch expertise and customer service. Interested in learning how we can help with your patio project? Give us a call at (301) 663-5861 or visit us online. To see examples of our work and keep in touch, follow us on Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter today!