Retaining walls are useful to add beauty and longevity to your landscape. Whether it’s a simple retaining wall used to define a vegetable garden or a large and complex retaining wall used to control erosion on a hillside, retaining walls are as useful as they are visually interesting.
To ensure the long-term viability of your retaining walls, there are important steps that must be taken before, during, and after installation. To get the best value out of your retaining wall, here are some tips regarding the installation of retaining walls in Alpharetta, GA.
A Solid Foundation
Given the considerable weight present in a retaining wall, these landscape features must be placed on a solid foundation, no matter their size. This means that the dirt underneath the wall must be properly leveled and compacted before installation can begin. In some cases, crushed rock may be needed to provide extra strength and drainage for the wall as a whole. Without a strong foundation, retaining walls, especially those that are used to control hillside erosion, are at risk of collapse as the landscape changes over time.
Proper Backfill
Although the blocks used in retaining walls in Alpharetta, GA, are engineered to be able to stand on their own, your wall will be much stronger with the proper backfill. For garden retaining walls, this backfill will be made up largely of topsoil and potting mix to provide a fertile base in which plants can grow. For hillside retaining walls, this will include the soil that was removed from the hillside to install the wall as well as other fill dirt to bring the backfill to the proper height. Over time, the backfill will meld with the retaining wall, resulting in a super-strong wall that will last for years to come.
For expertise in retaining wall construction, contact Service First Landscapes.
