It’s not always easy to decide which material would be best for your retaining walls. The look you want might be better suited to one type of material over another, or you might want to know more about the different features that each material offers. In this article, we will go over some of the common choices and show you what each has to offer as well as some of the things to consider before you make your final decision.
How to know what type of retaining wall you need?
A retaining wall can keep your slope from sliding in on itself, but what material do you use to build it? This comes down to a few things: cost, timeline and type of slope you’re dealing with. Rockford Construction’s certified technicians provide the expert retaining wall installation services across Los Angeles County, so if you are looking for quality and professionalism, we are your go-to company.
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing your retaining wall building material
- Cost – How much does it cost? In order to get an accurate idea of how much a retaining wall will set you back, consult a local landscaping contractor. They will be able to give you an estimate based on your exact needs and location. Most contractors offer free consultations or quotes that aren’t the time or money sensitive, so there’s no harm in getting some ballpark estimates ahead of time.
- Timeline – How long do I have to wait? Depending on what type of material you choose, installation can take anywhere from one day to several weeks. It all depends on how big your project is and what kind of materials are being used. Talk with a stamped concrete retaining walls contractor about their experience with certain materials; they may know about specific products that can save you time during installation.
- Slope Type – What kind of slope am I dealing with? Retaining walls are great to hold tons of soil behind a solid wall.
Here are some retaining wall materials that you can try out for yourself.
- Concrete block retaining walls- While concrete block retaining walls don’t look quite as natural as earth or wood, they offer other advantages. Because they’re made from solid material, concrete block walls can hold up to a great deal of weight and pressure. Also, unlike earthen and wood retaining walls, concrete blocks are highly durable. They won’t crack or deteriorate over time, which means you won’t have to replace them in 20 years. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes that make it easy to fit them into your landscape design.
- Brick retaining walls – Brick retaining walls are beautiful and they’re certainly high-quality. The problem with brick walls is that they aren’t particularly long-lasting; over time, moisture can cause them to crumble and crack. For small projects, like a patio or garden wall, a brick will work just fine. But if you’re planning on building a retaining wall on your landscape that will last 50 years or more, you may want to consider another material. Brick is also expensive, so it might not be in your budget.
- Wood retaining walls- All wood retaining walls should be built with pressure-treated lumber, as regular pressure-treated lumber isn’t strong enough to hold back dirt and/or other fill. The highest quality of pressure-treated lumber is ACQ, which stands for alkaline copper quaternary. It has a higher copper content than regular pressure treated material, meaning it lasts even longer when used for retaining wall blocks.
- Construction masonry walls- Rockford uses cobblestone and natural stone to create masonry walls that are perfect for retaining walls. Whether you’re looking to make a clean, straight wall or a curved garden feature, Rockford construction can build any type of masonry retaining wall.
Conclusion
Retaining walls are great additions to your landscape, whether you’re trying to solve drainage problems, prevent soil erosion, or add some much-needed vertical beauty to your outdoor spaces. But they come in many shapes and sizes, so it can be hard to know which material will work best for you.
Contact Rockford Concrete to build stamped concrete retaining walls with the best material types in terms of cost, longevity, appearance, and installation process. We provide both commercial and residential concrete installation services for patios, driveways, retaining walls etc. Get in touch with us to know more!
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