Walls & Veneers

Retaining walls are built to keep soil from shifting.  Without adequate drainage for water trapped behind a retaining wall, there is a good chance it will not last. To ensure your wall can withstand the hydrostatic pressure build-up, we recommend using a minimum 18" of clean gravel behind your wall to help assist water to freely flow down where it will then be carried out through perforated pipes installed at the base of the wall. This is especially important for countering sloped soil-loads.

It is generally recommended to use a minimum of 12" of clean gravel directly behind your wall to help promote water filtration, we use a minimum of 18" for our client's. Behind the clean gravel should be about 2' of a dense-grade material to help stabilize the soil.  It is important to use a plate compactor over the installed backfill to help ensure that the soil will not shift or shear overtime.

For retaining walls that are over 4' in height or are holding back a considerable amount of carrying load, geogrid is an absolute must.  Geogrid is a flexible mesh that is used to create a reinforced, coherent mass behind the retaining wall by stabilizing the soil. For a 4' heigh wall, geogrid would be used at a 4' width for significantly increased strength. This will ensure your wall will not move over time.

It is always important to check with your local town hall prior to beginning your project to avoid issues down the line. Generally, walls that surpass 4-6' in height require a town permit to ensure that the new build is engineered properly and that no ecosystems are disturbed. For a more hassle-free experience, we take care of all of this for you so that you can have peace of mind knowing your project is done right!