Remember, it’s important to hire an expert to properly inspect your retaining wall. A wall failing can injure children, pets, or adults. Even inspecting an old retaining wall can be dangerous, so be sure to call professionals such as our project managers at Designs 4 You Remodeling. This guide can help show you what an inspector or you yourself may look for when reviewing the integrity of a landscape/retaining wall.
Look for Cracks or Flexing of the Retaining Wall
When retaining walls fail it’s often due to a critical portion of the load bearing wall has cracks and fractures. Many times you can view these hairline cracks and may even see some flexing where the wall is starting to fail either due to structural damage or perhaps increased and uneven load. An increased and uneven load is common in many areas where heavy rains are frequent, and mudslides and other significant movement of dirt and debris occur.
To help increase your chances of finding cracks and fractures in a concrete wall, try cleaning it, preferably with a powerwash or other high pressure hose. This will clean the surface allowing for better inspection, and as an added bonus it will increase the aesthetic value of the wall in many cases.
When you hire a company to inspect, repair, or replace your retaining wall, remember that this is a project that can be dangerous for workers building it and for people who live around improperly build walls. Be sure to hire a licensed and insured company to build your retaining wall. We offer free consultation on retaining walls at Designs 4 You Remodeling, so give us a call at (858) 939-9998 to get started today if you’re in the San Diego area.
