After going to all the trouble of building a retaining wall the last thing you need is for it to collapse because of mud and water damage at its base.
Best rock for drainage behind retaining wall.
After a few seasons the wall s integrity will be compromised.
There are a number of ways to ensure proper drainage of water from behind a retaining wall.
Typical rock retaining walls also known as dry stack retaining walls are constructed without mortar or reinforcing steel.
Why proper drainage is important for retaining wall performance.
The most common usage is behind retaining walls or sub surface drainage trenches running underneath lawns and gardens.
Retaining walls are a seemingly simple enhancement to any landscaping project.
First is to make sure your landscaping contractor backfills at least a foot of space behind the wall with gravel.
The biggest concern that you need to think about is cold weather.
If it were to get cold enough that water trapped behind the retaining wall will freeze and expand pushing the wall outward.
Proper drainage for a rock retaining wall.
Every landscape project is different and may require different quantities and sizes of drainage material.
The design of a properly built retaining wall resists the force of the soil behind it and prevents caving buckling or leaning.
However nearly 80 of all residential retaining walls fail at one point or another because of poor drainage.
For a stacked block retaining wall that s no higher than four feet a trench filled with three inches of crushed rock will help keep the wall from shifting and settling.
The retaining factor is.
Install it in a u shape way behind the wall.
A retaining wall is built to hold back a certain amount of soil.
When you re doing a diy landscape project it s important to choose the right type of gravel.
Use fabric behind the wall.
Cut holes into the wall to let water out.
Gravel is necessary for many landscape projects and not just beautiful rock gardens.
Slope the tubing from one end of the wall to the other or from the ends to the middle.
Proper drainage behind the wall will intercept this problem before it can occur.
Retaining walls and other features that require drainage make great use of large gravel to allow water to drain away faster than soil would.
These are called weeping.
However retaining walls are built with a certain capacity in mind.
Drainage gravel is essentially used in any location where you need water to run freely and with minimal resistance.
Use drainage tubing behind the wall.
How to fill behind a rock retaining wall.
With proper retaining wall drainage and construction it can bring a lot of character and function to your landscaping.