Checklist For Maintaining Retaining Wall

Retaining walls are landscaping features that are often used to stabilize slopes and reduce erosion. They are often constructed to provide a stable base for a larger landscaping design. However, the walls require a significant amount of monitoring and maintenance in order to lengthen their lifetime.

There are a few issues that you should watch closely when performing an inspection of your retaining wall. They are as follows:

• Watch for any erosion of soil or stone aggregate from the base of your retaining wall. Excessive erosion in this area can cause the retaining wall to resettle, which will destabilize the entire wall.


• Look for any cracks in the timbers if your wall is made from wood.


• Assess the weight of any structures or objects that are resting on the wall. Heavy structures, such as a deck or storage building, will increase the pressure on the retaining wall.


• Check for cracks in the wall. This task is of particular importance to homeowners who have a wall made with concrete or mortar.


• Inspect the wall periodically to see if the wall's structure is altered by a neighbor's construction or a motor vehicle accident, as this may compromise the structure of the entire wall.


• Examine the wall for any signs of bowing, or unnatural curving, this could indicate that the ground near or under the wall has shifted.


• Watch for any shift in the walls position. Retaining walls will often shift away from the soil they are holding back when under a great deal of stress.


• Ensure that the wall is leaning into the slope. The wall should always be leaning in the direction of the soil it is holding back.


• Check for any insect infestations in retaining walls made from wood. Termite infestations are devastating to wooden walls if they go untreated.


• Look near the wall for any sign of roots that belong to large trees. Roots can do a great deal of damage to a retaining wall by forcing their way through it or by causing a shift in the ground under the wall.