Retaining walls not only prevent soil erosion, they are also a great addition to your home. Studies by retaining wall contractors show that many homeowners make plenty of mistakes when installing the walls. To help you out, here are the common mistakes made by homeowners and how to get rid of them:

Poor retaining wall construction

This happens when homeowners don’t want to spend money hiring professional contractors to install the units for them. To save on money the homeowners hire inexperienced and uncertified professionals. They also tend to hire their family members and friends.

This often results in many problems including: blowouts, frost-heaves, and wet soil failures. Since the hired professionals aren’t experienced, they fail to properly level the stones resulting in warping and instability of the retaining wall. The inexperienced professionals also make mistakes analyzing the property, purchasing materials, and collecting measurements. They also hurry the construction resulting to a weak wall.

Retaining wall footing problems

The footing is the foundation of the retaining wall. According to retaining wall professionals, footing problems are the most common problems. There are many footing problems that you can have: inadequate footing, wrong materials, and inadequate drainage are just a few of the problems.

Inadequate footing problems come about when you construct a foundation that is too small for the retaining wall. You can use the wrong or limited materials resulting to a retaining wall that isn’t strong. Before construction, the professional should analyze the condition of the soil and find out the best materials to use.  When it comes to drainage, water should be properly redirected and drained away from the retaining wall for it to maintain strength.

To avoid these problems you should work with an experienced professional.

Poor analysis of the retaining wall area

As mentioned, for the contractor to install a strong and beautiful retaining wall he/she has to first analyze the area to install the wall. The professional should take measurements of the areas and make a plan to follow to install the wall. Most inexperienced professionals progress with the construction without taking measurements of the area or having a plan. As you might have guessed, this results to poor and weak retaining walls.

Conclusion

These are the common retaining wall problems that you should know about. To ensure that your units are installed professionally, work with an experienced and certified masonry contractor.