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A retaining wall can improve the appearance of your landscape, protect your property from runoff, and make sloped lawns more functional spaces. While they usually require minimal maintenance, they will benefit from regular upkeep to minimize normal wear and tear. To ensure that it lasts for years to come, use the following guide to take care of your retaining wall, as well as the aggregates and soil around it.

How to Maintain a Retaining Wall 

1. Manage Weed Growth

Weeds are more than an eyesore on your landscape. When these fast-growing nuisances crop up near your retaining wall, they can invade small cracks in the stone and cause them to expand. This expansion can crack the stone or brick and cause the wall to shift. Regularly walk around your wall and pull out any weeds or excess growth that you see sprouting. You can also add natural weed killers, like table salt and vinegar, over tight spaces you can’t easily access to eliminate weeds without damaging the wall or surrounding landscaping.

2. Inspect for Low Spots

aggregates Conneaut, OHWhen a retaining wall is constructed, soil and other aggregates, like gravel, are compacted behind and beneath it to help keep it in place. Future settling can cause the ground behind the wall to sink. If this happens, rainwater will collect in the hole and eventually sink into the soil, causing it to become overly saturated and soft. If the wall remains in this condition for too long, it could collapse. 

Usually, the best solution for dealing with low spots is to excavate the soil located within two-feet of the wall. Then, line the base of the wall with an excellent draining aggregate, followed by a natural aggregate deposit consisting of large and small stones, and finally, a six-inch topsoil layer.

3. Check for Wall Movement

At least once a year, check the wall for signs of movement or shifting. If drainage or erosion problems develop, the wall could begin to lean forward and crumble. Contact a foundation contractor if you can visibly see bulges or rotation. The base of the wall might need to be raised, or the blocks will have to be restacked to prevent further movement. 

 

When you need aggregates for installing or restoring a retaining wall, turn to Simak Trucking & Excavating, Inc. Since 1956, they have provided a variety of services—including excavating, land clearing, and foundation laying—to the Conneaut, OH, community. They also stock and deliver a range of aggregates, soil, mulches, landscaping stone, and pool sand. Call them at (440) 224-1992 today and visit their website to learn more about their in-stock and delivery-only materials. 

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