How To Replace A Retaining Wall

There are a number of reasons that you might need to replace your retaining wall.  Retaining walls typically hold back tremendous amounts of soil over a long period of time so it’s safe to assume that the wall’s strength may diminish over time.  Telltale signs are when the wall begins to lean or there may be damage from invasive tree roots as well as many other reasons.

Apart from the weight bearing component, retaining walls made from wood may start to rot and masonry walls may begin to crack from the soil movement.  Poor drainage can also be a factor in retaining deterioration.

What about repairing a wall?

It really depends on the material of the wall and what it is retaining.  For example, a timber retaining wall might just have a few damaged boards so you might be able to easily replace these and restore the wall to its full strength without a full replacement.  This is the same for our retaining panels.  In the case of all repairs, it’s better to get onto it sooner rather than later otherwise you risk compromising the entire wall.  As mentioned above, it really depends on the amount of soil that is being retained too.

How do I remove a retaining wall?

The height of the retaining as well as what it’s holding back will really dictate how to tackle removing a wall.  In the case of a short retaining wall that is holding up a small garden bed, it should be easy to remove without disturbing the soil.

In the case of tall retaining walls that are holding back significant amounts of soil, you should definitely contact a retaining professional.  Temporary structures need to be put in place to hold the soil as well as a number of other safety measures.  Failure to do these steps could result in large amounts of soil collapsing which could lead to damage, accidents and injuries.

If in any doubt, please contact us and we’d be glad to discuss your specific situation.

How to install a new retaining wall

As we are a panel and post retaining provider, we’ll speak to our installation process.  We’ve written a comprehensive guide on our DIY retaining page here.  The key steps are defining where the retaining will go, create a straight line, dig and cement in the posts, insert the panels and then refine to make sure it’s perfect.

If you’re not interested in installing it yourself, get in touch with us and we can assist in organising installation.

Do I need to contact the experts?

Without experts, you should not replace your retaining wall.  Structural engineers may be required to assess the wall and its requirements.  We recommend always hiring trained professionals to remove your existing retaining and replacing it.

Any questions?

We’re here to help!  Give us a call on (08) 9309 1933 to discuss your project.