Why do we need them?

By answering the question, what is a retaining wall, the definition alone gives us the answer to why do we need them.
Retaining walls are built and erected after minor/major excavation works to prevent soil from collapsing or eroding.  Soil collapses can occur suddenly and cause significant damage to your property.  Retaining walls can technically be built from any material that will hold up the soil but in commercial settings, the most common are reinforced concrete, timber, concrete/stone blocks or bricks.

Here are Bradford Retaining, we manufacture precast concrete posts and panels as we have found the West Australian marketplace required a quick and effective retaining structure.
Retaining walls are required when one section of land is far higher/lower than the other causing soil to spill over or when there are site constraints which require levelling up to a boundary.
Retaining walls are not actually dividing fences (although they can be used in such a way) as they must be constructed wholly inside your property – unless of course you have the consent of your neighbour.  Before constructing a retaining wall, we always suggest calling out a licensed surveyor to make sure the retaining wall is going to be installed in the right spot – it’s always better to get it right the first time.  Get in touch with us today if you need some more guidance.

Other uses

Since the dawn of time, we have used ‘retaining’ techniques to make the land usable.  Managing a garden, let alone a sustainable food source is very difficult without level land.  By using a retaining wall, you have a much greater control of how your garden looks and you can create beautiful terraced looks depending on the slope of your block.

Retaining walls also help slow water runoff and utilise rainwater to it’s maximum capacity.  In such a dry, hot climate such as Perth, it is crucial to manage water and by stopping the water from running down a slope, your garden will thank you for it!

Depending on how high your retaining wall is going to be and for what purpose, you can completely change how your backyard looks and feels.  You can create a terraced garden or place paving and create more space for you and your guests to sit, stand and enjoy your backyard.