After big storms, homeowners in Gaithersburg, MD, ask, “When do I need a retaining wall?” In several situations, a wall can give you peace of mind and increase your usable living space. Deciding when a wall will help your situation is a job for an expert, like the Senior Geotechnical Engineer we have on staff here at East Coast Landscape Design.

Here are 5 situations that are often improved with a retaining wall.

• When you live at the bottom of a hill. If the slope above you is steep, you might be in the path of slicing soil after a big storm. A retaining wall can reduce worries about major damage to your house and provide more functional living space outdoors.
• If your front yard or back yard is a hill. It’s hard to use your property for socializing and relaxing, for gardening and for playing if it’s all uphill or downhill. When you install a series of retaining walls, it creates terraces that are easy to use. You expand your usable space, which makes your home more attractive to homebuyers. In this case, a retaining wall often pays for itself by increasing the value of your property.
• You are worried about the effects of runoff and erosion. A retaining wall holds back soil and stabilizes the area. Erosion is reduced and your yard looks far more attractive. You also have more land to enjoy and use for gardening and relaxing.
• Soil fault lines. If your home is in the path of a soil fault line, a retaining wall can reduce the chance of damage to your home after a major storm.
• Unstable soil close to your home’s foundation. After a big storm, you don’t want soil sliding into your foundation, which can cause problems with the structural integrity of your house. A wall can minimize or prevent damage.

If you’re wondering do I need a retaining wall in Gaithersburg, MD, to fix a major problem in your yard, you need to know first that it isn’t a do-it-yourself project you can handle in a weekend. It requires precise design, careful engineering and professional installation. That’s the only way you can be sure it will actually fix your exact problem and that it will last for years to come.

That’s why we rely on the skill and expertise of our Senior Geotechnical Engineer. He has years of hands-on experience with local soil and weather conditions. He works closely with the other professionals at East Coast to create a retaining wall that has both beauty and functionality. We do it all—design, excavating, grading, slope stabilization and erosion control.

Call East Coast Landscape Design today to find out when do I need a retaining wall in Gaithersburg, MD.