When Do I Need a Bladensburg, MD Retaining Wall?

A retaining wall is an investment in expanded outdoor living space for your yard. These structures have been used for centuries to stabilize soil and manage erosion and runoff problems. Not a one-size-fits-all solution, they work best when engineered to fit the exact conditions on your property.

Are you wondering when do I need a retaining wall in Bladensburg, MD? We can help you decide. Here at East Coast Landscape Design, we have a Senior Geotechnical Engineer on our staff. He works closely with our experienced designers and builders to solve soil and slope problems.

The team here at East Coast has been helping property owners just like you for over 40 years. Our goal is to help you get the most and best use possible from your outdoor living space. Retaining walls can help with that goal. We use the highest quality materials, both natural and man-made. Every wall we build adds beauty as well as functionality.

We are often asked when do I need a retaining wall in Bladensburg, MD. We have found that a wall is especially helpful in 5 conditions commonly found in the local area.

  • House at the bottom of a steep hill. You don’t want soil sliding down that hill and into your house after a big storm. The way to prevent it is by building a retaining wall to stabilize the soil.
  • Too many hills. Slopes are hard to use for everyday activities. When you construct a series of retaining walls on the slope, you create terraces that are easy to get to and flat. You can use the land now for a garden, a relaxing spot to socialize, or a play area for the kids. You also add value to your home because you are increasing the amount of usable land on your property.
  • Ugly patches of erosion. Runoff and erosion are not attractive. A well-placed retaining wall can transform an unattractive, unusable spot in your yard into a flower garden, patio or playground.
  • Soil fault line. If your home is in the path of a soil fault line, your home might be damaged after a big storm due to cascading soil. A retaining wall will prevent or minimize the chance of damage and give you peace of mind.
  • Unstable soil. A retaining wall can stabilize soil so it doesn’t slide into your home’s foundation. A damaged foundation undermines the structural integrity of your house. When you invest in a retaining wall, you can prevent that damage.

We handle the entire process, including engineering and design, excavating, grading, slope stabilization, erosion control and construction. We are professionals, so you know the wall we build will look attractive, stay functional and last for years.

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

When Do I Need a Bethesda MD Retaining Wall?

Do you look at your yard and wonder why so little of it is actually usable for fun, everyday, family activities? You might be wondering, “When do I need a retaining wall in Bethesda, MD?” For centuries, retaining walls have helped create usable space from hillsides and areas prone to erosion and runoff problems. A wall might help your yard too.

The team here at East Coast Landscape Design can help you decide if a wall will improve your particular situation. We have a Senior Geotechnical Engineer on staff, with years of practical experience with the local soil and weather conditions. As our go-to expert, he can figure out if a wall will fix the condition and what type would work best.

Retaining walls aren’t one-size-fits-all. They need to be engineered to fit the specific conditions on your property. But there are general types of problems where they are commonly used. Here are 5 that we often see.

  • House at the bottom of a steep hill. You don’t want a cascade of soil dumping on your house after a severe winter storm. A retaining wall can stabilize the soil and give you peace of mind.
  • Too many hills. Hills can be hard to use for gardening, relaxing and playing. If you construct a series of retaining walls, you can create a terrace that frees up space. The land is flat, easy to get to, and usable for everyday activities. You also increase the value of your property because you have increased the amount of usable land.
  • Unsightly patches of land due to erosion and runoff. When you construct a retaining wall, it helps to manage runoff and reduce erosion. The result is a more attractive landscape, as well as more usable outdoor space.
  • Soil fault line. If your home is in the path of a soil fault line, it could be in danger due to cascading soil after a serious storm. By adding a retaining wall, you can protect your home and reduce your worries.
  • Unstable soil. If the soil around your home’s foundation is unstable, a bad storm could result in damage to the house, undermining its structural integrity. A retaining wall will stabilize the soil and minimize or prevent damage.

What if you just want a retaining wall to add beauty to your landscape design? When do I need a retaining wall in Bethesda, MD, for aesthetic purposes? If you like the look of wall on your property, you can certainly have one built. We often construct them just for this reason. Here at East Coast, we take pride in using the highest quality natural and man-made materials so your wall fits in seamlessly with nature.

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

Retaining Walls: Practical Beauty for Your Silver Spring MD Landscape

Retaining walls can be beautiful – and help solve a myriad of landscaping issues at your Silver Spring MD home.

In the simplest of terms, retaining walls hold back earth; retaining wall design, expert engineering, and materials can add a practical beauty to your Silver Spring MD landscape.

A severe backyard slope can be made into a useful area for play, gardening, and entertaining, with the addition of a stone retaining wall or walls that cut into the slope.

Retaining walls can also be used to battle flooding from a neighbor’s yard – or from another part of your yard. Retaining walls can be used to make way for an expanded driveway, or just to add interest to a flat area of your lawn. A series of low retaining walls make useful terraces for growing flowers and vegetables.

For more information on retaining walls in Silver Spring MD, please contact East Coast Landscape Design, the Washington D.C. area’s leading licensed landscape design company. Located in Montgomery County, Maryland since 1979, the company has designed and installed retaining walls and other landscape projects, including patios, outdoor kitchens, and driveways in Silver Spring MD.

Signs That Retaining Walls in Silver Spring MD Are Failing

Winter time weather can cause some serious problems with retaining walls in Silver Spring MD.  The main culprits are the freeze-thaw cycle, and rain/snow on top of ground that is already saturated. So what are the signs that retaining walls in Silver Spring MD are failing?

  • Retaining walls separating from adjacent walls;
  • Tilting or forward movement of sections of retaining walls;
  • Partial to total collapse of retaining walls;
  • Buckling, cracked, or crumbling Walls; and
  • Wood rot or deterioration

If you notice any of the above signs with your retaining walls in Silver Spring MD, please contact East Coast Landscape Design, the Washington D.C. area’s leading licensed landscape design company. Located in Montgomery County, Maryland since 1979, the company has designed and installed retaining walls and other landscape projects, including patios, outdoor kitchens, and driveways in Silver Spring MD.

Four Things to Consider About Retaining Walls in Rockville, MD

Retaining walls hold back soil when there is a difference in earth elevation. Many retaining walls in Rockville, MD are used to terrace yards with steep slopes, to help create usable outdoor space, and to control erosion. Low retaining walls are mostly used as planting beds and can add interest to an otherwise flat yard.

It’s important to have a basic understanding of what goes into proper retaining wall design before you hire someone to build a landscape retaining wall on your property.  Here are four things to consider:

  1. Base: a retaining wall must be built on a suitable base, set below ground level. The taller a wall is, the further below ground level it should be set. In order to support the rest of the wall, a good base should consist of compacted soil and at least a six inch layer of compacted sand and gravel.
  2. Backfill: a retaining wall must have properly compacted backfill dirt behind the wall. There should be at least 12 inches of granular backfill (gravel or a similar aggregate) installed directly behind the wall in order to provide proper drainage. Compacted native soil can be used to backfill the rest of the space behind the wall. If you intend to do landscaping behind the wall, a 6+ inch layer of native soil should also be placed over the gravel fill.
  3. Drainage: efficient drainage is important, since water can’t pass through most retaining walls. Drainage problems can cause bulging or cracking in your retaining wall. How to ensure proper drainage of water from behind a retaining wall? You can require that your landscaping contractor backfills at least a foot of space behind the wall with gravel. You can also have a perforated pipe installed along the inside, or backfilled, bottom of the wall. Be sure to ask your landscaping contractor if weep holes will be needed to allow water to drain through the wall.
  4. Height: the height of a retaining wall determines the load it can bear and how much extra reinforcement will be necessary. Residential retaining walls are usually built between 3 and 4 feet high, because that height provides excellent strength without requiring additional reinforcements.

For more information on retaining walls in Rockville, MD, please contact East Coast Landscape Design, the Washington D.C. area’s leading licensed landscape design company. Located in Montgomery County, Maryland since 1979, the company, under the leadership of President Mark Simpson, has designed and installed landscape projects, including patios, outdoor kitchens, driveways, and retaining walls.