I built a retaining wall but didn't know to use gravel below it, should I fix it?

Question

The retaining wall I built surrounds a cement patio and is about a foot and a half tall and 25 feet long. It is hard to dig out behind the wall because it is about 4 feet infront of another retaining wall constructed when the home was built. Is there anything I can do after the fact to give the wall added support without tearing it down? I've been trying to add some draining near the surface of the ground behind the wall to keep water away from it.

Answer 1

For the purpose of longevity, I would definitely re-do it the right way... sorry - I bet it is beautiful, but you can reat knowing that it is reinforced like it needs to be.

Answer 2

So you forgot the drainage, but all is not lost despte the fact that if it is left as it is, the wall will be pushed back by the weight of the earth behind it. What I suggest you do is to build a series of buttress's at distances of about 6 feet. A brick or stone pier to give the wall lateral support. So having installed a concrete base about 12" wide and about 18" out, and about 6" deep, build a pier starting at the 18" mark and racking back as you build up, so you finish with a pier 18" at the bottom recessing to 4" at the finish. It might help to knock a hole or two through the base of the wall just to let the water drain through. I hope you can understand all this good luck.

Answer 3

Doing that dig out behind the wall will only weaken the wall. I think your best bet is to start over if you need it to be sturdy. Sorry for the bad news. But trust me it will cost you less in the long run!

Answer 4

I wouldn't worry about it. At a foot and a half it will not be required to hold back a lot of weight. I f it becomes water logged you might want to make a way for water to drain but I doubt you will need to worry about it.

Answer 5

I would go ahead and dig around it on one side and add gravel and put the soil back just slope everything away from the wall and off to somewhere else. What have you got to lose? The wall isn't that tall and the weight of will keep it from falling over by itself.