Retaining Walls Frequently Asked Questions

Contact us today and speak with one of our estimators!

TKB Concrete and Retaining Walls

Serving Temple, Killeen, and Belton! 

Need a concrete driveway or patio or a retaining wall installed or repaired? 

We’re the team you can trust for all your concrete and retaining wall needs! 

✅ Satisfying Customers Since 2015

✅ Locally Owned & Operated

✅ Licensed & Insured

✅ Fair and Reasonable Price

✅ Workmanship Guaranteed

Bid & Quote Submission

What is a retaining wall used for?

A retaining wall is a vertical structure that prevents soil from slumping or running downhill. Retaining walls can be made of wood, brick, concrete block, stone (obviously), sandbags, and so on. The most common type of retaining wall is called a mass wall built with stacked stone or the like, cinder blocks, and other heavy materials. Purposefully sunk piles of the earth are often used to stabilize shallow slopes in lieu of using extensive artificial engineering methods for slope maintenance.

What Are The Common Retaining Wall Materials?

Retaining walls can be made of brick, concrete block, stone and so on which each have their respective pros and cons. A retainer wall is a vertical structure that prevents soil from slumping or running downhill.

What Are Decorative Retaining Walls?

Decorative Retaining Walls are an architectural element that can be used to make a garden, yard or other landscaping projects more visually appealing. Decorative retaining walls can be made of brick, concrete block, stone and so on which each have their respective pros and cons. Decorative retaining walls are an architectural element that can be used to make a garden, yard or another landscaping project more visually appealing.

Can You Repair A Retaining Wall?

Retaining walls are structures that prevent soil from slipping or running downhill. Retaining walls can be made of brick, concrete block, stone and so on which each have their respective pros and cons. Retaining wall repair is necessary to ensure that the retaining wall does not collapse in an earthquake or other event. Retaining walls are often used to stabilize shallow slopes in lieu of using extensive artificial engineering methods for slope maintenance.

How Do Retaining Walls Work?

Retaining walls are designed to keep soil in place. How do they work? When you have a hill with an incline, the dirt may slide down over time and, eventually, can cause problems like blocked sewers and clogged storm drains. Retaining walls help prevent this from happening.

Why Do Retaining Walls Fail?

Retaining Walls Fail For Two Reasons:

1) Retaining Walls are incorrectly installed.

2) Retaining Walls are not correctly designed for the soil or slope they will be resting on. Retaining Walls To Increase Usable Space is perfect in these situations because it’s easy to install Retaining Wall and will not require professional installation services!

What are the benefits of stone walls?

The Benefits Of Stone Walls Are:

1) Stone walls act as a natural moisture barrier.

2) Stone Walls can combat the effects of earthquakes, while at the same time be fixed with minimal repair costs (around 50% of their total value).

3) Stone Walls have no carbon footprint.

4) From an aesthetic point of view, the stone is not only physically appealing but also ages well! The more a wall progresses to its advanced years, the more fascinating it becomes with moss and lichen growing on its surface. As a result, walls that have been standing for hundreds of years will look new in comparison to other types such as MDF or HDF which just begin to deteriorate after a few decades because they were manufactured from formaldehyde.

How Long Do Retaining Walls Last?

It’s hard to say because there are so many factors that go into it. Obviously, a properly built wall shouldn’t need maintenance for decades, but improper construction can shorten the life span by decades in some cases.

To further explain: Retaining walls made of HDF or MDF-board usually begin breaking down as early as twenty years after installation and also emit formaldehyde. Retaining walls made with stone last much longer than HDF or MDF boards and they don’t emit formaldehyde. Stone is also very durable; it takes hundreds of years for them to deteriorate, while HDF and MDF boards are only last about 20 years (from an aesthetic point of view). To summarize this point: depending on the building material used, the walls may only last a couple of decades, while stone will maintain its physical appeal for hundreds of years.

What Slope Requires A Retaining Wall?

Most slopes need some degree of retaining wall built because even a gradual slope will cause the topsoil to eventually accelerate downhill.

So just how much of a slope is safe without the need for Retaining Walls? Depending on where you live, there are rules as to what constitutes a safe slope without a Retaining Wall. For elevations below 1,000 feet, no more than 1% or 10 feet – whichever is greater- should be considered clear for development without a Retaining Wall. For areas above 1500 feet elevation, 2% or 20 feet exceeds the threshold. For most people who have summited mountains over 4000 ft., many times they are required to install Retaining Walls due to excessive sloping conditions.

Do You Need Drainage Behind A Retaining wall?

When it comes to Retaining Wall drainage: yes, that is one of the safest places for water runoff. Above ground, depending on where you live in relation to elevation (see chart below), some setbacks will be required and are different for each region. This usually falls on the local building department. Licensed contractors can help determine those setbacks and design a wall to accommodate them.

What Is The Strongest Type Of Retaining Wall?

Stone Retaining Walls are the strongest type of wall and can be fixed with minimal repair costs (around 50% of their total value). Stone is not only durable, but it’s also a great way to combat the side-effects of earthquakes. As an added bonus, it’s completely natural and has no carbon footprint. The installation of a stone retaining wall is the answer to your needs. If you’re looking for an immovable barrier that will resist the effects of earthquakes, give our experts a call today!

Fast, Affordable Concrete and Retaining Wall Services!

OUR SERVICE AREAS

TKB CONCRETE AND RETAINING WALLS PROUDLY SERVES THE FOLLOWING AREAS OF TEXAS WITH A COMMITMENT TO SUPERIOR SERVICE:
 

TEMPLE

KILLEEN

BELTON

Waco

Call for quotes and bid submissions

We pride ourselves on our reputation as The Best concrete and Retaining Wall Company in the Temple | Killeen | Belton Metro!