What are the different types of retaining walls in Oklahoma City?

Posted on Friday, February 17 2017 in Alex’s Construction News

With just a drive through Oklahoma City you will see a wide variety of retaining walls yeah they combined it with another one around homes, neighborhoods and businesses. The careful observer will note that there seems to be many different types of retaining walls for a variety of different purposes. Retaining walls can be built for decorative or industrial purposes, and in many cases, for both. Alex’s Construction Service will, in this article and following articles, look closely at the types of retaining walls that are commonly seen in the Oklahoma City area to help you choose which retaining wall would be best for your needs.

What is a retaining wall?

A retaining wall is a structure that holds back or retains enclosed material. This retaining wall can be decorative, holding back gardening soil in the front of a home, up and through structures that are used for leveling heavy grades holding back many tons of material.

Why use a retaining wall?

A retaining in Oklahoma City wall can be used in a variety of applications however, the most common use would be to level a slope or grade. This leveling process allows for areas that were once unusable because of the grade to now be level. This concept can might be as simple as to level or raise a garden bed; all the way through creating additional yard space strong enough to park vehicles on.

What are some common reasons for using a retaining wall?

From a residential standpoint in Oklahoma City, some of the more useful reasons for a retaining wall might be:

A level area around the home for flowers and shrubbery
Leveling areas of the property by creating a wall that’s easier to care of for mowing and trimming
Around a pool area to help level the slope that is traditionally created when installing an inground or above ground pool
To elevate the soil and hide aboveground roots for trees
To create a raised section underneath windows for plants

From a Commercial standpoint in Oklahoma City, some of the more useful reasons for a retaining wall might be:

Large area leveling of a slope
Property management solutions for rolling hills and useful hardscape development
Retaining wall structures and leveling strong enough for commercial development or vehicle parking.

Call Alex’s Construction Company for a Free quote on Home Improvement Services in the Oklahoma City Area – 405-496-0161

Garden Retaining Walls

A garden retaining wall is a simple structure ranging between 6 inches and 2 feet that simply provides a decorative enclosure for a garden setting. Also called a screened wall this retaining structure is designed more for an attractive appearance than it is structural integrity. As the size of the garden and the height of the wall increases so does the need for adding a level of reinforcement to the overall build. This retaining wall structure can also be used to level the 5 to 10% grade seen in the front of many Oklahoma City homes.

NOTE: Careful consideration should be made when creating a garden retaining wall that it include the proper drainage and structure based upon its size. As the size of the structure increases so does the weight that the retaining wall holds back.
Drainage considerations

Depending on the size and use of a retaining wall, one of its purposes is to maintain structural integrity when weight is applied. When a section is created, then filled with back dirt, soil, rock or gravel it will place additional weight and stress on the retaining wall. When you add water from rain or run off, it significantly increases the weight that the retaining wall needs to effectively hold. Part of a professionally installed retaining wall structure from Alex’s Construction serving the Oklahoma City area will be the addition of proper drainage so that water from rain or runoff can pass through without damaging the structure.

When Experience Counts

Alex’s Construction serving the Oklahoma City area specializes in retention wall and drainage solutions that will not only match the aesthetics of your home or commercial property, but will provide the stability needed to last for many years to come. Many hardscape companies do not take into account the complicated weight distribution ratios necessary to create a retaining wall that will not crumble when additional weight from rain is applied. At Alex’s Construction we calculate the factors necessary to make sure that, whether you need a decorative or commercial level retaining wall, it will more than exceed the need; and look great to!
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