Retaining Walls and Drainage: How to Protect Your Property

Many Portland-area properties have sloped lots, which means they require retaining walls to hold back the soil and combat the challenges of erosion and water runoff. Some retaining walls fail because they are only built to hold back soil, not the pressure of water against them, turning them from a solution to a potential future liability.

The answer to keeping your retaining wall intact is an integrated drainage system that stops erosion and protects your property.

Why Retaining Walls Are Critical for Stopping Hillside Erosion

The heavy rain we get in the Pacific Northwest often saturates the topsoil faster than it can be absorbed. You’ll see paths carved through your lawn or landscape and soil accumulating at the bottom of your driveway or on the sidewalk. Eventually, it can destabilize the soil supporting your home’s foundation, leading to cracks and leaks.

Retaining walls act as a physical dam for soil. However, without proper drainage, the wall itself creates a new problem.

How to Control Hydrostatic Pressure

Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure that comes from waterlogged soil pushing against your wall. Over time, this pressure will lead to retaining wall water damage such as bowing, cracking and eventual collapse. The region’s heavy clay soils act like a sponge, holding onto water long after the rain stops and creating sustained pressure on your wall.

With no drainage behind your retaining wall, everything will look normal until the wall starts showing physical symptoms. At that point, the structure is already compromised.

A Complete Drainage System

An integrated system with a wall engineered specifically for sloped yard drainage is the answer to hillside erosion issues. A well-designed landscape retaining wall from Drainage Masters LLC includes:

• Proper surface grading: We’ll ensure the ground is sloped away from the top of the wall to divert a large amount of rainfall before it can ever soak in behind it.
• Gravel backfill: We replace dense soil with a porous layer of gravel behind the wall, creating a free-draining channel for water to move down to the drainpipe.
• Geotextile filter fabric: We wrap this fabric around the gravel to act as a screen, letting water pass through while blocking the mud and silt that would otherwise clog the system.
• French drain: We’ll install a retaining wall with a French drain. This gravel-lined drainage system with a perforated pipe collects ground saturation and surface water and directs it away from the wall’s base.
• Weep holes: We put in small holes at the base, which act as safety valves. These holes provide secondary pressure relief by allowing any trapped water to escape directly through the face of the wall.

Hire a Specialist, Not Just a Builder

Drainage Masters LLC is a trusted erosion control contractor for your Portland property. We engineer solutions to combat hillside erosion with proper drainage, and we’ve served the Pacific Northwest since 1996. We’ll provide you with a tailored retaining wall with drainage in Portland, OR, that safely releases water and goes well with your current landscaping.

Request Your Property Protection Plan

The cost of a Pacific Northwest retaining wall is an investment in preventing future repair bills to your home’s structure and landscape. If you need a new retaining wall installation in Vancouver or Portland, reach out to Drainage Masters LLC to request a free estimate today.