Baltimore Retaining Wall

If you're building a retaining wall in Baltimore, you've got a number of choices when it comes to materials and building methods. For smaller walls, your primary deciding factor is going to be aesthetics. For larger walls, structural integrity and cost top the list. What follows is a list of the most popular materials used in Baltimore retaining wall construction as well as a few comments about when and where they ought to be used. Use the information, along with the advice and expertise of local contractors, to aid you in deciding which is right for your building project in Monument City and the surrounding metropolitan area.

Building a Loose Stone Retaining Wall in Baltimore
Loose stone, be it natural stone or manufactured landscaping stones, can be safely stacked by homeowners or contractors to heights of a few feet, making it a material best used for simple landscaping. For walls that are larger than that, you'll want to mortar the stone together, and possibly anchor the wall, in order to reduce the chance your wall will fail under the pressure of the soil and landscaping sitting topside.

Interlocking Concrete Blocks for Baltimore Retaining Wall Construction
Interlocking concrete blocks, which are pre-cast to fit together and hold each other in place, are a step up from natural stone in integrity and ease of installation, and usually a step down in cost. For all of those reasons, this material is the most popular for homeowners embarking on a Baltimore retaining wall project without professional help. Again, however, since they're rarely held together with any mortar material and usually aren't anchored or reinforced, interlocking concrete stone is used almost exclusively for smaller (less than four-feet-high) landscaping-related retaining walls.

Building a Masonry Retaining Wall in Baltimore
For added strength and more refined looks, turn to masonry for your Baltimore retaining wall. After all, the point of a Boston retaining wall is to hold back thousands of pounds of pressure. In general, masonry walls will last longer, fail less, and retain more weight than loose stone or interlocking concrete. They can be built with everything from stone to brick to concrete cinder blocks, and with the proper reinforcements and anchors are suitable for the majority of the Baltimore retaining wall projects undertaken on residential properties.

Building a Baltimore Retaining Wall with Concrete
Concrete is generally reserved for larger projects where function and strength outweigh aesthetic considerations. If you're building an addition onto your home, but need a retaining wall to shore up the slope beneath your planned building site, for example, concrete is most likely where you'll turn. Because concrete is most often used in applications where the retaining wall is expected to hold significant loads without risk of failure, you're best bet is to hire a contractor to build your concrete retaining wall for you. If your concrete retaining wall in Baltimore is going to be exposed, you can finish it with just about any veneer material. Cultured stone is presently one of the most popular materials, though brick, stone veneer, wood, and even stucco are all suitable options as well.

Building a Baltimore Retaining Wall with Concrete
Many homeowners prefer the more natural look of wood over concrete or stone masonry, and it is much cheaper than natural stone. Keep in mind, however, that wood, even the pressure-treated kind that's used in building retaining walls, will eventually rot and fail. And if you're considering railroad ties, you should know that they have fallen out of favor as a Baltimore retaining wall material since they're soaked in creosote, creating some significant environmental concerns.

Talk to a Pro (Or Better Yet, Several of Them)
Whether you're planning on building a small, loose rock retaining wall, or are going to need a larger masonry wall built for you, talk to multiple professionals about what it's going to take to get your job started. If you're doing it on your own, a little advice from a professional can save you from some major headaches down the road. And if you're hiring the job out, talking to multiple contractors is the best way to ensure you'll get the best bang for your buck after construction of your retaining wall in Baltimore is underway.