When it comes to your landscaping, having level ground and erosion prevention is beneficial to keeping your outdoor design looking visually appealing and functional. Installing retaining walls on your property is a great way to create even ground when you have sloped areas and helps protect them from collapsing over time. Two common options are poured concrete retaining wall and concrete blocks. Which one is right for you, though? Both wall designs have their own advantages and disadvantages, and at Concrete Solutions of Atlanta, we want you to have the information you need about both to decide which one is best for you.
Concrete Block Features
Concrete blocks are a popular choice for a retaining wall with their versatility and simplicity. They are often built against slopes in a garden or backyard and along the outside of basements. Here are a few features that are important to know, and part of what makes them an ideal option for your retaining walls:
How They’re Made
Concrete blocks are precast blocks that are engineered and purchased from a facility. After the cement mixture is made, it goes through several stages of molding, curing, and cubing. This is typically done with a block machine that contains molds of the desired block design. The blocks are then cured and split afterwards, depending on their design.
Flexible Customization
A big benefit of concrete blocks is their flexibility when it comes to design. They can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making it easy for you to design a retaining wall that best matches your home’s aesthetic. Since these blocks are stacked and interlocked, you can make walls straight or even curved very easily. You also can pick out different colored concrete, allowing for beautiful and unique designs.
Low Maintenance
The installation process for a concrete block retaining wall is simple, and the maintenance afterwards is minimal. General upkeep, like cleaning, is easy and quick to do, making this type of retaining wall very manageable for homeowners. If your wall is showing signs of staining or a buildup of debris, it can easily be scrubbed or sprayed down.
Cost-Effective
Concrete block retaining walls can be a cost-effective option for your retaining wall. The materials are not as costly as others may be, such as stone and brick, and the installation process does not require specialized labor. While the price isn’t cheap, it’s much more affordable in the long run, and you can easily create the wall design you want without that will last years to come.
Easy to Repair
Another advantage to concrete block retaining walls is that they’re easier to repair. Walls made of other materials, like poured concrete, generally must be replaced and made from scratch if damaged. With blocks, though, the wall can be disassembled and reinstalled with the existing materials being reused. This reduces wasted materials and lessens the cost of repair.
Limitations of Concrete Block Retaining Walls
While concrete blocks offer a variety of benefits for a retaining wall, there are some limitations to them to keep in mind. Here are a few cons to using blocks for a retaining wall:
Can Only Go So High
Concrete blocks provide strength and stability for slopes, but they’re at a disadvantage when it comes to height. These types of walls can only go as high as the height of the slopes they’re supporting, and walls above 4 feet need additional support behind them. Exceeding the height of the landscaping puts them at risk of losing their stability, making them less effective.
Limited Moisture Control
While concrete blocks can hold back and control a certain degree of water alongside the soil, they are not waterproof. If you need enclosed or interior retaining walls, concrete blocks are not recommended for them for this reason.
Poured Concrete Features
A poured concrete retaining wall is a sleek and modern option that is also popular in landscaping. This type of wall is known for its stability, large size, and craftsmanship. Making a retaining wall with poured concrete is effective and comes with several advantages. Here are a few features of poured concrete:
How It’s Made
Making poured concrete is a more complex process compared to the process used for concrete blocks. A concrete footing has to be made to stabilize the wall, and concrete is poured over rebar and mesh within a framed mold to create a strong, durable structure. Once it’s cured, the process produces a large, smooth retaining wall.
Durability
Poured concrete retaining wall is known for their durability. They’re reinforced with rebar, able to withstand a lot of pressure, and can be made waterproof to keep out moisture. Due to their exceptional stability, they can last for years and are great when you need large-scale, reliable retaining walls.
Great for Large-Scale
One advantage of poured concrete is that retaining walls made from it can be built at a larger scale than concrete blocks. They can exceed the height of an incline due to the stability their footing provides. This works well for larger properties that need strong but simple retaining walls.
Limitations of Poured Concrete Retaining Wall
Poured concrete is good for stability and larger projects but comes with its disadvantages that are important to be aware of. Here are a few limitations to poured concrete retaining walls:
Less Customization
Given how poured concrete walls are constructed, customizing them can be a challenge. There is less flexibility when it comes to picking out a specific look for these kinds of walls. While you can customize them, there are not as many options as there are with concrete blocks, and achieving curved designs and unique colors is difficult due to their strict structure.
Require Specialized Labor
Creating poured concrete retaining walls is an intricate process and one that requires special labor. These walls are done by experts like a landscaping architect or a structural engineer, and it’s a risky process. A lot can go wrong in the installation process, such as cracks and bulges in the concrete. If part of the process goes wrong, it’s difficult to recover from it and it can become even more time-consuming.
Expensive
Due to the complexity of the installation process and size of this kind of retaining wall, they can be costly. The extra labor and skill required to make one means you have to be prepared to pay a higher price than you would for a concrete block retaining wall. If you have a tight budget regarding your wall construction, poured concrete might not be an ideal option.
Reliable Concrete Block Walls by Concrete Solutions
If you’re in the market for building a retaining wall on your property, Concrete Solutions of Atlanta is here to help you. We offer professional retaining wall installation services for strong, customizable concrete block retaining walls. Our team works with you to build the retaining walls you need well within your budget, and we offer a wide variety of customization options for concrete block wall design. Whether you’re looking for colored concrete or curved walls, we can make it happen.
Contact us today for a free quote, or to schedule a service with us. We look forward to providing you with the concrete solutions you need!