About Brick Retaining Walls

Brick retaining walls give your lawn and home a new look with improved lines that are pleasing to the eye, and they also help prevent erosion. Hillsides will eventually begin to slide or erode over time as water pulls the soil out from the hillside. A brick retaining wall holds the soil in place and can also keep the ground beside it level.

Function

A brick retaining wall is a solid wall of brick that acts as a barrier between your lawn and the elements. Instead of water and moisture pulling the soil out from the hill and washing it away, the wall holds it in place. The wall also has a drainage system of gravel and a pipe that leads to what is called a "weep hole." This prevents excess moisture from putting too much pressure on the wall and allows drainage during large storms.

Features

A brick retaining wall consists of several parts. The first is the foundation or "footing," made of concrete or mortar. This lies directly on the ground. The next part is the brick wall, which is secured to the footing with grout. Weep holes that are small sections of pipe are inserted every few feet along the wall. Depending on how high your wall is, another drainage system must be installed beside the wall as part of the hillside, so water can drain toward the weep holes.

Types

Several types of brick retaining walls can be built, and most will be defined by the type of brick you use. A block brick retaining wall is made of large block bricks that are made of concrete or fired clay. These have a crescent-shaped front side and can be stacked without mortar in an overlapping fashion. Most mortar and brick retaining walls use common brick and concrete, and the bricks are stacked in overlapping fashion as well.

Size

A brick retaining wall can be as large as you want, however, most are about 2 to 4 feet high, and anywhere from 4 to 30 feet long. Building a brick retaining wall is a large project, and it requires excavating and building. Therefore the typical home brick retaining wall is usually not very large. Commercially built brick retaining walls can be as high as 30 feet, and as long as a hundred feet or more.

Considerations

If you want to build your own brick retaining wall, consider a few things. First, consider how effective the brick wall will be in holding in moisture and how effectively it will drain. If you receive a lot of rain, then installing a better drainage system will be a priority. You should also consider how large the wall will need to be, in order to be effective. Building one is a large project that requires a lot of physical work, so be prepared to take on the project and see it through to the end.

Warning

Larger retaining walls will need a strong foundation, because the soil and moisture will push against the wall over time. Since brick and mortar walls can crack along the mortar and brick seams, there is the possibility of your wall collapsing. Make sure your wall has a strong foundation, and that you properly grout and mortar each brick.

Resources

• How to build a brick retaining wall
• Retaining wall contractor