Are you thinking about elevating the standard and appearance of your house? If yes, then retaining walls can be the perfect solution to improvise on your already built house. By adding these walls on your property, you can not only enhance the aesthetic value of your house or building, but also retain or hold back the soil. These are aesthetically appealing walls that appear sophisticated, are easy to install, and definitely worth the money.
Numerous varieties of materials are used in the making of these aesthetic walls. They can be built to match your garden environment or your lawn setup too. Available in multiple sizes and colours, these walls complement your home with quality effect. Here are the most common questions put forth by people when it comes to installing a retaining wall.
Difference between a Retaining Wall and a Retaining Wall System?
Retaining walls are essentially support structures that are added to the outer area of the building or house. The main purpose of the structure is to add to the aesthetic value of the property and also act as a frame for the property or garden, or even provide a partition to create a new area. Whereas, a retaining wall system refers to a complete set of wall systems that include concrete sleepers that are made using unique moulds, interlocking blocks, as well as special drainage systems to set along with the structure.
What Are The Different Materials Used In Making A Retaining Wall?
A large number of materials, such as bricks, concrete, claddings, treated timber, and natural stone, are used in the making of retaining walls, based on the style of the project as well as the budget. Each of these materials has its own pros and cons when it comes to the style of the building as well as the type of use. However, the larger your structure size, the better for a builder or a contractor to handle installation of the wall.
Are There Any Legal Approvals Required To Install A Retaining Wall?
Unless your retaining wall structure does not exceed one-metre height as per rules and regulations, you will not require any council or legal approval to install it. But if it?s more than that, you will require a licensed engineer to ensure that the installations are made in accordance to all rules and regulations. In the event that your wall is to be located within 900 millimetres or lesser from any other adjoining property or structure out of your property, you will require council approval to proceed with installations. Some localities in Australia set the height limit as low as 600 millimetres. In such instances also, you will require council approval to proceed with the structure?s installation.
How To Choose The Right Material?
The material of construction for the retaining walls rely not only on the purpose of the wall being installed, but also around the pros and cons of each material. For instance, timber or treated pine is an excellent choice of material because of its low price, but being wood, they require a lot of maintenance, and over time, they might need replacement too. If you plan on installing the structure yourself, you could opt for simple low profile brick retaining walls. But being low profile material, it may not have as high aesthetic value as other materials might provide. Each material comes with different cost, apart from the professional installation charges.
Installing retaining walls has become quite a trend in Australia and has expanded the scope of its business in the country. So, if you plan on installing a wall structure or even start up a business, you have come to the right place at the right time. Compare different quotations before you decide on installing a structural wall and choose the material after consulting with an expert structural construction engineer.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
