Author: John Linder

It’s Easier Than You Think

Did you know that you are completely qualified to build a 10-foot-tall retaining wall that over looks a playground? A wall with literally tons of weight that could fail and collapse in an instant if not properly installed. You may think ‘how can this be’? Well the scary fact is that there is absolutely no competency requirements for building retaining walls. None!

You can just wake up some day and say “I’m a retaining wall contractor” and plenty have done this very thing.

Aren’t There Any Standards?

There are standards that are supposed to be followed, but who will check up on them? In most cases no one! Most contractors don’t even know the standards. The standard procedure is to have someone tell you how to build a wall or even worse watch a handyman YouTube video showing what they did.

Where Can I Find The Standards?

The proper place to go is the Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association, or CMHA. Their website can be found here: https://www.masonryandhardscapes.org/ This is the sanctioning body who writes the rules for SRW construction.

At least make sure that the company installing your retaining wall is certified in Segmental Retaining Walls (SRW) so they at least know what the standards are. Now will they actually follow the standards or cut corners? That’s what you have to ask yourself.

Just remember any hairdresser has infinitely more training required than those installing your retaining walls.

John A. Linder -Retaining Wall Safety Advocate

That was the response to a price quote we submitted for a retaining wall along a driveway. This homeowner was replacing her retaining wall yearly for who knows how long. It saddens me that so many are so bad at our craft that they can’t even build a retaining wall to last more than a year. Well therein lies the actual problem. It’s not a craft. It’s a job. Usually done by those looking for a quick buck.

Unwilling to Learn or No Longer in Business?

As I seek to change my beloved industry to a level I’m not currently able, I push forward to educate as many as possible on proper installation methods through our small YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@rolling_hills_landscapes and more importantly becoming an authorized instructor for CMHA (the sanctioning body for retaining walls and pavers). It astonishes me how many simply don’t want to learn proper installation methods. Or could it simply be that many landscape contractors are new and won’t last very long? That’s what the statistics show. Do a test yourself. Look at any gas station in the spring, and there will be an abundance of new landscapers there every morning. Next year, all new names will appear as the others fade away. This is our 24^th year in business in case you were wondering.

The response to “How am I supposed to pay that every year” was… “If you hire us, you only pay that one time.” It’s been nearly 7 years since then and she hasn’t had to repay to have it done yet.

*Disclaimer this, as with all our entries are 100% un-assisted by the fancy computer machines (AI) that are in vogue. So, if it’s not interesting that may be because we are not interesting. I would personally rather carry 86 lb. block around a jobsite than clickity clack on this keyboard, but I want you to hire us so here I sit.

-John A. Linder Retaining Wall Longevity Enthusiast

This is the question of the day-should 2A or 2B be used for wall or paver base? First, I’ll explain the difference. 2A and 2B are Pennsylvania classifications of crushed limestone. 2A limestone (also called dense grade) has finer particles and does not readily allow water to pass through. 2B (also called open grade) does not have the fine particles and allows water to freely drain through. Over the last few years I have taken notice of an industry switch from 2A to 2B.

Well, I would push back on this. Yes, it is easier to compact and is cheaper to install, but they miss one extremely important thing: drainage. When open grade 2B is installed without regard to drainage you are asking for trouble. I know this for a fact.

The Lesson

I am my own case study. Back before this was the norm, I was an extremely early adopter of this method (before most of these current companies were even in business). I installed open grade at my own house and I have to say, it has been nothing but trouble. This was a large project that involved completely replacing the foundation including the footer, adding a concrete driveway and a retaining wall with incorporated steps. The entire scope was constructed using open grade/2B limestone. What happens is when it rains and water gets into the retaining wall? It flows under the driveway, under the foundation footer and eventually into my basement. I have since installed a basement drainage system to allow the water somewhere to go. I believe this could have been prevented if I hadn’t installed open grade/2B limestone for the entire project.

In closing, I strongly recommend that you never use open grade /2B limestone within 10 foot of a dwelling.