New Ideas And Designs For A Florida Concrete Retaining Wall Block And Landscape Wall Block Project

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Whether it´s making un-level areas of your property more usable, keeping your pool from falling into a lake, fencing in your land, creating steps in steep hills, or just adding a decorative touch to plain landscaping, Florida homeowners have been investing in retaining and landscaping wall projects to make their outdoor spaces more attractive and usable. However, if homeowners aren´t careful they can fall victims to the danger, liability, and unnecessary costs of fixing retaining wall and landscaping wall project mistakes. Geoff Bond, Florida´s leading hardscape product expert offers the top 4 things homeowners need to know about retaining or landscaping wall projects.

• Project design and engineering

One of the biggest reasons why wall projects fail is improper design. Landscaping walls typically do not require professional engineering but retaining walls do. A landscaping wall, like a garden wall, is usually less than 6 feet tall and more for decorative purposes, while a retaining wall, like a seawall or a wall below an elevated driveway is usually 6 feet or taller and serves a structural purpose. Contact a licensed landscape architect/designer or the building code office in your area for information about permitting and engineering requirements for your project.

• Hiring a qualified contractor

Another big reason why wall projects fail is because homeowners fail to hire qualified contractors. Times are tough out there for contractors. In tough times contractors sometimes take work that they are not qualified or experienced enough in which to do successfully. Make sure the contractor you select knows the principles and practices of proper retaining call construction. Ask for a copy of their Segmental Retaining Wall Installer Certificate from the National Concrete Masonry Association. Ask for a list of successful projects and referrals. See the quality of their work for yourself and talk to their customers about their experiences. You can check their rating with the Better Business Bureau, check to make sure the business is legitimate through The State of Florida Division of Corporations, and make sure they carry adequate general liability and worker´s compensation insurance (your insurance agent can research this for you). This will carry you a long way toward a satisfactory end result.

• Choose a quality manufacturing company

Poor product quality is a big contributor to homeowners becoming dissatisfied with the end result of their wall projects. Poor quality products come from undereducated and unreliable manufacturing companies. Retaining wall blocks or landscaping wall blocks should conform to the ASTM (American Society for Testing & Materials) C 1372 – Standard Specification for Segmental Retaining Wall Units. This standard establishes minimum criteria in dimensional tolerances, weight, durability, strength, and absorption. Honest, educated and reliable manufacturers make products that exceed industry standards and make their test results public. Avoid manufacturers who don´t publicize their test results because there´s a good chance they are hiding the inferiority of their products from you.

• All retaining wall products are not equal; what to look for and what to avoid

Choosing between a "good", "better", or "best" product may be okay for paint because consumers re-paint every few years. This concept doesn´t work in retaining or landscaping wall products because these systems need to last several decades. Retaining wall products are either "good" or "NOT-good-enough". Product density, more than any other factor, determines if a product is good or NOT-good-enough to withstand the test of time. Low density wall products are weak and highly-porous. Weak concrete wall products crack, crumble, and wear prematurely. Dirt and mold will penetrate into highly-porous wall products making them unsightly looking. High density wall products will not crack or crumble and will retain their beauty over a long period of time. Look for (good) retaining wall products that test out to approximately 4,400 PSI (pounds per square inch) in compressive strength with an absorption of 8% or less. You will be sacrificing too much performance for little money savings when you choose, for example, a product that is (NOT-good-enough) 3,000 PSI in strength and 15% in absorption.

Whether you are building a simple or complicated wall project remember what the experts know about protecting yourself and your investment. For more on how to create a beautiful and lasting concrete retaining wall visit our web site www.flagstonepavers.com

or call us at 352-799-7933.

www.flagstonepavers.com