WE SPECIALIZE IN RETAINING WALLS

The Advantages of Sandstone Retaining Walls over Concrete

When you are in the process of landscaping your property, you will probably want to erect some type of retaining wall. That being the case, you will want to decide just what sort of material you should use before you actually get started. Given that you are working with the great outdoors, why not give yourself something natural to look at every single day? This is where sandstone comes in, and it’s a great retaining wall solution. The question however, is what advantages sandstone has over concrete or any other materials that you might be considering.

First of all, sandstone is beautiful, and it is very natural. It features caramel tones, and it has been used as a building material for centuries. Who are you to argue with centuries of building tradition?

In addition to being pretty, sandstone is naturally porous. While this might be a problem in other applications, it works out well in the case of a retaining wall. Once the water is absorbed, it is able to seep out slowly, ensuring that the sandstone is not damaged, and that the water is properly moved from one location to the next. This is a built in drainage system that only nature could produce at such a low cost.

Finally, you do not need to sink a footing beneath the frost-line, which would be a necessity with bricks, mortar, or concrete. That being said, the installation of your retaining wall will be both inexpensive and fast.

As you can see, there are more than a few noteworthy advantages when it comes to the use of sandstone over brick, concrete, and virtually any other material. You will of course hope that the retaining wall is needed, but as always, it is better to be safe than sorry!

How To Select A Retaining Wall Contractor

Choosing a retaining wall contractor is not different from selecting any other type of contractor. There are a few steps which, if you follow, will help you choose the best professional for your job.

First of all, you should consider inviting more than one retaining wall contractor to bid on your project. Three is a good number, but if you have the time, you can invite even more.

Before inviting the contractors to bid, check to see if they have a license. In states like California, all contractors are obliged by law to put their contractor’s number on all their advertising materials.

Write down all your project specifications, making sure to include all details needed for the professionals to develop their proposals. Hand this out to all participants.

Ask all contractors to show you some work they have previously done. It’s best if they can show projects that are similar to your retaining wall. This will give you more confidence they can do the job you need.

All projects you receive should be complete. If you sign a contract based only on a rough sketch, you may get in trouble later on, especially if you imagined something different than your contractor did. By having detailed drawings, you can avoid such misunderstandings.

One more thing you should check before choosing your retaining wall contractor is their liability insurance and proof of Workers Compensation. You want to avoid the unpleasant situation in which a worker gets injured while on your property and there’s no insurance to cover such events.

All things being equal, you can look at the price and choose the least expensive contractor. However, you should never start from the price, because this may lead to trouble, especially if you hire less skilled contractors just because they ask for less money than more experienced ones.