In front of my garage there are a wall on each side. The left side is stable because it is more than just a wall, it is a planter box 7'h x6'w (constructed of house brick and morter). The right wall is leaning inward about 10 degrees or more (7'h x6'w). The leaning wall appears to be appears stable. There is soil behind the leaning wall aproximently 4' up.
Who do I need to contact to work on this? What kind of work should I expect them to do to upright this wall?
C_kubie
I assume it is a concrete wall. The bad news is that it is going to keep getting worse. More bad news is that it probably can't be restored to upright but will be torn out and redone. The original installation appears to have been wrong, probably no footing, no deadmen back into the bank, no drainage holes, no rock/rubble backfill, just built and backfilled with dirt. Just assuming things based on what I have seen in the past. Call a concrete contractor or bite the bullet, have it dismantled and replaced with the fancy retaining wall blocks. They look much better than bare concrete anyhow.
Harry K
The wall is house brick and morter. (it isn't poured concrete.
The bricks that were used match the front of the house, garage, and the wal on the other side of the garage. If it would have to be rebuilt, it would have to be done with the existing brick or nothing would match.
It is probably 35-45 years old. There is about 4 feet of dirt behind it.
Most likely can't be repaired. Replacement is the most likely course.
The good news is it may be a LONG time before it becomes a problem. In my case it took 18 years for a wall that was 10 degrees out of plumb to get to the point where it fell. It really did not look all that bad for 15 of those years. And this was in a sitaution with very active hydrostatic pressure. Mine wasn't 7' tall so YMMV.
Keep a close watch on it.
Colbyt
My only experience with "retaining walls" was in seawall repairs at our condo - excavating and placing a bunch of new "deadmen". With a wall the size of yours - six feet long? - I would be inclined to believe that replacing it would not be much more than repairing it. Perhaps a marine contractor, if there are any in the neighborhood, or a good general contractor. Is it block or poured? Cracking? Reinforced? If it is replaced, it should have drainage and tiebacks, IMO. What is behind it? Structures? Uphill? Trees?
Returning the existing wall to vertical would not likely be practical or a long term solution. I would consider dismantling the wall and reusing the bricks to rebuild it with the proper footing, drainage, and anchors. If the dirt behind is only 4 ft high, dry, and solid it probably would not be necessary to excavate it. Google or your local library can provide the needed information if you want to do it yourself or ensure that a contractor does it properly. If built improperly it will likely not be evident until the builder is long gone. Don Young
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