Retaining walls can look solid from the front and still be slowly failing behind the scenes. We saw this during a recent retaining wall project in White Plains, where early warning signs were easy to miss.
How to spot problems early:
Hairline cracks or bulging in the wall
Soil washing out at the base
Water collecting behind or near the wall
How we fixed it properly:
Excavated behind the wall to relieve pressure
Installed a perforated drain pipe wrapped in fabric
Backfilled with free-draining gravel instead of soil
Ensured the footing extended below the frost line
Why this matters:
Most retaining wall failures aren’t caused by bad blocks — they’re caused by trapped water and pressure. Once the wall starts leaning, repairs get expensive fast.
Local note:
Materials were sourced from Westchester Mason Supply, which helped keep block sizing and drainage components consistent.
Takeaway:
If a retaining wall doesn’t have drainage, it’s not a matter of if it fai
ls — it’s when.