Most 'broken' walls are drainage problems
Leaning, bulging, cracked, stained. Those are the words people search when they want a retaining wall repair. Nine times out of ten the face is the symptom. Water sat behind the wall with nowhere to go, the pressure grew, and the wall moved.
That's good news if we catch it early. Add the drain that was missing, relieve the pressure, and a lot of walls can stay. Wait until the belly is obvious and you're buying a rebuild.
What we look at on the first visit
How far it's leaning. Whether the crack is hairline or opening. What's above the wall, lawn, driveway, a neighbour's grade. Where water is coming from and whether there's any outlet at all. Photos help. Being on site is better.
We'll tell you if it's a repoint, a partial rebuild, a drainage retrofit, or a take-down. Forge Langley Retaining Wall Contractors doesn't sell a full rebuild because it's an easier quote. If a cheaper fix will hold, you hear that first.
Timber, interlocking, and old block
Rotten sleeper walls usually need to come out. The wood is the failure. Interlocking walls can often be rebuilt with the same units if they aren't broken, plus a real base and drain. Old concrete and masonry get diagnosed piece by piece. Sometimes the footing is fine and the face needs work. Sometimes nothing above grade is worth saving.
Don't stack more on a failing wall
Adding a course to 'straighten' a lean, or slapping veneer over a bulge, hides the problem for a season. Then you have more weight and the same water. If the wall is moving, stop loading it and call. We'll give you a straight answer from the photos or a site visit.
What's included
- Honest assessment of why the wall is failing
- Repointing of cracked or eroded mortar joints
- Partial rebuilds of bowed or collapsed sections
- Retrofit drainage where water is the cause
- Full rebuilds when a repair won't last
- Stone or brick matched to the original where possible
- Cleanup and grade restoration
When you need wall repair
A wall leaning out
A wall tipping forward is failing. Caught early, it's often saveable.
Cracks or bulging
Cracks and bulges mean pressure is building behind the wall. It needs attention.
Water staining or washout
If water's running through or around the wall, drainage is the real problem.
Our process
- 1
Diagnose
We find out why the wall is failing before we quote a fix. Usually it's drainage.
- 2
Recommend
We tell you honestly whether to repair or rebuild, and why.
- 3
Fix it
Repoint, rebuild, or add drainage, done so it doesn't come back.
- 4
Clean up
We restore the grade and leave the site tidy.
Why choose Forge Langley Retaining Wall Contractors for this
- Honest diagnosis, no upselling a rebuild you don't need
- We fix the drainage cause, not just the cosmetic crack
- Matched stone and brick on repairs
- Mason-grade work whether we repair or rebuild