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The Problems With Wood Retaining Walls
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios

Stones, steel, bricks and mortar. These are the usual makes associated with retaining walls, and for good reasons. Retaining walls need to be strong. They need to be resistant against a variety of environmental factors. And they need to be hardy enough to withstand the test of time. Anything weaker will just court disaster. Sub par materials will break, and the ground they're supposed to support will easily crumble.

The question is, can wood be considered as a good material for retaining walls? In short, are wood retaining walls actually possible?

Those who have worked with various materials for retaining walls will tell you that yes, wood can actually be used as good foundation for the same.

But this is not an automatic response. There are conditions to be met. Wood retaining walls aren't for general usage. Wood, when compared to other materials, is not as sturdy nor is it as durable. But it can be just as desirable, if not more desirable, than other components. Why? It's because wood offers great latitude when it comes to design. The textures it can provide, as well as the elegant surface that comes with it, are a landscaper's dream. They can immediately add a touch of class to any environment.

But again, wood retaining walls are not as strong as other types of retaining walls.

If you wish to build wood retaining walls for your backyard, here is a checklist that you should seriously study before deciding on establishing one:

* How big is the mound of soil you're planning to contain? The size of the platform will determine its strength. Factored with gravity and you'll have a clear idea on the amount of force that your retainer wall will have to contend against. As a rule, a mound with an area of 12' x 12' x 6' or below can be supported by wood. Anything bigger than the said area can pose some problems.

* What weather conditions are prevalent in your territory? Wood can easily deteriorate under constant rain and snow. Make sure that your residence receives little amount of these.

* Is your area susceptible to termites? The main enemies of wood are termites. If your place is a breeding ground for termites, make sure to have your house as well as the surrounding areas disinfected so that you'll have fewer things to worry about.

If everything is amenable to what we have enumerated above, then there should be no immediate bar to your usage of wood as material for your retaining wall.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, Amazon, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.