What is a retaining wall for a pool?

Author: Kobe Wisoky  |  Last update: Tuesday, May 17, 2022

A pool retaining wall is a small wall that surrounds part of a pool. The wall serves as a barrier around the pool, as well as housing for additional features such as waterfalls. These walls can range in height dramatically, from one to several feet.

Do I need retaining wall around pool?

The retaining wall helps to serve as a sturdy, protective barrier to keep the soil and rocks from falling onto your patio or into the pool which can cause serious damage. Areas with particularly loose or very sandy soil will certainly need some kind of retaining wall to keep everything in place.

Can a retaining wall hold a pool?

RETAINING WALLS FOR INGROUND POOLS

Retaining walls are usually used for sloping backyards. Sometimes a retaining wall is used to add more room for the pool by cutting into a small hillside, or to allow for perimeter space all the way around the pool.

What is considered a retaining wall?

A retaining wall is a strong structure that is made to keep a hill, slope or mound of earth in place. Unlike indoor walls, retaining walls receive pressure horizontally instead of vertically. Due to the weight of the earth behind the wall, a retaining structure must adhere to high construction standards.

Can you build a pool next to a retaining wall?

Can I Build a Pool on a Sloped Backyard? Some people mistakenly think that if they can't have an inground pool on a sloped yard. However, this is not true. If you find that your yard is uneven, you can use a retaining wall so you can have the swimming pool you've always wanted to be installed.

Pool Retaining Walls for Sloped Yards: Cost, Materials, and More

Can a concrete pool be used as a retaining wall?

Concrete pools have steel reinforced engineered walls and can act as retaining walls or out of ground structures. A creative designer can often use the pool as a retaining wall and save the client the cost of a separate structure.

What is the cheapest type of retaining wall?

What Is the Cheapest Type of Retaining Wall? The cheapest type of retaining wall is poured concrete. Prices start at $4.30 per square foot for poured concrete, $5.65 for interlocking concrete block, $6.15 for pressure-treated pine, and about $11 for stone.

Can I build my own retaining wall?

Choose a DIY-friendly building material. Retaining walls can be made from wood, bricks, natural stones or concrete blocks. For DIYers, it's best to use concrete retaining wall blocks, which can be interlocking and are heavy enough to stay in place without cement or other adhesive.

What is the difference between normal wall and retaining wall?

Thus we can say, it is the wall built to prevent the soil on a natural slope embankment from sliding down the slope from the harsh weather effects. The main difference is Retaining wall is constructed at upstream of a road formation whereas breast wall is constructed at its downstream.

How far should a retaining wall be from an above ground pool?

Plant a minimum of 18 inches away from your pool and retaining wall so that roots don't undermine either of them.

Can I put dirt up against my above ground pool?

Fill in the gap between the pool walls and the top of the slope with contractor grade backfill dirt. Do not use gravel or sand, to avoid damaging the pool walls. Add dirt to reach the level of the top of the slope and give the backfill a few days to settle before topping it off.

Can you put a pool in a sloped yard?

The short answer is yes. By working with professional pool builders and landscapers, you can pursue pool installation even when you're dealing with a slope. However, you'll have to utilize some creativity in order to have the final result be aesthetically pleasing, functional, and safe.

Do I really need a retaining wall?

You Might Need a Retaining Wall If…

If mountains of erosion materials are clogging important areas on your property, adding a retaining wall is a wonderful idea. Retaining walls minimize erosion by decreasing the angle of a slope and holding back soil. 2. Your home is downhill from soil fault lines.

How long does a retaining wall last?

Stone retaining walls should last somewhere between 40 and 100 years or more. Wood retaining walls last around 40 years. Stone and concrete retaining walls last between 50 and 100 years. Brick retaining walls last at least 100 years.

Do I need a concrete footing for a retaining wall?

A buried structural footing is usually required for larger retaining walls. To create this, a landscaper pours concrete below frost level (the depth to which the ground will freeze during the winter). Footings poured too shallow are prone to shifting and moving if moisture in the soil freezes and heaves.

How thick does a retaining wall have to be?

Rules of thumb commonly used by designers to establish the geometry of the wall include (refer to diagram): Base width = 1/2 to 1/3 of the height of the wall. Base thickness = 1/8 of the height of the wall but not less than 12 inches. Stem thickness = 6 inches + ¼ inch for each foot of wall height.

Do retaining walls add value?

Not only does a retaining wall add structural integrity to a yard that is sloped, but the right retaining wall can add significant aesthetic value to the property.

What is the strongest type of retaining wall?

Concrete blocks interlock to create the retaining wall, thus providing supreme strength, structure and support. They are extraordinarily durable, and can often last for a century or more.

How far should a pool be from a wall?

There is a national standard that requires that all swimming pools must be at least 10 feet away from the house walls.

How close to a property line can you put a pool?

A swimming pool in residential zones or any zone used for residential purposes may occupy a portion of the required rear yard, but in no case shall the outer walls of the pool be less than five (5) feet from an interior side property line or rear property line or building or be less than ten (10) feet from any side ...

Are semi-inground pools worth it?

Semi-inground pools offer the best of both worlds. You'll find that a semi-ground swimming pool is significantly deeper than a regular above-ground pool, but doesn't cost nearly as much as a traditional in-ground pool.

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