Don't Ignore These Reasons to Choose Brick Over Timber for Your Retaining Wall

People are often attracted to timber retaining walls thanks to their traditional appearance. However, timber comes with a number of distinct disadvantages. All told, brick is a more practical choice – here are just a few reasons why you'll be glad you chose a brick retaining wall over a timber retaining wall.

Improved Versatility

Timber retaining walls have to use long planks to prevent any water penetration. The problem here is that those long planks aren't very easy to fashion into curves. If your retaining wall needs to be straight, this isn't such an issue, but many will need to follow at least a slight curve. Since bricks are small, you can use them to achieve finer shapes than timber without compromising structural integrity.

And that flexibility boasts a benefit important to consider regardless of a retaining wall's shape. Since individual bricks can be left out of the overall structure with relative ease, the creation of weep holes and drainage trenches, which can help control water movement and relieve pressure, is more convenient. This is particularly important if heavy flood is likely – a properly designed brick wall can cope with the pressure by steadily releasing water. In contrast, a timber retaining wall will hold back everything, which can lead to total collapse if pressure becomes too great.

Added Durability

Timber is one of the worst choices you can make if you value ongoing durability. Timber planks will be strong at first, but this is a porous material that lets in moisture as time goes by. The wood itself can weaken and rot, and the fasteners and screws used to hold such walls together can come lose as the wood contracts and expands. Of course, timber can be pressure-treated for added durability, but you'll need to commit to periodic retreating, which is both tedious and time-consuming.

Brick leads the way when it comes to durability. Brick retaining walls won't lose strength over time and are unaffected by the elements. They can also be built higher than most timber retaining walls since planks can only be made so thick.

Reliable Appearance

People like the way timber retaining walls look – again, that's a benefit that will diminish over the months and years. Timber will swell and weather quite poorly, while bricks will usually simply darken. Additionally, you'll have several available colour variations from which to choose, so a brick retaining wall could end up blending with your property more fetchingly than a timber one.

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