Category Archives: Hints & Tips

We love what we do here at Empire Retaining Walls – it gets out of bed in the morning because there is something new and different to accomplish every single day. No two jobs are the same, and when I say we are prepared for whatever your job throws at us, we mean it.

Part of being ready for any and all jobs, means having the right equipment on hand to get the job done. The team at Empire Walls has it’s very own excavator, which means we not only handle the design and build of your retaining wall, we also do all the excavation work on site. No need to subcontract out or bring in another team, we do it all.

It also means no additional cost to you. If we need to utilise the excavator for your job, we will include that in our quote. No hidden costs and no hidden add ons*, which is so important when it comes to budgeting and planning your project.

Our excavator is heavy duty enough to get the job done, but also compact which means it can fit under garage doors. No need to crane it in or remove any existing structures. With a maximum width of 980mm, it can fit into a tight access location.

We also utilise 300mm, 450mm and 650mm Auger bit for drilling and our licensed operator is ready to handle any job.

Don’t trust your retaining wall project to just anyone. Putting our excavator to work also greatly reduces man power time and means your project will be done in a suitable time frame.

* Unless deemed outside the initial scope of the work.

Retaining walls are an excellent way to reshape your landscape, hold back slopes and create multiple levels for your outdoor spaces. They also create an attractive aesthetic, introducing form, texture and color to your yard. However, to make sure that your retaining walls are able to stand up against the harshness of winter, quality materials and professional construction is absolutely essential. Following are some of the reasons why investing in a retaining wall is imperative to beat the cold snap of winter.

Protecting plants and property from the wind
During winter, the alcoves created by retaining walls can be used to nestle vulnerable evergreens that may be sensitive to wind exposure. Used in this way, retaining walls provide excellent windbreakers for flower beds and even patios that may still be used during the winter. Retaining walls are perfect for any location and your home is sure to benefit.

Protecting your landscape against water damage and erosion
Retaining walls are an excellent tool in protecting against soil erosion but correct drainage is required in order for this to be effective. Professional installation of retaining walls and the design of correct drainage will ensure that your retaining walls act to guard against water damage and erosion rather than exacerbate issues such as pooling and ground being swept into lower areas.

Beating the freeze/thaw cycle
As the temperature fluctuates over the winter months, moisture released by ice, snow and rain, seeps into the concrete or natural stone materials of outdoor features. If this moisture freezes again, it expands, causing cracks in weak points of the materials. To guard against this, high quality materials with a low porosity should be used. When dense materials are used this prevents water from seeping in and eradicates the problems created by the freeze/thaw cycle.

Winter is the perfect time
If you’ve been thinking about building a retaining wall winter is actually the perfect time. Not only is the ground soft and easy to mould, it’s also the perfect time to plant new flower beds or foliage once the wall has been constructed, in time for fresh Spring growth.

Empire Retaining Walls are the leaders in retaining wall construction on the Mornington Peninsula. Talk to our team today about your property and what you’re looking to achieve. We build retaining walls every day of the week and will know what’s best when it comes to your property, your budget and your needs.

There are a few different options to choose from when you’re looking at building a retaining wall.

• Bricks and blocks
• Stack stones
• Timber and steel uprights

Bricks and blocks are a pretty common material used in the construction of walls of any kind. The uniformly shaped individual units are laid in courses, with mortar to bed and bind together.  Whilst a number of different materials used can the most common are brick, stone (e.g. marble, granite, travertine, limestone), manufactured stone, concrete, glass, stucco and tile.

Whilst the overall aesthetic of a bricks and blocks retaining wall may suit your project, this option can end up being quite expensive. Not only do you have to factor in the cost of materials, but due to the nature of the job and the amount of work involved, labour costs can often soar and break your budget.

Dry stack stone retaining walls have been used for centuries and are very common in the UK, US, and Europe. These retaining walls enable natural drainage whilst also preventing soil erosion.

There are some of the key advantages of dry stacked retaining walls. They give a natural and rustic look that blends in well with any garden features and outdoor spaces. And they also provide a natural barrier against soil erosion and can be designed to feature in the garden, or they can be designed to completely blend into the rest of the landscape.

But it’s not a one size fits all solution when you are considering the stack stone wall. Professional builders recommend that stack stones only be used for walls with a height of under 800mm. Which, in all likelihood, cancels out about 85% of all retaining walls that are built.

In our honest opinion, the best option for your retaining wall is timber and steel uprights.

A timber retaining wall can be simple or complex. It can have upright pieces and capping or be a simple design with no ornamentation other than the natural appearance of the timber. If steel uprights and timber is professionally installed, it can last many years and enhance the appearance of your yard. It’s also a much more cost effective option and the end product looks a million dollars, especially when you hire someone who specialises in the design and creation of this particular style of retaining wall.

At Empire Retaining Walls, retaining walls are our passion. In fact, it’s all we do. And it’s why we have become the absolute best in the area.

Contact us today for more information about our work and for a chat about your plans.

Experience shows that when you specialise in a particular area, you become an expert. It’s no different than when you are looking for a specific job or task to be completed. Finding someone who does that work, day in and day out, means you’re guaranteed to hire a contractor who is completely specialised and fluent in the task at hand.

And what do I mean when I say “fluent”. I mean someone who has been there and done that, many many times. They expect the unexpected, and can problem solve their way out of any and all situations, should they arise.

And why is that?
Because your job, the task you’ve hired them for, is not the first one they’ve done.
And it certainly won’t be their last.

In fact, a specialist contractor does jobs like yours… every single day.

And guess what?
They’ve become REALLY good at them.

A specialist who does something over and over, in a variety of different spaces, situations, environments, with a number of different variables and materials, becomes attuned to every single step of the process.

When it comes to retaining walls, ensuring that you are working with someone who designs and builds them every day is imperative and you certainly shouldn’t trust such an important project to just anyone who is working on your property.

Landscapers are so good at what they do! Could we do it? No. Why? Because we do retaining walls. Plain and simple. We live, breathe and bleed retaining walls and we are so good at them, we’ve made them our specialty.

Everybody has their thing… retaining walls are ours.

So when it comes to planning and building a retaining wall on your property, don’t trust your job to someone who has their mind on other parts of your project.

Talk to us first to ensure your retaining wall is designed and built by our expert specialist team.