How to Stop Retaining Wall Decay

Monitor and maintain drainage systems at the base of retaining walls. In wet areas, water can accumulate behind the bottom of a retaining wall and destabilize its base. Properly built retaining walls have drainage pipes that move water away from the wall, but the pipe can't do its job if it gets clogged. Learn where the outlet pipes for your retaining wall are, and check them on a regular basis, especially in the fall when leaves can clog many drains. Clean out the pipe ends with a hoe, and move all detritus away from the area of the outlet.

Grow hardy groundcover on the top of and in front of the retaining wall. Soil with millions of small roots in it is far more stable than bare soil and tends to stay in place, keeping the wall solid. Discourage the growth of trees on or in front of the retaining wall, because tree roots can work their way into the wall and crack it.

Fix any problems with the structure of the wall as soon as you detect them. For example, if your wall is made of wooden beams, look for rot and decay; cut rotten wood out of the wall and replace it immediately. With a block or brick wall, check the mortar regularly and repoint it periodically. If you allow mortar joints to decay, water can get in between the blocks, stones or bricks. When this water freezes, it begins to push the wall apart.