Avoid Filter Fabric Behind Wall Face

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Retaining Walls - How to Avoid Costly Mistakes and DIY your landscaping Walls with Great results!

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What happens here

Crucially, do not place filter fabric directly behind the face of the retaining wall. While some contractors still mistakenly advocate for this, filter fabric behind the wall face will eventually get clogged with silt and sediment, preventing proper water drainage. This creates hydrostatic pressure behind the wall, causing it to 'belly out' or bow, ultimately leading to structural failure. Water needs to weep evenly through the wall's face or drain through the aggregate without obstruction. The proper use of a free-draining backfill (like 3/4 inch rock) eliminates the need for filter fabric behind the wall face.

Goal: Ensure unobstructed drainage through the retaining wall system.

Tools and materials

Filter Fabric — Incorrectly placed behind retaining wall face (to be avoided in this context)

What they say

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that look at zero drainage aggregate impacted with dirt. I'm surprised they didn't use filter fabric behind the face of the wall because landscapers like to do that too. I've heard of that too, man. Why are you laughing? Cuz it just defeats the purpose of a free draining wall. And you've only installed quarter of a million square feet of retaining wall. Yeah. And had how many fail? Zero. Zero. Some companies still think you should put fabric behind the face of a retaining wall, but nothing could be further from the truth. And I want you to see what's behind it. You'll see fabric. You can see it protruding through here and it's tapering down behind the retaining wall. that fabric, it gets basically plugged up. That can't handle any more silt or sediment. The water comes down, it can't weep through the face of this wall. This wall is meant to have water come evenly through it. It can't do it. This wall is bellying, boowing out, and it's in a state of failure because they put filter fabric behind the wall. If this video

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