Retaining Walls · Orleans, ON
Retaining walls in Orleans
Retaining wall installation and rebuilds for Orleans homes, from Convent Glen and Queenswood Heights to Fallingbrook, Chapel Hill and Avalon. Segmental block walls go in on a compacted base with drainage stone and pipe behind them, because the Champlain Sea clay under much of the suburb holds water.
- Segmental wall block
- Drainage stone
- Drain pipe
- Compacted base
- Filter fabric
The local picture
Retaining Walls in Orleans
The first big wave of Orleans streets went up in the 1970s, and walls built with those yards are now around fifty years old. Where one has tipped forward, the rebuild starts by opening it up to see whether the base settled or water built up behind it.
Parts of the Orleans Escarpment are protected by the City as urban natural features, and the lots near them come with rules of their own. Those rules are checked before a wall’s line is drawn at the back of such a lot.
Retaining walls across Orleans
Convent Glen, Queenswood Heights, Fallingbrook, Chapel Hill and Avalon
Korvex Construction builds segmental block retaining walls in Orleans: garden and terrace walls, walls along a grade change at the side or back of the lot, walls with block steps and patios, and rebuilds of walls that have failed. Book the free site visit with a call or a WhatsApp message to 613-880-7679; a written scope and price follow it.
The oldest walls here went in with the first yards, while the newer phases bring a first wall on a lot that still follows its grading plan. Both get the same build: a level compacted base, drainage stone and filter fabric behind the block, a pipe at the base, and ground above shaped to carry runoff around the wall.
Behind the escarpment
Site alteration near natural areas
Under the Site Alteration By-law, site alteration within 30 m of an Urban Natural Feature or another designated natural area needs the City’s prior written approval. Landscaping and the upkeep of yards remain exempt, subject to the by-law’s other rules, while fill and regrading beyond that need the approval. A wall at the back of an escarpment lot is planned with that line in mind, and the lot’s status is checked before it is drawn.
Where the snow goes
The City uses the boulevard beside Orleans streets for snow storage, and shovelled and plowed snow also ends up on the low walls along driveways and front beds. Each spring that pile melts into the soil behind the block. Wet soil that freezes pushes on a wall, which is why even a wall a few courses high gets drainage stone and a pipe behind it.
At the site visit
What we check on a lot in Orleans
- 01
Lean, bulge or settled spots along the old wall
- 02
Clay along the base line and how wet it stays
- 03
Where shovelled and plowed snow is piled
- 04
Distance to the escarpment, a ravine or a park edge
- 05
Downspouts and runoff reaching the wall
What we plan around
Local conditions in Orleans
Each point links to the public source it was checked against. At the site visit we check how it applies to your lot.
- Thick marine clay
Much of Orleans sits on thick, soft Champlain Sea clay, which loses strength when disturbed. Excavation stays tidy and the granular base is compacted in lifts.
How we build it
What holds a retaining wall up
A wall moves when its base settles or water builds up behind it. Both risks are dealt with before the first block is placed.
- First course
The bottom row sets the line for the whole wall and gets the most time with a level.
- Drainage behind
Stone and fabric behind the block keep water from building up.
- Grade above and below
Ground at the top is shaped so runoff is carried around the wall.
- Tie-ins
Levels and drainage are planned with any steps, patio or fence the wall meets.
- Wall blockEach course checked for level and line as the wall goes up.Set course by course
- Drainage stone behind the wallGives water in the soil a way down, so it stops pressing on the blocks.Open and free-draining
- Drain pipe at the baseCarries collected water out past the end of the wall where the site allows.Laid to fall
- Compacted baseLevel, compacted pad with the first course set partly below grade.Placed in lifts
- Native soilExcavated back far enough to fit drainage stone behind the wall.To firm ground
“Vlad and his crew installed my patio in 2 days. Did excellent work and vlad answered any and all questions I asked. I highly recommend Korvex Development for any job you may require.”
Joe Ayoub · Patio installed
“Did awesome work! had them repair a leany fence and they were on time, cheap and super professional”
Josh Cohen-Collier · Leaning fence repaired
FAQ
Retaining Walls in Orleans: common questions
We back onto a protected part of the escarpment. Can we still build a wall?
Possibly. Within 30 m of an Urban Natural Feature, the Site Alteration By-law needs the City’s prior written approval for site alteration such as grading and fill, while landscaping and yard upkeep stay permitted under its other rules. We check the lot’s status and keep the work inside your yard before a wall is planned.
Will snow piled on a low wall damage it?
The water from it matters more than its weight. Meltwater soaks into the soil behind the block, and wet soil that freezes pushes on the wall. Drainage stone and a pipe behind even a low wall give that water a way out.
Can you rebuild a 1970s retaining wall in Orleans?
Yes. The old wall comes down, the base is rebuilt and compacted with the first course set partly below grade, and the new block wall goes up with drainage stone and pipe behind it. If the line or the height should change, we talk it through at the free site visit, and the price follows in writing.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall?
It depends on the height. Under City of Ottawa rules, walls and steps that give access to the house can need a permit where surfaces differ by more than 600 mm, and landscape structures over 1 m high need an engineered design. We check what applies to your property before building.
Can a leaning wall be straightened?
A short section that has only shifted can sometimes be taken down and reset on its existing base. If the base has settled or there is no drainage behind the wall, rebuilding that section with a compacted base, drainage stone and pipe is the lasting fix. Korvex tells you which applies after opening up the problem area.
Book a free retaining wall estimate in Orleans
Tell us what you want built and send a few photos. We come out, look at what sits under the job, and give you the scope and the price in writing.