Top Retaining Walls Christchurch builds pool retaining walls in Christchurch, which are engineered jobs almost without exception. A pool is a large mass of water sitting in the ground, and any wall near it has to be designed for that load rather than for soil pressure alone.
A pool above a retaining wall is a surcharge, plain and simple, which rules the wall out of the Schedule 1 exemption whatever its height. A wall cut into a slope to make a level pool platform is carrying the bank plus the pool, and the pool shell itself does not like differential movement.
We want the engineer looking at the wall and the pool at the same time. Designing them separately and hoping they get along is how you end up with a cracked shell.
| Consent | Required, a pool above a wall is a surcharge |
|---|---|
| Design | Wall and pool designed together by the engineer |
| Materials | Reinforced block or poured concrete in most cases |
| Fencing | Planned with the wall, not retrofitted |
| Drainage | Discharged well away from the pool shell |
| Ground | Eastern suburbs sites need extra thought on discharge |
New Zealand requires pool areas to be fenced, and a retaining wall face can form part of that barrier in some configurations. Which configurations depend on height, what is climbable near it, and how the top of the wall is finished.
We plan the fence at the same time as the wall, because retrofitting fixings into a finished block or stone wall is both ugly and awkward. Confirm the specifics with the council for your site.
The last place you want a drain coil discharging is into the ground beside a pool shell. We plan the run to take water well away, usually to stormwater, and we get that decided before the wall goes up rather than after.
On flat eastern Christchurch sections with a high water table, this planning takes real thought. There is not always an obvious fall, and pool excavations in that ground come with their own considerations.
Every wall we build gets drainage. At least 300mm of clean free draining metal, a perforated coil at the base running to a real outlet, and geotextile over the top so silt cannot block it. It is not an optional line on our quotes.
In some configurations it can form part of the barrier, depending on height and what sits near it. Confirm the details with the council for your specific site before you build.
Yes in nearly every case. The pool load, the wall and the ground all interact, and this is not a job for a standard detail.
Often that is the right order, but only once both designs exist. We coordinate with the pool builder so the sequence and the levels work.
Our old wall was rotten right through and leaning into the neighbour's place. They pulled the lot out, put proper drainage behind the new one and had it finished in three days. Swept the site clean every afternoon before they left too. Tidiest crew we have ever had here by a long way.
They sorted the consent, which was the bit I was dreading. Dealt with the council so I never had to, and kept me in the loop the whole way through. The driveway sits right above it and has not shifted a millimetre.
Steep section, shocking access, and they still made it look easy. They suggested two smaller walls instead of one big one, which saved us thousands in engineering fees. The terrace in between is now my favourite part of the whole garden.
Call [PHONE] or answer three quick questions. The site visit and the written quote cost you nothing.
