{ "id": 4682, "date": "2026-05-21T10:52:31", "date_gmt": "2026-05-21T10:52:31", "guid": { "rendered": "https:\/\/mediumorchid-fish-549029.hostingersite.com\/?post_type=projects&p=4682" }, "modified": "2026-06-05T11:04:52", "modified_gmt": "2026-06-05T11:04:52", "slug": "construction-of-a-block-wall-taming-steep-slopes-and-fixing-stormwater-issues", "status": "publish", "type": "projects", "link": "https:\/\/aprefontaine.com\/en\/projects\/construction-of-a-block-wall-taming-steep-slopes-and-fixing-stormwater-issues\/", "title": { "rendered": "Construction of a Block Wall: Taming Steep Slopes and Fixing Stormwater Issues" }, "content": { "rendered": "
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Introduction<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The property came with very steep slopes that made everyday maintenance a chore and, more importantly, were causing stormwater management issues. Water has a way of finding the path you didn’t plan for, and on a slope that path usually ends up in someone’s yard or against a foundation. The fix was a coordinated one, drainage first, then a block wall to flatten things out and hold the new grade in place.<\/p><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The challenge\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The lot ran out toward the municipal sidewalk on a long, awkward slope that the chain-link fence had to follow, which made the line wander and left a strip of yard that was almost impossible to mow safely. Every heavy rain pushed runoff across the grade and into the neighbouring properties, so the stormwater problem was getting worse year after year instead of settling on its own.<\/p>

On top of the slope itself, the soil along the property line had been moving slowly for a long time, and the existing fence had started to lean with it. Before anything new could go in, we needed a plan that took the load off the soil, redirected the water, and gave the homeowner a yard that was actually usable from the back door to the cedar hedge.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The solution\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The fix was sequenced in two coordinated phases, drainage first, then a structural block wall along the municipal line to lock in a new, level grade. Treating it as one combined system, instead of just adding a retaining wall, is what lets the wall do its job for decades without ending up under hydrostatic pressure on day one.<\/p>

Once the plan was set, we staged the excavation so the crew could work from the bottom of the slope upward, moving soil, prepping the base for the blocks, and keeping a clean drainage path open the whole time. That sequencing kept the site safe to walk through and made each following step, drainage stone, geotextile, then blocks, go in without rework.<\/p><\/article>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Drainage preparation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Before any blocks were placed, we built a proper drainage system at the back and along one side of the property: a perforated pipe set in clean crushed stone, wrapped in a geotextile membrane to keep fines out of the system. The pipe was tied into a controlled discharge so the water always has somewhere to go, even during the heaviest spring melt or summer storm.<\/p><\/article>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Base and wall construction<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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With drainage in place, the block wall itself was built along the municipal fence line on a compacted granular base, each course levelled and locked to the next so the wall reads as a single, continuous structure. Behind every course we kept that crushed-stone drainage chimney wrapped in geotextile, so any water that does reach the back of the wall moves down and out instead of pushing against it.<\/p><\/article>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Final result<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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With the wall complete and the area behind it backfilled and graded, the slope that used to fight the homeowner became a level, useable yard ready for topsoil and sod. From the sidewalk, the wall reads as a clean, consistent line, with the chain-link fence finally able to run straight and level along the municipal limit.<\/p>

Just as importantly, the neighbouring lots are no longer dealing with runoff coming off this property, which is usually the quietest sign that a stormwater fix actually worked. It’s a small-footprint project that shows how much daily quality of life comes from getting the boring parts, drainage and grading, right.<\/p><\/article>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Are You a General Contractor?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We are the reliable subcontracting partner you’re looking for. Excavation, earthmoving, civil engineering let’s talk about your next project.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCONTACT OUR SALES TEAM<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>", "protected": false }, "excerpt": { "rendered": "

A residential yard with a steep slope can quickly become difficult to maintain, unsafe to use and challenging during heavy rainfall. In this project, the property had uneven grading along the side yard and backyard, which made lawn care harder and created stormwater runoff concerns.<\/p>", "protected": false }, "featured_media": 4684, "template": "", "meta": { "_acf_changed": false, "_angie_page": false }, "class_list": [ "post-4682", "projects", "type-projects", "status-publish", "has-post-thumbnail", "hentry" ], "acf": [], "yoast_head": "\nConstruction of a Block Wall: Taming Steep Slopes and Fixing Stormwater Issues - A. 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