Should You Use Landscape Fabric Behind a Retaining Wall?

Retaining walls are excellent for tiering backyards, separating grass from gardens, and more. However, adding a layer of landscape fabric behind a retaining wall will help you prevent flooding, mudslides, mixed soil issues, and more. So, is it a good idea to add the material to your yard?

You should use landscape fabric behind a retaining wall because the fabric supports the bricks, wood, or other materials that make the wall. Wet soil can push against a retaining wall, weakening it. By placing a strip of landscape fabric under the soil, the wall won’t have as much pressure on it.

Throughout this article, we’ll discuss what kind of landscape fabric you should put behind your retaining wall, how you can set it up quickly, and the best landscape fabric you can get your hands on. We’ll also provide a few suggestions to make it last longer and look neater.

What Kind of Material Do You Put Behind a Retaining Wall?

You put gravel, soil, and landscape fabric behind a retaining wall to prevent it from dipping or breaking apart. Retaining walls need enough durability to maintain their shape and separate the levels without sloping. Most of the space behind a retaining wall is loaded will backfill gravel.

Landscaping Network recommends adding gravel behind the wall because it helps the soil support the additional weight. Without a backfill to hold up the wall, the bricks or wood would slide around. Eventually, the wall would fall apart, letting the soil pour down from above it.

You can follow the same suggestion when cutting grass near a wall. Adding a layer of gravel will help you keep the weed trimmer or lawnmower further from the wall, decreasing the chances of you hitting it. Furthermore, the gravel can help with drainage and prevent weeds from growing too close to the edge.

If you’re interested in adding landscape fabric to your wall as we mentioned earlier in the post, find out how below.

How to Use Landscape Fabric Behind a Retaining Wall

To use landscape fabric behind a retaining wall:

1. Dig an eight-inch trench behind the retaining wall from edge to edge. The trench needs to be wide and deep enough to hold the fabric, several inches of gravel, and a couple inches of soil. You could dig it anywhere between six to eight inches deep.
2. Fill the trench with the end of the landscape fabric, ensuring the very end of the fabric comes a little over the retaining wall. SFGate suggests pulling some of the material over the retaining wall to make sure it doesn’t slip into the trench when you add the gravel and soil.
3. Load the trench with gravel, pouring it over the landscape fabric to pin it in place. The gravel adds enough weight over the landscape fabric to keep it from sliding around or popping out of the soil; Otherwise, the fabric will be useless in strengthening the retaining wall in front of it.
4. Cover the gravel with soil to level it off with the rest of the dirt. When you’re done, pat it with a shovel and add more soil until it’s even. Remember that grass grows through landscape fabric, if it’s nutgrass or Bermuda grass, so it’s important to get rid of it before laying down the material.
5. Use lawn staples on the exposed edges of the landscape fabric behind the retaining wall. Trim the ends of the fabric with scissors, cover the area with soil, and push a few lawn staples on the other end of the trench. They’ll hold the landscape fabric and help it stay there for many seasons to come.

Adding landscape fabric to a retaining wall is an easy and efficient solution to all sorts of problems. If you want your retaining wall to last a lot longer without sliding around or cracking, the step-by-step method above should be the first thing you do on your next yard day.

Best Landscape Fabric for Retaining Walls

The best landscape fabric for retaining walls is the ECOgardener Premium Landscape Fabric because it’s 3′ x 100′ and made of polypropylene. It’s porous enough to level water flow through it, preventing floods and mudslides. This landscape fabric also prevents weeds from growing through the soil.

When you’re getting a new landscape fabric to place behind a retaining wall, consider these tips:

• Make sure the landscape fabric stretches the same distance as the retaining wall. Most landscape fabric comes in lengths of 50-foot increments. For example, you can get a fabric that’s 50′, 100′, 150′, 200′, and so on. They’re typically between 3′ to 4′ wide, but some of them are wider.
• Check the material to know if it’s porous or solid. Weeds can grow through the fabric if it’s too porous. Check out my guide about spraying weeds and how long you wait if you need to eliminate them. Solid landscape fabric is great for retaining walls, but if it’s not at all porous, all of the water and soil will pour over the edge when it rains.
• Figure out if you’ll need to use lawn staples with the landscape fabric. You don’t want to start the project without having all of the supplies you’ll need. You should have a shovel to dig the trench, gravel to fill it, the correct dimensions for a landscape fabric piece, and so on.
• Determine how long it’ll last and when you’ll have to replace it. Most landscape fabrics last between two to three years, but some of them only last one year. Find out when you need to remove it and add a new layer; Otherwise, the retaining wall won’t be as supported as it should be.

In Conclusion

Landscape fabric placed behind a retaining wall will prevent the soil from sliding while keeping the wall in good condition. Remember to replace the fabric every couple of years to ensure it doesn’t break apart. You can layer gravel, rocks, and other decorative pieces over the soil-covered fabric, too. Good luck!