Check Your Seawalls: Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?

Seawalls are a critical first line of defense to protect property from erosion and other damage associated with storm surge and increased wave action and turbulence caused by hurricanes. The destructive forces associated with these storms can be very damaging and can even potentially destroy your seawall.

You should inspect your wall looking for indications of brewing problems. Look for signs of soil loss as evidenced by small sink holes behind the wall. Look for signs of early anchor failure as evidenced by sections of the wall leaning out at the top. Ensure that drainage is adequate so that water is not being trapped behind the wall. Look for any signs of movement of the wall from its ordinarily vertical condition. Look for signs of spalling concrete and rebar exposed to saltwater as evidenced by rust stains on the surface. If you find any of these issues, have them repaired before a hurricane turns them into a bigger problem or even worse a total loss. The time to do this is before a storm hits not after.

At some point as your seawall reaches the end of its useful life expectancy, replacing it will be a better investment than to continue to repair. You should replace the wall before it is a total failure. Usually Truline can be placed in front of your existing wall without removing the old wall. This is a much less costly replacement than removing an old destroyed structure before building new.

As evidenced by this photo of a wall that was undamaged after being hit by Hurricane Wilma in 2006, Truline combines the benefits of both steel reinforced concrete and vinyl to construct a wall that has both the structural strength and extended life required to survive many hurricane seasons to come. Contact us today for a contractor referral in your area.