Sunday, March 21, 2021

The Wall Went South

This is a story about a wall. No, not that wall. 

Last fall, the retaining wall across the back of our property failed. Throughout the month of September, a lot near us was undergoing site preparation so that the new owner could build a house there. We reside in a very rocky, rugged, hilly coastal area, and so for three weeks we lived with the noise and vibrations caused by heavy equipment and a rock-breaker nearby. 

Fence Falls Over the Edge
The week that that the rock-breaking stopped, on a wet stormy day, we looked out the window and noticed that our fence had a sag in it. Our fence was built along the top of our retaining wall. Rob went out and inspected and saw that a few large rocks were bulging out of the wall and pulling the fence down. 

Thinking that the vibrations of the rock-breaking had loosened our wall, I immediately called our house insurance agency. But it was a Friday, and no agents were available to take my call. 

In heavy rain over the weekend, a section of the rock wall began to collapse. The collapse pulled the fence apart, and two sections of it went down the hill. 

The only thing that seemed to be keeping the fence from tumbling all the way down the steep hill was that it, and the big chunk of concrete it was attached to, was hung up on a small tree, part of the natural wild vegetation on the hillside. 

On Monday, I managed to reach an insurance agent, who transferred me to the insurer, who transferred me to someone else, who transferred me to someone else. I spoke to people in Toronto, in Calgary, and who knows where.

Fence Gone
Eventually, the company sent someone local out to have a look at the failed retaining wall. We waited to hear about the results of our claim.

In the meantime, the heavy rain continued nonstop. More of the wall fell away and the rocks rolled down the hill. Rob went out and dismantled the pieces of fence -- a dangerous job as large rocks and chunks of concrete loosened from the wall teetered precariously above him. 

A month after the event, we received news from the insurance company that they would not cover the cost of repairing the retaining wall.  

We began phoning excavation companies trying to find someone to come and repair the retaining wall. We knew it was going to be very challenging to repair for a couple of reasons.

  • The slope beneath the retaining wall is very steep
  • There is no access route for equipment to the retaining wall from below 
  • There is no access to the backyard for heavy equipment from the front of the house, either, because the house extends almost all the way across the width of the lot. A deck on one side stretches out almost to a large cedar hedge, and a fence and shed block access on the other side of the house.
Looking Over the Edge Down the Steep Slope

Fortunately, we own the land below the retaining wall, all the way to the road below. It has been left in a natural condition, so we didn't have to worry about damage to other people's property or to any landscaping below. Also, fortunately, our house is built on solid rock and is far enough away from the retaining wall and steep slope that we weren't worried about damage to the foundation of the house. 

However, the entire backyard is a beautiful garden. The previous owners were avid gardeners, and one of the reasons we were so attracted to this property was because we loved the landscaping. 

Around the end of October, we found a local contractor who said he could do the work. He came highly recommended by two friends who both have engineering backgrounds. However, he was very busy and said he couldn't do the repair until March. 

He said the shed and more sections of the remaining fence would have to be dismantled to get the equipment in. 

We were worried that as we waited throughout the winter, more of the retaining wall would fall away. We have ponds and a gazebo, both quite near the edge, and feared that we would lose both in the repair process. He said he thought he could reconstruct the wall without taking down the gazebo or ponds.

View From Below the Collapse
Meanwhile, we had one of the rainiest winters on record. Throughout the winter, we watched more rock go down the hill.

The Shed

I dug out several small shrubs and perennials from the area of the garden above the collapsed wall and transplanted them to other places in the yard. We left some shrubs and all the trees in place because they were too big for us to move. Also, we hoped their roots would help hold the soil in place until it was time for the excavator to come.

In early February, we hired someone to come and dismantle the shed and some sections of fence. I felt sad to lose a perfectly good garden shed. It seemed like such a waste. However, it needed to be taken down so the equipment could get into the backyard. 

I was also sad that we would be losing much of the beautiful garden in the backyard. 

The Beautiful Garden in October

On a rare sunny day last October, I took this photo of the back garden with all its colours. 

So, how does this story end? Did the contractor show up in March? Was it possible to repair the retaining wall? Did the fishpond have to go? To be continued...

20 comments:

  1. Hi Jude! I remember you telling me and a few others about your "wall problem" but seeing the photos makes definitely more real to the rest of us. So, so sorry because you did have a beautiful back yard. It seems the timing was awful and the weather uncooperative, but knowing you and Rob I know that once you get past all this and summer rolls around you will be able to recreate another beautiful backyard. Oh, and the good news (if you can find any in your story) is that you own the lot below the fence so there was no damage to another property. Looking forward to the 2nd part!!! ~Kathy

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    1. Hi Kathy. Yes, the fact that the house is built on solid rock, and also that there was nothing below the slide that would be damaged brought us great relief. We were also lucky that there are two huge Douglas Fir trees growing on the slope below the retaining wall, which helped anchor some sections of the slope. But it was really hard watching more and more of the wall crumble in the heavy rains of winter.

      Jude

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  2. The joys of home ownership. I will continue to follow your saga. Meanwhile, the gophers and my dog who keeps trying to dig them out are giving me a run for my money.

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    1. AM
      Hi Pete. Yes, the thing about houses is that things wear out and break. It’s just that one always hopes that something major like a retaining wall holds up. One thing we have learned from this is to always design your property in such a way that you can access all parts of it will heavy equipment, in case the need arises.

      As for the gophers — in our area it is rabbits and deer that destroy the garden. The reason we need a fence is to keep the deer out, otherwise they eat everything. And there isn’t a whole lot we can do about the rabbits.

      Jude

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  3. What a nightmare! And sometimes one wonders what exactly insurance companies are for …

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    1. My cynical side thinks they were invented for the express purpose of taking people’s money away and giving nothing in return. Yes, it has been a stressful experience.

      Jude

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  4. Jude, What a worrisome situation, especially with the nonstop heavy rain and the "no coverage" response from the insurance company. I hope it all ends well and you'll be able to rebuild your beautiful backyard to enjoy for years to come.

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    1. Hi Natalie. Of course, on top of worrying all winter long, we kept asking ourselves why we hadn’t looked more closely at the retaining wall when we bought the place. We did walk along the path below the wall, and as far as the path went, the wall looked fine. Very solid with no cracks or slippage. However, the path only went one third of the way along the wall, and after that it was a tangle of vegetation and brambles on a steep slope and we couldn’t get a good look at the rest of it. We also paid a home inspector to inspect the house and property, and specifically asked him about the retaining wall. The place passed with flying colours. (He probably only looked at the easily accessible part of the wall too). So, buyer beware!

      Jude

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  5. Hi, Jude - What a nightmare! And what a way to leave us all hanging! I look forward to reading/hearing more!

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    1. Donna, I was going to write the whole story here, but it was too long for a single blog post. And, in fact, the saga is still ongoing. More to follow...

      Jude

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  6. Jude what a story!! You have such a stunningly beautiful garden. This story/saga had us both wondering whether you went to the neighbors who were doing the construction as it does seem as though their work directly impacted your landscaping and the resulting landslide.

    We are well familiar with the problem of erosion and landslides and it is amazing how careful one needs to be when messing with the natural terrain and the impact of that.

    I do hope that you managed to get everything repaired and that it was not exorbitantly expensive to do so....

    Looking forward to the next installment

    Peta

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    1. Hi Peta. Yes, the garden is/was really beautiful, no thanks to us. The credit is due entirely to the previous owners. But it gives me great joy to walk around in it in every season, and it is also a haven for birds, butterflies, and bees.

      We did think about approaching the owner developing the nearby lot, but in the end we didn’t. He’s just an older fellow building his own house for himself and his wife — not a big real estate developer. We’d rather pay to repair it than go through the anxiety and hard feelings of a lawsuit. Also, after looking at the length of the retaining wall after Rob cut away the brambles and other vegetation, we thought perhaps the one weak section in the middle was ready to fail at some point anyways and the vibrations just hastened it.

      However, this kind of issue is never a welcome surprise. More to follow...

      Jude

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  7. So sorry to read about your ordeal, Jude. What is the point of home insurance if they don’t cover these types of calamities?!?! Argh, what a bother. Well, hopefully better days ahead...

    Deb

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    1. Hi Deb. Well, it has been a worry. However, in the grand scheme of things, it is not a very big problem compared to what so many others have experienced in this difficult year. But it does reinforce my generally low opinion of insurance companies.

      Jude

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  8. Hi Jude, I recently mentioned to Chuck how it has been quiet from you. I knew there was a problem with your wall. Thank you for the update. I also read through the comments and I learned more. You remind me of the saying ‘the perfect storm.’ Like you say, the rain did not help. I look forward to reading the second part of your story. You have a beautiful place and a beautiful yard and I hope you get to enjoy it all again soon.

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    1. Hi Erica. I know I haven’t been writing much on the blog, and I’m weeks behind on reading all my favourite blogs too. It’s not like I haven’t had any topics to write about, but I’ve been busy. Yes, busy, even during never ending COVID restrictions. I’m still looking after my grandsons two days a week. And it’s ski season, and we’ve been getting lots of ski days in this year. Now it’s also gardening season, and I’m still working on my novel.

      It’s so good to hear from you! I hope everything is going well for you and your family.

      Jude

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    2. As you and I know well, Jude, family and real life is always a priority. xx

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    3. Erica, so true, and we are both fortunate to have our families close by.

      Jude

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  9. Replies
    1. Update coming soon, Bea! You’ll have to stop by and have a look.

      Jude

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