Living in the coastal communities and water front properties in the state of Florida, Seawalls play an important role in our cities and neighborhoods. These structures are designed to keep water, usually from the ocean or a river, from slowly eroding the land it rubs against and creating problems in the future.
Seawalls are made from strong and durable materials, but unfortunately, they do not last forever. If you live on a property with a seawall, there is a good chance that at some point in the future you may want to consider professional seawall repair. Cape Canaveral residents might be under the impression that seawalls today are all made from some type of concrete mixture, which is quite common, however there are actually many different types of seawalls to consider.
Here we will be going over some of the different types of seawalls that have been used for many years, all with the same goal of trying to prevent water erosion from destroying a specific area.
Timber or Wood Seawalls
With modern seawalls like concrete and composite seawalls, it is hard to imagine some of the other types of materials that were used to make seawalls in the past. Believe it or not, timber seawalls were very popular many years ago, and they can sometimes be seen today.
While wooden materials can technically be made into seawalls, professionals today are not very likely to recommend them to clients because they have some issues that are not problems for more modern materials.
Not only does wood erode from constant water exposure, but other environmental conditions can slowly ruin the wooden material, making it much more likely that a homeowner with a wooden seawall will often need more seawall repair. Cape Canaveral residents who have a timber seawall should consider upgrading their material the next time they are in need of professional assistance for repairs.
Vinyl Seawalls
Even though concrete or wooden seawalls are made from natural materials, that does not mean that synthetic materials are not used or are a bad choice for residential or commercial seawalls. One of the most common synthetic materials that are used in modern seawall construction are vinyl seawalls.
Some people might be under the impressions that synthetic materials used in seawalls will not degrade the same way that natural materials do, but this is not true. If someone has had a vinyl seawall for long enough, in the future they are still going to need professional seawall repair. Cape Canaveral residents should be made aware that vinyl seawalls have an average lifespan of about twenty years or so, but this highly depends on how well homeowners are at maintaining their seawall when necessary.
*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Superior Stabilization Corp*
