Seawall refacing spawned out of a need for a durable, attractive, and economical repair for your rotting and bulging seawall. I invented, developed, and refined this system as a high-quality alternative to complete replacement. Basically, we use the parts of your seawall that are in good condition (the pilings) and put a new “face” on the rotted part of the seawall (the boards stacked up behind the pilings). 

Once complete, the “refaced” seawall looks and, most importantly, functions like it did when it was originally installed. 

Before I developed this system, the only alternative was the complete replacement, which meant a huge expense, a huge mess, and possibly a lengthy DNR permit process. Seawall Solutions Seawall Refacing gives you all the benefits of a new seawall, with approx less than 50% of the cost, none of the mess, and no lengthy permit process. Your refaced seawall is strong, durable, and attractive.

If your seawall was permitted when it was installed originally (the majority of them were), no permit is needed to reface it.

No, the old boards remain in place to hold back the soil. The new treated wood is slid down directly in front of the old boards. A sheet of fiberglass is placed between the old and new to prevent the damp soil from rotting out your newly refaced seawall.

The new boards are driven all the way down to the bottom. Once we hit the solid bottom, the boards are stacked up to the top.

No, most times, we are able to do the work while wearing waders and standing on the bottom. If the water is too deep, I have designed a scaffold system to hang off the wall and stand on an aluminum plank.

We use green-treated southern yellow pine, treated using MCA (Micronized Copper Azole), a more environmentally safe preservative, with a marine-grade retention level. This level meets and exceeds recommendations for ground contact and fresh water immersion uses. While I have no way of knowing what level of wood was used in your seawall originally, rest assured we use the highest quality wood available. I want your newly refaced seawall to last longer than your original one.

Obviously, each case is different and handled on an individual basis through careful examination. However, typically, the pilings last many, many years longer than the wood that holds back the soil.

If your pilings are not solid, you are not a candidate for refacing. In order for this system to provide many years of service, the pilings must be solid. Only an onsite visit will determine this.

While Seawall Solutions does not currently do any pile driving, we can help arrange to have this done for you if needed.

Duration varies on the wall condition, the height of the wall, and the water depth. However, for an average 100 ft wall, it usually takes only 3 days to complete.

As part of your seawall refacing project, the old 2×12 cap is removed to access the wall from the top. This cap material and 2×6 ribbon are replaced with new when the job is complete. The old material is hauled away and disposed of by us at no additional charge. We take care of all cleanup and disposal of wood scraps, ect.

The cable that is wrapped around the piling is connected to another piling buried under the ground, usually 5-10 feet back. This cable plays a very important role in holding that piling upright against the pressure of the soil. Whenever possible, we recommend repairing or replacing these broken cables. We can provide this service for you. These cables typically break right where they pass through the wall. 

Treated lumber is highly corrosive to untreated steel, and this is a common spot for the cable to deteriorate and break. Sometimes the rest of the cable is in good condition, and a new piece can be spliced onto it. Other times the full length of the cable needs to be replaced. Either way, the new cable that we installed is protected by a plastic sheath and is protected from corrosive-treated wood. A small excavation is needed to expose the cable and repair it.