Retaining Wall Drainage

[stuart_arthur]

Hi,

I've owned my first home for about 10 months now and this was our first winter so it's given us a chance to see how everything reacts with such wet weather.

We have a relatively small back garden which is half paved and half covered with fake grass.

Beyond the garden fence is a staircase leading down to a driveway about 2 meters or so below the level of the garden.

I'm starting to get concerned about the drainage behind this large retaining wall at the end of the garden. There isn't any visible outlet for any water. There appears to be moisture coming through the wall at the bottom and salts seems to be bubbling up the paint.

I have attached some photos to help.

I'm fairly new to DIY and a novice when it comes to building techniques etc.

I can tell that this is an issue but what is the best resolution? can I simply drain a large hole through the wall? Or would that weaken the integrity of the wall?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Stuart

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