Is Your Seawall Ready for Hurricane Season?

July 19, 2021 by gibson Leave a Comment

Most of the time, living on the Florida waterfront is a dream delivering amazing weather, beautiful views, and enviable access to the water just outside your door. But it can also leave you vulnerable to some of mother nature’s fury, often arriving in the form of a hurricane.

With the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season already underway, and experts predicting another above-average season, it’s essential to ensure your seawall is ready. And since we don’t know what this season may bring, being prepared for the worst is the best line of defense. Plus, knowing that your seawall could play a key role defending your property and (more importantly) your loved ones, you need to ensure it is in excellent condition.

How to Prepare Your Seawall So It’s Ready for Hurricane Season

There are a few simple steps you can take to get your seawall prepared to face hurricanes this season.

Inspect Your Seawall for Damage

Your seawall is only as strong as its weakest part. Start preparing your seawall for hurricane season by assessing its current condition. When inspecting your seawall for damage, look for:

Visible rust stains and where the stains are coming from.
Corrosion from being exposed to natural elements, such as wind and water, especially saltwater.
Signs of damage caused by the normal wear and tear of everyday use.
Space between slabs that appears to be widening or becoming misaligned.
Cracked, bowing, or leaning slabs.
Cracks in the seawall cap or any small chunks broken off of it.
Soil settling or any holes along the seawall.

Assess Changing Environmental Conditions Impacting Seawall Stability

Not all elements impacting the stability of a seawall are visible to the naked eye. Changes to the environment near a seawall can lead to a pressure imbalance, which could cause your seawall to fail. Some of the most common causes of seawall pressure imbalances include:

Changes to water flow patterns
Changes to your living space
Landscaping modifications

For more information on these common causes of seawall pressure imbalances, visit Part IV of our Seawall Failure Series.

Expand or Extend Your Seawall

With hurricanes staying stronger for longer, they have the potential to bring greater danger and destruction. Stronger for longer hurricanes can deliver more powerful storm surges where an unusual rise in water during a storm is pushed toward the shoreline by powerful, forceful winds. It can cause water to rise well above normal levels and bring more water further inland.

Storm surges can be one of the greatest threats to human life – even more so than the powerful hurricane winds. Surges can push a huge volume of water inland for many miles. The speed and force at which a storm surge arrives leaves little warning time for people to get to higher ground. Surges can cause lots of damage, demolish buildings, flood homes, wash away roads, etc. Within minutes, people can become stranded on rooftops or in vehicles, or worse – be injured or killed.

Stronger, longer, and taller seawalls provide better protection against storm surges. Expanding and/or extending your seawall helps better protect your loved ones and your property.

Seawall Inspection and Repair Services in Tampa Bay

If you are unsure of what to look for when assessing your seawall, or would just like some assistance, call the seawall experts at Gibson Marine Construction. We offer seawall inspection and repair services to help you get your seawall ready for hurricane season. Contact us to learn more.

Facing Stronger for Longer Hurricanes

December 7, 2020 by gibson Leave a Comment

In a recent study conducted by Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, researchers have concluded that hurricanes are staying “stronger for longer after hitting land.” Coastal property owners should take notice, as this can equate to more danger and property damage. Damage from a hurricane can happen a few different ways.

Hurricane Damage from Stronger Storm Surges

The rising water pushed toward the shore by forceful hurricane winds is called a storm surge. It can be a greater threat to human life – even more so than the powerful winds. And the crashing waves can cause severe damage to property, damaging boats, docks, and even buildings. With hurricanes staying stronger for longer, storm surges have the potential to become more violent, may cause water levels to rise and cause more damage.

Land Erosion and Land Loss Caused by Hurricanes

Hurricanes also cause damage via delivering torrential rains to an area. These severe rainstorms can cause rivers to flood, eroding the soil from the riverbanks. And torrential rains can create mudslides, leading to land loss and property damage. For example, scientists estimate that the amount of land lost due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita was approximately 73 square miles.

Seawalls and Retaining Walls Can Help Protect from Stronger for Longer Hurricanes

As of yet there is no way to stop a hurricane, but property owners can take steps to protect their land by investing in a seawall or retaining wall. They can serve as the first line of defense to protect property and help curb some of the damage caused by hurricanes. As hurricanes get stronger for longer, even property owners who have never considered a seawall or retaining may want to revisit the topic.

If you’re thinking about investing in a seawall or retaining wall, talk to our marine construction experts at Gibson Marine Construction. We’d be happy to discuss the benefits and how to best protect your property from hurricane damage caused by stronger for longer hurricanes. Contact Gibson Marine Construction today to learn more.

Make Your Seawall a Selling Feature

July 31, 2017 by gibson Leave a Comment

Part II: More Tips to Make Your Seawall a Selling Feature of Your Florida Home

Name: Gibson Marine Construction
Address: 2131 Range Rd., Clearwater, FL, 33765, USA
Telephone: 727-942-3111
Price range: $$
Rating: 5

Now that you have tackled cleaning, decluttering, making repairs and upgrades, and staging the home, discussed in part one of this post, we will move on to more tips that you can apply to your Florida seawall to make it a valuable selling feature.

Working with Experienced Professionals

Working with experienced professionals can make a big difference in the home selling process. They can make recommendations, guide you when making important decisions, and help get it listed and sold quickly.

An Experienced, Licensed Real Estate Listing Agent

Hiring the right listing agent to help you sell your home is key. Listing agents have a lot of responsibilities related to the sale of your home. The number of offers you receive, the dollar amount of those offers, and the speed of the sale can all be affected by who you choose to represent you as your listing agent. Their experience and familiarity with the area can make a big difference and financial impact on the sale of your home.

Asking friends, neighbors, and family for recommendations, reviewing a listing agent’s resume, calling references and understanding the agent’s marketing plan for your home are all great ways to find an experienced professional you can feel comfortable working with.

Gibson Marine Construction: Your Seawall Inspection and Repair Experts

When it comes to your seawall, hiring the right vendor to produce quality work is also important. Just as it is key to work with an experienced listing agent, it is also key to work with an experienced marine construction company that specializes in seawall inspection and seawall repair services. Gibson Marine Construction has over 30 years of experience; They are the seawall experts you can trust. Their full-service marine contractors offer customized solutions, designed to get you the most bang for your buck, making your seawall into a valuable selling feature of your Florida waterfront home.

Pricing Your Property to Sell

Pricing can be a sensitive topic of discussion. Too often property owners want to equate the price they paid for their home plus any additional funds put towards the property with the price they want to list the property for. But that’s not how the real estate pricing system works. The list price should be based on what the market will bear, essentially what buyers are willing to pay for the property.

Buyers Will Pay More for a Well Maintained, Updated Property

It’s no secret that buyers will pay more for a well maintained and updated property. The less money a buyer has to set aside for making repairs and upgrades, elevating the property to their desired standards, the more money they can put toward their purchase offer.

Homeowners who tackle the repairs and upgrades before putting the house on the market usually see an exponential return on their investment. The same applies to a property’s seawall.

A Well Maintained Seawall Can Add Exponential Value to a Property

Not only does a well maintained seawall add ambiance to your property, it also adds significant value. The cost of adding a seawall to a property typically runs around $150 per linear foot, depending on the materials used.

Well constructed and well maintained seawalls can have an extremely long lifespan, again, depending on the materials used and other elemental variables. You can call on the experts at Gibson Marine Construction to inspect and make repairs to your Florida seawall. Some common seawall repairs include:

Adding, repairing or replacing a well point drainage system
Supplementing existing anchors that are failing or have already failed with secondary anchors
Install a replacement cap
Repair or replace a tie back rod(s)
Repair grouting joints or replace grouting joints with new ones

Being able to market your property, showcasing a well maintained and structurally sound seawall can add significant value to your Florida waterfront property. It can give potential buyers some additional peace of mind and can often help the property command a higher sale price.

Make Your Seawall a Selling Feature

July 30, 2017 by gibson Leave a Comment

Part I: Selling Your Florida Home? Make Your Seawall a Selling Feature

Selling your beloved Florida home can be a stressful, and too often, difficult experience. From making an excellent first impression to pricing your property to sell, these general selling tips can also be applied to your seawall, making it a valuable selling feature.

Preparing to Sell

Getting your home or property ready to sell is one of the most important steps in the selling process. It can also be one of the most tedious and time-consuming steps. General preparation usually includes cleaning, decluttering, making repairs and upgrades, and staging the home. And just as you would diligently complete each of these preparatory steps inside your home, you should apply the same diligence to your outdoor areas and seawall.

Cleaning and Decluttering

You only get one chance to make a good first impression with potential buyers, and a dirty, dusty, or cluttered home will not do that. Dirt, dust, and clutter gives the impression that the home has not been well cared for during your time as the property owner. This can lead potential buyers to:

Inspect the home more closely
Potentially see and focus in on more red flags or areas of concern
Perceive the property as less valuable, translating into lower offers
Turn potential buyers off or even scare them away

Some buyers may be able to see past the mess and clutter inside the home, but they are less likely to be able to look past a dirty, damaged, or poorly maintained seawall. Potential buyers are usually less familiar with seawalls. And the less familiar something is to a person, the more uncomfortable it can make them feel.

Most Florida home buyers understand that the primary function of a seawall is to protect the property from water damage. And a properly maintained seawall is more likely to do a better job of this, therefore, making the property appear more valuable.

Making Repairs and Upgrades

A home is typically one of the biggest purchases people make during their lifetime. It can be a bit scary, especially for first-time buyers. A home buyer needs to feel comfortable with the purchase and confident in their decision.

One of the best ways to make buyers feel good about purchasing your property is by putting your best foot forward. Take the time to freshen up the paint and make any repairs needed. Making some updates to the home, such as replacing worn out floors or carpet, and/or updating features in the kitchen or bathroom(s) can go a long way toward selling your property quickly.

The same holds true for your landscaping and seawall. People flock to Florida for the beautiful weather; they want to be able to enjoy it, especially in their own backyard. By making the yard an inviting space, and making any repairs needed to the seawall protecting this space, potential home buyers know they can begin enjoying this outdoor area as soon as they move in.

Staging Your Property

Potential buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in the home and enjoying the property. Just as you would stage each room in the house, to show how it could potentially be used, you should apply the same staging techniques to your outdoor area and seawall. A few staging ideas include:

Lining walking paths down to or along your seawall with small solar lights. This can be a relatively inexpensive way to highlight the walkways, drawing attention to them.
Creating an outdoor living space. Outdoor living spaces can often help a property feel bigger. It can also draw attention to specific areas around the property, and along the seawall. A well-placed sitting area can draw potential buyers out to the water’s edge, showcasing beautiful waterfront views, accompanied by the sounds of waves crashing along the seawall.

Proper staging of the entire property helps potential buyers picture themselves living there, likely leading to a deeper emotional connection with the property. Emotional connections typically translate into higher offers and faster sales.

Learn More About Making Your Seawall a Selling Feature of Your Florida Property

Now that you have tackled the first part of cleaning, decluttering, making repairs and upgrades, and staging the home, we will move on to more tips that you can apply to your Florida seawall making it a valuable selling feature. Read part two of Make Your Seawall a Selling Feature of Your Florida Home here.

Rip Rap Seawalls in Florida

July 1, 2016 by gibson Leave a Comment

If you gaze along Florida’s coastline, seawalls of all shapes and sizes taper from the land or rise up along an embankment. Stunning and varied, no two are alike. But they all serve a serious purpose: protecting the shoreline from erosion.

Rip rap as a material used in seawall construction is not erected in a random fashion. Installed along the baseline, they add stability and a natural facing appearance whether standalone or in association with a vertical seawall.

As marine construction specialists, we know that in addition to a buried toe to cradle the rock formation, we always place underlayment first. Once installed, beautiful Florida Fieldstone or lime rock are precisely placed at a 2:1 ratio.

How Do Rip Rap Seawalls Help Prevent Erosion?

Cost effective solutions, these seawalls work by absorbing and deflecting the energy of waves. The size and mass of the riprap material absorbs the impact energy generated by waves, while the gaps between the rocks trap and slow the flow of water. This retards soil erosion.

What Are Some of the Advantages of Rip Rap Seawalls?

Some advantages of rip rap seawalls in Florida include:

They are an eco-friendly solution

As a material, rip rap is permitted on private and public bodies of water

Rip Rap promotes the growth of natural vegetation

These structures re-establish the natural slope of the land

They allow animals and organisms to pass through, thereby promoting the local ecosystem

Rip Rap Seawalls Provide Incline Support

Waterfront properties come in all shapes and sizes, as do their shorelines. We engineer marine solutions for the gamut, but rip rap is a very suitable choice wherever a water erosion situation exists. If your home for example is up on a cliff overlooking the water, a concerted placement strategy will not only keep the body of water from eroding the land, it will actually help maintain its integrity in the face of precipitation that could just as effectively wear the hillside away.

Rip Rap Seawalls Are Beautiful

Tying into their surrounding environment, a rip rap seawall incorporates the natural beauty of the landscape into a powerful ally to prevent damage to property. Each unique, they simply lend natural beauty to a home’s shoreline. They also not only furnish that singular look as each one is completely unique, the addition of rip rap to vinyl seawalls makes for an effectual combination.

Rip Rap Seawalls Are Tried and True

Over the years we have seen so many advances in seawall construction materials available including the vast flexibility afforded today by vinyl, preferred by many because it easily conforms to irregular coastlines, but rip rap was one of the very first forms of erosion control. It was used on the dams in the Panama Canal; the made-made 48-mile waterway the connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its installation was started in 1881.

In this industry, there are myriad solutions to the individual needs of commercial and residential properties. A site survey and consultation help us determine the best course of action in this pivotal type of construction that allows a peaceful coexistence with nature.

A Thank You to Our Clients

June 2, 2016 by gibson Leave a Comment

As a marine construction business, we combine beautifully functional designs inspired by our clients’ visions and engineered for safety.

We’re a full-service marine contractor with over 30 years of experience building seawalls, docks and installing boat lifts in Florida. Our services are turnkey and include: permitting, design and construction. We enjoy an excellent reputation, but it is one we for which we have worked hard.

We love what we do. We do it well. Another thing we do well is to never forget “why” we do this. It is of course to provide sound structures to help keep homes and commercial properties safe so they make co-exist along the water’s edge, but it is also to make our clients happy.

We genuinely believe that if a business keeps that concept at the heart of their operation, and always gives their best effort, they will succeed. The testimony of our clients is better than anything we could ever want for our business.

“I was very happy with Gibson Marina my boat lift was installed with excellent workmanship and quality materials I would recommend them to anyone.”

“I have now used Gibson for three projects. They repaired a seawall for me, built a new seawall and now a new dock. I have found them to be very responsive, customer focused and reasonably priced. I have recommended them to others and would estimate to do so in the future.”

“We engaged Gibson Marine Construction to build a dock deck and lift for our beach home. We were thrilled with their attention to detail, fairness in pricing, and follow up. It is very hard to find companies that follow thru on what they tell you, up front. Mike and his team from Gibson Marine were great to work with, from start to finish. We highly recommend them.”

“The work you and your company performed for us was outstanding. We couldn’t be more pleased with our choice in selecting Gibson Marine to replace our residence dock and our commercial dock at the Wharf. As a business person, it’s a real pleasure to ‘get what you pay for.’ I can assure you I will go out of my way to recommend your company and please do not hesitate to use us as a reference.”

“Every now and then a company comes along and lives up to the quality and service that it promises. Gibson Marine was one of three local companies that we were considering to install our new seawall. We initially chose Gibson because their consultant Mike Mittler was knowledgeable, timely and would actually answer his phone whenever we called. The process from start to finish was smooth, timely, exactly as promised and with very little disruption to our home or neighbors. Our seawall is now complete and we are very happy with Gibson Marine and our beautiful new seawall.”

This may all sound like we are blowing our own horn (which we kind of are!) but we sincerely thank these clients who took the time to tell us what they thought. We thank all of you. Your trust means everything in the world to our team.

Seawalls and Bulkheads

April 14, 2016 by gibson Leave a Comment

We design and build structures that protect homes by reducing the natural erosion of land by water.

The Difference Between Seawalls and Bulkheads

While the two terms tend to be interchanged, seawalls goes the “extra step” to offer protection of a shoreline from the action of the waves while also helping to ward off soil erosion. They are in place to combat pounding surf and the ferocity of waters that result from coastal storm events.

For seaside towns, this coastal defense system is typically installed to protect its citizens, but private seawalls for residential homes provide that extra layer between the homeowner’s property line and the water. Seawalls can be constructed from any number of materials like concrete, vinyl, and/or riprap; sometimes a combination of the two.

An embankment that defends the shoreline from erosion and potential flooding, you could say a seawall is simply delaying the inevitable, but when you live at the waterfront, these are steps essential to co-exist with nature and to respect those boundaries.

Bulkheads

A more common form of shoreline stabilization at locales like marinas, bulkheads typically prove an economical shoreline boundary that separates the marina from the actual slips.

Like any structure with a percentage of its surface residing beneath the water, bulkheads need to be consistently monitored for their inevitable deterioration. The source of this deterioration is due to the natural properties of water and marine life, but even man-made issues like scour from propellers can gouge the bulkhead’s surface.

The argument to have structures like bulkheads professionally designed and built with superior materials is supported by the need for safety. Engineering bulkheads to support the anticipated traffic is particularly key as a heavier category of machinery travels them. This is the same reason why bulkheads require consistent preventative maintenance via scheduled condition studies.

Bulkhead design takes into account multiple factors – and makes for an interesting exercise in taking its installation in water juxtaposed with its need for stability on land.

To that end, besides the determination of the best material to suit for its strength and performance, a deep analysis of the marine environment where it is being installed is essential:

Is the exposure to fresh water or salt water?
What are the properties of the soil for the embedment? Is it clay or sand, and what is the unit weight of these materials, how does that factor into stabilizing the bulkhead?
What elevations and grading need to be calculated?
What is the water table measurement?

Hire a Professional Marine Construction Specialist to Build Your Seawall or Bulkhead

As marine construction specialists, there is no shortage of reasons to hire a professional to build such structures. It is just as valid to hire a contractor to inspect and repair both seawalls and bulkheads to maintain their integrity and ensure the safety of all who use them – whether they are for commercial or residential use.

Budgetary constraints are always a consideration that can be factored into a solid solution to support either a seawall or a bulkhead – an informed analysis is what provides the best foundation.

Florida Seawalls and the Materials That Support Them

February 11, 2016 by gibson Leave a Comment

In landscape architecture, retaining walls provide the function that retards erosion while adding style to the overall design. Concrete, brick, natural stone; their configurations are endless – some are truly inspired and lend an ornamental touch that distinguishes a front lawn or a backyard retreat.

Seawalls are a Super Retaining Wall that Retard Erosion

Their purpose is to retard erosion, but they are between a rock and a hard place so to speak. Seawalls are subjected to the relentless force of water trying to work against them. Not to say that these walls are less aesthetically pleasing than a wall whose purpose is to control moisture runoff and provide an effective drainage system.

Seawalls have come a long way from solid blocks of concrete devoid of character. As a weekend warrior you may wish to tackle an array of landscape design ideas, but when it comes to seawalls, you’re going to need a professional.

Florida Seawalls Function as an Extension of Your Property

In Florida, seawalls are not simply delineations, some provide a usable surface that almost acts as an extension of your property. (Not true necessarily of rip rap seawall, but those materials boast their own unique charm because of their ability to naturally integrate into the surrounding area.)

Vinyl Sheet Piling for Seawalls

The use of vinyl sheet piling for seawalls bestows a great deal of flexibility. Inherent in the composition of the material is an opportunity for the ultimate creativity. Even better, vinyl sheet piling offers an appealingly appearance, due in part by the flexibility of a vinyl seawall. They are resistant to damage caused by UV rays, and are impervious to rot and corrosion; and even the devastation caused by marine borers.

What else do we like as far as using vinyl in seawall installations? Overall, their installation is actually easier than that of other materials. Because it is more impact resistant, the installation is more efficient, and that gets us out of a client’s way sooner!

Rip Rap and Wood Seawalls

Again, your seawall installation should not only do the job, it should look the way you want it to. Beyond the design itself; the material makes a strong statement.

A rip rap seawall – constructed from stone – may appear like a jumbled collection, but those elements are intentionally placed to function optimally as they are laid atop an underlayment as a foundation. Rip rap provides a unique look and even acts as a natural environment for marine life.

Wood seawalls could be considered the most traditional. They do tend to be cost effective at first installation, but they do of course have their vulnerabilities. The seawall owner will need to be cognizant of the need for more frequent inspections and vigilance about repairs. Marine grade pressure treated woods are your first line of defense, but the beauty of that more organic look does come with a price of sorts: maintenance.

Tampa Bay, Florida’s Seawall Construction Specialists

As Florida marine construction specialists, we issue 25 year warranties against our labor, but you can’t beat the additional assurances from the manufacturers either. You can get up to 50 years on vinyl seawalls. If you need a seawall or are interested in making a change to one, give us a call for a consultation at 727-942-3111 or complete the website contact form. We can even support your landscaping vision!