Gibson Marine Construction

Is Your Seawall Ready for Hurricane Season?

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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.

Seawall Damage

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How to Tell If Your Seawall is Damaged

A well-constructed and well-maintained seawall is vital to preserving the value and integrity of your Florida waterfront property. If your seawall fails, it can be devastating to both, not to mention, an expensive mess to clean up. Keeping an eye out for signs of seawall damage, can help you keep your seawall properly maintained and help prevent seawall failure.

Five Signs Your Seawall Needs Repaired or Replaced

Regularly inspecting your seawall for signs of damage can help you determine if your seawall may be in need of repairs. While performing these regular inspections, answer the following questions:

  • Do you see any cracks in the seawall cap or have any small chunks broken off of it?
  • Are there any visible rust stains on the seawall?
  • Are there any large or widening gaps between the seawall slabs?
  • Are any slabs cracked, bowing, leaning, or misaligned?
  • Do you see soil settling or any holes along the seawall?

Cracks or Small Chunks Broken Off of the Seawall Cap

The seawall cap runs along the top of the seawall and is typically comprised of steel reinforced concrete. It’s not enough to just check the top side of the cap, you also need to inspect the sides of the cap, particularly the front of the lower cap area facing the water. If you see cracks or small chunks missing from the cap, this can mean the rebar is exposed. This exposure can lead to corrosion of the rebar, weakening the seawall, and potentially causing it to fail.

It is important to contact a seawall repair company, as soon as you notice that the rebar could be exposed. If you catch the issue quickly, you could save yourself some serious cash by only having to repair or replace the concrete part of the seawall cap and not all the rebar too.

Visible Rust Stains on the Seawall

Visible rust stains are another sign of possible corrosion. It is important to find out where the rust stains are coming from. Sometimes the source can be easy to pinpoint, such as it coming from a metal railing or decorative feature. Other times, it may appear to be seeping through cracks in the seawall’s surface.

If you can’t easily track the source of the rust to a nonessential feature of the seawall, especially if you are unfamiliar with the seawall’s maintenance history – you should contact a professional to have the seawall inspected.

Large or Widening Gaps Between Seawall Slabs

If you see a gap between seawall slabs that is significantly larger than the other gaps between slabs, or the gaps appear to be widening in general, this could be a sign that the joints have weakened or broken. It is usually caused by anchors failing, which can lead to the seawall cap cracking and/or significant damage to seawall slabs.

Seawall Slab Damage is the Leading Cause of Sudden Seawall Failure

Seawall slabs are under constant stress and pressure. A pressure imbalance can lead to a slab cracking, bowing, leaning, or becoming misaligned. And if the slab is not repaired or replaced, and the pressure balance restored, the slab(s) can buckle resulting in a partial or complete sudden seawall failure.

If you see any signs of a seawall pressure imbalance, call a seawall construction company immediately. Repairing a damaged slab(s) is much more affordable than having to replace a seawall that has failed.

Soil Settling or Holes in the Ground are Signs of a Seawall Pressure Imbalance

Soil settling or holes in the ground along or near your seawall are signs of erosion. Erosion is another common cause of a pressure imbalance, that can lead to slab damage and potential seawall failure. Call a professional seawall repair company right away to assess the problem and make repairs before seawall failure occurs.

If You See Signs of Seawall Damage, Call Gibson Marine Construction

Gibson Marine Construction is your one stop shop for all of your seawall repair and replacement needs. Contact us today about any signs of seawall damage you see and ask for a free consultation.

The Repair BEFORE the Storm

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Before your weather app begins sending out lightning and water spout alerts is the time to conduct inspections of your dock, deck, boatlift, and seawall. Living on Florida’s Gulf Coast makes for singularly beautiful scenery, but in this case, with great scenery comes great responsibility. You never want to find out after the storm that the integrity of any of your property’s marine structures are breached. The effects of storm winds and tide surges only aggravate the condition. The way to find out that your Florida dock is under stress is not when your foot plunges through one of the boards. It is before.

Hurricane Preparedness details are everywhere:  in offices, schools, and free online guides. There are many cautionary tales about repairs in storm aftermath. So with the clock having already started on June 1 for Florida’s official hurricane season, we’ve got a good six months of mild and severe storm systems ahead of us.

With Tropical Storm Colin safely behind us, and with months to go until the season officially ends on November 30, there’s still time to prepare your waterfront property for the season.

Getting Ready for Hurricane Season in Florida

We recommend having all your marine structures, particularly Florida seawalls, professionally inspected.

  • If you live in a multi-family building like a condo or townhome development, make sure to attend board meetings to gain assurance that the structures common to the residents are appropriately inspected and repaired.
  • If a private home, it may appear that common sense rules the day and dock issues are apparent. But they aren’t. Most Florida docks are built using wood piles and decking. Pile caps are typically connected with stainless or galvanized bolts. In addition to the eventual eroding of these connections, it is most certainly “what lies beneath” that impacts your dock’s integrity. Whether or not your dock is moored in salt water, water itself wears at structures. Add in the ubiquitous marine-boring organisms (whose home you are sharing) and you have a recipe for destruction.

This is why we reiterate that a professional marine inspection is your best bet – your dock’s surface may appear innocent enough, but a complete in- and below-water inspection is key.

Preparing Your Boat Lift

Storing your boat during certain times of the season is standard operation, it is also a good time to make certain the lift is in good repair. Once the boat is off the lift, your storm preparation can entail lowering the cradle on the lift all the way to the bottom. With the cradle in the water it will be more protected from winds and storm surge waves. This effort will support the protection of the lift itself and the dock.

For low-profile installations: protect your boat lift motors, switches, and covers by removing them and storing in a safe, dry place.

For lifts with sealed direct-drive systems: remove the gear unit after lowering the cable down to its lowest point as the cable will free spool back down regardless.

For all lift types: tighten all the nuts and bolts on the lift so you don’t lose any small parts during the storm.

Contact us at (727) 942-3111 for questions about the care and maintenance of these essential structures. It only takes one storm to make a difference.

Repair or Despair? How the Condition of a Seawall Affects Your Home’s Value

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Whether you’re thinking about buying a waterfront home or selling your little piece of paradise, your seawall is an important factor in determining the value of your property. Although investors and avid vacationers are always on the lookout for waterfront properties, an old, rickety, and dysfunctional seawall can be a turnoff to potential buyers, leaving you with no choice but to settle for a less-than-average bid for the property you once loved so much.

But why is a seawall even important? You’re ideally situated with ocean or gulf views – that’s what matters most, right? Not exactly. Home value can be severely decreased by a neglected seawall. On the other hand, a strong, seawall with integrity can actually increase home value! If you already have a seawall it is worth the few extra bucks to refurbish what can be an overlooked piece of your home.

Here are three reasons why giving your seawall some love before you sell will actually benefit you:

  1. Seawalls are an investment

A seawall will cost approximately $350 per linear foot, depending on what materials are used. This is why if the property already has a seawall, it will save the buyers a lot of money.

Most common seawall fixes include:

  • Well point drainage systems
  • Secondary anchors
  • New cap and tie backs
  • Grouting joints
  1. Help! Erosion is stealing my land!

Ever notice how one day the beach shore looks nice and levelled, and the next day a “step” or level is created where the sand used to be? This is caused by the waves repeatedly crashing on the shore taking everything in their path. This can happen over time to your property’s shoreline due to erosion. Coastal erosion is the wearing away and removal of land by wave action, tidal currents, drainage, or high winds. The lack of a proper seawall will, over time, decrease the size of your property. A seawall is imperative for you to coexist in such a setting, while establishing boundaries. An anemic seawall will fall into disrepair while pitting you against the force of Mother Nature. You will always be the biggest loser in that battle.

  1. Recreation and Seawall Safety

Because Florida is a hurricane area, buyers are especially concerned with safety when it comes to waterfront vacationing and residency. A seawall protects from hurricanes and flooding, which is another reason for its ability to increase a home’s value.

In addition, an article from National Geographic explains how sea levels have risen from 4-8 inches over the past century with a continuing annual rise of 0.13 inches.

A seawall decreases the risk of landmass loss from rising sea levels. In addition, seawalls maximize access of the land and provide recreational opportunities and real estate. It is easier for potential buyers to imagine themselves enjoying the property when they don’t have to worry about safety hazards and the associated expenses represented by seawall repair expenses.

What is a Seawall?

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Florida is fortunate to have droves of people leave their cold and land-locked states to revel in our sunny skies and the singular beauty of our waterfront properties. The one disadvantage to area newcomers is learning about the marine structures that potentially impact the security of these real estate investments.

Just as you would hire a home inspector to ensure the integrity of a property’s HVAC system and its insulation, in addition to scrutinizing for roof leaks, etc., so it should be with the structures that ultimately protect waterfront property from the water itself.

Besides careful awareness of the condition of decks, docks, and boat lifts, a seawall is the structure that needs to be particularly durable. While they can be repaired, it is the wise homebuyer who will have it professionally inspected prior to purchase.

What is a Seawall?

It is an embankment that defends the shoreline from erosion and potential flooding. While there is typically a coastal defense solution in place for seaside towns, a private seawall will provide that extra layer between your land and the water.

You could say a seawall is simply delaying the inevitable, but when you live waterfront, these are steps essential to co-exist with nature; learning to respect boundaries so to speak.

Seawalls are not necessarily going to prevent high waves and subsequent flooding in very severe weather, but they help prevent natural sand and soil erosion. They can even provide a surface area perpendicular to itself that can be used for other purposes: like strolling along the coastline, taking in the Florida sunshine from a lounge chair, and enjoying a favorite local pursuit like fishing.

The marine construction industry offers a variety of materials that can be used. Design alternatives also lend themselves to creating unique looks and styles to suit the locale and the property itself. More traditional (and older) seawalls are constructed from large rocks and pebbles, while contemporary seawall construction incorporates materials like concrete, vinyl, metal, and/or a combination of all of the above. Woods and plastics are always an option, but should be used judiciously as they are not necessarily the most resilient — unless they are appropriately treated and of high quality.

Additionally, depending on the natural formation of the coastline, the area’s climate, and its tide, seawalls can be designed to be curved. This helps retard the water’s energy to facilitate wave breaking. They can also be straight, have multiple layers, and even slope to the water’s edge with a blanket of stones, adding to the natural beauty while still serving to impede destruction.

Installing and/or Properly Maintaining a Sound Seawall is Probably One of the Best Investments You Can Make for Your Waterfront Home

Seawalls:

  • Serve as an embankment
  • Prevent soil erosion
  • Increase coastal defense

If you have ever been fortunate enough to appreciate water views from your own home; you know that it takes some maintenance and attention to marine structures to preserve and protect them.

If you are buying a waterfront home, we strongly suggest having it professionally inspected to ensure you are not inheriting breaches of any sort. Contact us for more information about how we can give you the peace of mind you should expect from a waterfront lifestyle.

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Gibson Marine Construction © 2021
2131 Range Rd.
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-942-3111 | gibson-marine.com Florida Certified General Contractor: CGC1514396