HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF A RETAINING WALL

Retaining Wall Architectural Considerations

You can build a retaining wall from almost any material, including stacked stone, cement pavers, natural stone, brick and more. However, it’s important that you pause to consider the ramifications of your material choice. For instance, if you have walkways made of natural flagstone, then building a retaining wall of red brick is going to create a jarring impression. If your home features a stacked stone foundation, then creating a retaining wall from cement pavers will not extend the architectural style of your home.

It’s important that your retaining walls blend with other architectural and design elements on your home and within your yard. Try to use the same material as found in other landscape or home architecture features, or make sure that the materials complement each other, rather than detracting from one another.

Add Stairs

Many people feel that a simple retaining wall is more than enough, but there’s more you can do with that wall. One of the most interesting things you can do is to add a set of stairs to the wall. This allows you to add even more architectural beauty and design to your yard, as well as improving functionality and usability – after all, walking down a set of stairs is easier than stepping down from a 2-foot high retaining wall. You can also add bannisters to your stairs, or you can add planters and plants to the design to increase the beauty even more.

More Than One Retaining Wall

If you live on a hill and really want to make sure that you have a yard you can use, terracing the yard and installing a retaining wall at the edge of each terrace ensures that you can do just that. You’ll find that adding more than one retaining wall allows you to create “segments” – be creative with these. You might make one terrace a play area for kids, and another a formal garden setting. The combinations are endless.