When Does Your Backyard Need a Retaining Wall?

Have you ever struggled to keep your garden from washing away? If you’re like most homeowners, your yard may have its fair share of problems.

Don’t worry! There’s no need to get overwhelmed by your landscaping issues. With the right design and some clever landscaping ideas, your yard can look picturesque without breaking the bank.

The answer is building the right retaining wall! Retaining walls are an essential part of any home with a yard, and they come in handy at many different times. Retaining walls are a great way to stabilize your yard, prevent erosion, and build up your property.

They can also be a necessary tool if you have slope issues or if your soil does not drain well. They can be a garden feature to hide ugly fence lines, or they can be a safety tool when building extensions onto your home. Read on for more information about retaining walls and if you need one for your yard.

What Does a Retaining Wall Do? 

Retaining walls are often used in yards where property owners need more support to keep the earth from sliding down due to erosion. A retaining wall’s main purpose is to resist gravity.

The lateral force of the slope must be mitigated in the construction of the retaining wall. Also, retaining walls can help with the following: 

Provides Usable Land

Humans have been building terraces of build-able land on slopes using retaining wall techniques for thousands of years. Agricultural terraces are still used by farmers in Peru’s Sacred Valley to cultivate lush produce.

Consider the amazing terraces of ancient civilizations in South America. For your home, a retaining wall can do the same thing, on a much smaller scale. Also, landscaping around your home and yard is not as difficult when your yard is level. 

Manages Water Runoff

Retaining walls also aid in the slowing rain run off, which can improve the efficiency of your lawn and garden maintenance. Installing a thirsty retaining wall system, perhaps with a built-in rain garden in the design, will help Cape Cod property owners keep dirty street water out of the city’s waterways. 

Provides Extra Seating

Once your retaining wall is in place, it may offer some unexpected benefits. Landscaped seating is one of them. Your retaining wall can prove to be a well-liked gathering spot depending on its location in your yard. 

How to Tell if You Need One

If you need a way to control downhill erosion, you may need a retaining wall. A retaining wall is a great solution if mountains of erosion-related debris are blocking key locations of your property. Retaining walls reduce erosion by lowering the slope’s angle and retaining dirt.

A retaining wall can be the solution for you if your home is located near soil fault lines and slopes downward. Any landscaper will tell you that even if erosion isn’t a threat to your home right now, it might be in the future given the right circumstances. A retaining wall can offer stability and peace of mind if your house is situated downhill from where soil may wash down into your yard.

Is your foundation threatened by a sliding hill? If so, erosion might endanger the structure of your house.

A retaining wall can help if the soil around a foundation is washing away or if erosion from a slope is packing an uphill foundation. One of the most crucial tasks landscaping and contracting businesses perform in these situations is the construction of retaining walls. 

Retaining Wall Ideas

Retaining walls that have been improperly installed may crack, bulge, or lean. This happens either because the wall wasn’t built sturdy enough to withstand the strain of the hillside or because the contractor neglected to design a drainage system for the wall.

Ask about draining solutions while looking into retaining wall services if you reside in a damp area. The landscape should be long-lasting, and if you incorporate drainage options, your retaining wall will be better able to resist gravity for many years to come. Here are a few ideas for retaining wall options: 

Timber Walls

Oftentimes, the least expensive retaining wall style is a timber wall. But, timber walls might not last as long as other wall alternatives since moisture in the soil can degrade the wood. 

Poured Concrete or Interlocking Blocks

You can have poured concrete retaining walls or interlocking block retaining walls for a little extra per square foot. This style blends well with buildings and dwellings that have a contemporary aesthetic. 

Natural Stone

You may build a stunning and long-lasting retaining wall using the natural beauty of the stone. This choice for a retaining wall is the most expensive and often the most appealing. Natural stone retaining walls have a ton of personality and can transform a boring corner into an interesting space.