The Functions of a Retaining Wall

Aug 6, 2018

You want a backyard that is teeming with nature, including abundant greenery, fragrant flowers, shady trees, and the soothing murmur of wildlife.  This means installing diverse flora as part of a complex landscape design that will create a beautiful, natural environment for you and your loved ones to enjoy.

Of course, your design may depend somewhat on the topography of your property.  If you live in a hilly area, you may find that half of your Rock Valley, Iowa yard is nigh unusable thanks to steep sloping.  Even worse, you could be dealing with issues like runoff and erosion that spill into flatter areas and impact your carefully curated landscape in the process.

On the other hand, your yard could be little more than a flat, boring expanse with nary a molehill to break up the monotony.  In both cases, you’ll be pleased to learn that retaining walls can make all the difference, adding function, beauty, and dimension to your outdoor spaces.  Here are just a few functions of retaining walls to consider.

Contain a Steep Grade

A steep hill behind your home can spell disaster without proper landscaping, and even with grasses, tress, and shrubbery on the hillside and any flat areas below, you could still suffer from runoff and soil erosion that seep into usable yard space and muck it up.  A retaining wall that cuts into the hillside can not only stop spillage from above, but also create a more spacious flat expanse below for your usage and enjoyment.

Create Terraces

Steeply graded hills in your yard can seem like little more than wasted square footage since you can’t really use them for gardening or lounging space.  Or can you?  Maybe not in their current form, but if you get creative with retaining walls, you can definitely increase the utility of your space.

Terracing the hillside basically provides you with wide steps that are easy to access and can be used for planting or serve as patios with the addition of planters.  You could even add small structures like pergolas or arbors for visual appeal and the practical addition of shade.

With retaining walls in place, you can not only add a gorgeous façade to the front of every terraced step, but you can also ensure that the soil stays put throughout changing seasons and withstands inclement weather, preventing your terraces from eroding into the yard below.

Surround Planter Beds

A flat yard may not be as difficult to deal with as a hilly one, but it can get pretty boring.  Spice it up by building custom planter beds with retaining walls to visually break up the space and add variety through height.  You could do typical, smallish planter beds or elevate much larger sections of your yard for greater impact.

Provide Seating

You want to get the most use and enjoyment from the outdoor spaces on your Sioux Center, Iowa property, and this means creating ample seating for when you entertain.  Whether you place retaining walls adjacent to your patio or around a central fire feature, they serve as a great way to delineate spaces for congregating, as well as providing adequate seating for guests.  In other words, retaining walls can enhance your outdoor spaces in numerous ways.