Build A Strong And Attractive Retaining Wall On Your Residential Property
Posted on: 7 June 2017
A retaining wall constructed on sloped residential property needs to be strong and also attractive. You can build a retaining wall in many designs and out of many different materials. Some of these materials have strength but are not attractive and others are attractive but do not have a great deal of strength. With a little research and planning, you can combine these materials and designs together to get the best properties of each material. Here are some considerations to think about when designing a retaining wall on your residential property:
Rock-Faced Retaining Wall: Building a cinderblock retaining results in a wall that is strong but not very attractive. One solution to this dilemma is to build your cinderblock wall and then attach a layer of smooth river rocks, or rough-cut granite facing stones on the outside of the wall. These river rocks and/or granite facing stones can be stacked with concrete between them to create a natural-looking wall with a great amount of strength.
Stuccoed Retaining Wall: Another finish you can apply to a cinderblock retaining wall is stucco. Once the cinderblock wall is built, a layer of stucco can be smooth onto the exterior surface and then painted to resemble adobe. The matte stucco finish on this retaining wall can look good in any garden or landscaped area.
Raised Cedar Garden Bed Wall: Raised cedar garden beds can be embedded into an uneven slope to make a retaining wall that can be planted with flowers, vegetables, fruits, and other plants. If you build these cedar garden beds wide enough, they can also be suitable for small trees. These garden beds can be constructed of 6-inch by 6-inch cedar posts that are drilled and bolted together with threaded steel posts. These garden beds can be very functional when built 3 - 4 feet thick and of varying heights. The plants in these raised cedar garden beds can be replanted each year with a new variety of plants.
Gabion Basket Retaining Wall: Gabion baskets are wirework cages that can be filled with rocks, stones, broken concrete, sand, soil, limestone, glass, or other strong materials and then stacked to create a retaining wall. These wirework cages can be joined together with heavy twisted wire to keep the baskets from moving or sliding. In the past, gabion baskets have been used by civil engineers to build roads in Europe and used by the military to build fortified bunkers for soldiers in World War I and II.
There are many creative designs and materials that you can use to build a unique retaining wall on your residential property. Visit a local garden center or landscape supply store, like New Horizon Landscapes & Design, to see what materials are available that can be used for this project. Let your creativity and imagination take over your design sense and you will build a very unique and successful retaining wall.
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