How To Build a Retaining Wall
When your house sits on a slope, if often makes landscaping a challenge. However, if you build a retaining wall, you can create so many different kinds of vistas.
In both the front and back yards, a retaining wall is a great way to prevent soil erosion. If you have a particularly steep slope, you can build a series of retaining walls on different levels, creating a gorgeous, Mediterranean-style step garden.
Even if you have a flat yard, a retaining wall is the correct way to establish a raised bed, perfect for an herb or vegetable garden, or just to showcase your favorite flowers.
Be sure to take careful measurements of your yard before purchasing the materials to build a retaining wall. If there is a very steep slope, it is also a good idea to consult with a professional who can tell you the dimensions of wall needed to maintain the hill properly.
There are several materials you can use for your retaining wall, most popularly wood and stone. The best first step to making a decision may be to visit your local home and garden center. The people who work in the garden portion of the store are usually well-trained to ask questions regarding the best materials for different situations, and the methods used to install them.
If you’re at all handy, you can build a retaining wall yourself. It is a simple enough project, although a long one. It will probably take you several days, perhaps spread over a couple of weekends or more, to build your full wall.
There are special stones cast out of concrete that make great retaining walls. They are meant to be alternated, much like bricks on a house, and they are cast in a way to make the layering easy to achieve. If you prefer a more natural look, you can purchase large river stones and use mortar or clay to hold them together.
This will be much more labor-intensive then using cast concrete stones, and it will probably be quite a bit more expensive, but you will end up with a truly unique retaining wall that will be the envy of all your neighbors.