If your home is on a slope or hillside, or if it has several slopes in the landscape, retaining walls can be the solution. In some cases, they are the only solution. If you have a hill rising up behind your house, you can hold it back with a brick or natural stone retaining wall. That wall might make otherwise useless land into a space that is wide enough for a deck or a patio. If you put in a dry-laid boulder stone retaining wall that has a slight backward tilt as it goes up the hill, it can offer a great place for plantings in among the stones. Also, it will add a focal point for an accompanying patio.
Basic engineering requirements must be followed when building retaining walls. They have to be able to withstand enormous pressure from the soil they are retaining whether it is wet or dry. Most communities require a building permit for installation of retaining walls. Our experienced and licensed landscape design architects can do the job of applying for permits, as well as planning and creating retaining walls appropriate for your property.
Retaining walls come in all shapes and sizes depending on the job they have to perform. If your front yard is rolling hillside, you might want to terrace it will a series of low walls for plantings. In your garden, you may only need a low retaining wall, you could top it with stone and make it double as a place for additional seating. It might just become another planting area that you can use. Common materials used for retaining walls include wood, stone, brick, or poured concrete. Brick is the most formal and stone is often used for an old-fashioned been there a long time feel.
Homes built on properties with slopes or hillsides come with some special problems like soil erosion and access. Our landscape designers can help you with turning those spaces into opportunities for use. Contact us on 952-292-7717.