Here is what you need to know when designing a retaining wall project.
A well-constructed retaining wall is a great way to add visual appeal and practicality to your landscape. There are many reasons for incorporating a retaining wall into your home landscape. Whether your plans for a retaining wall are meant to achieve aesthetic or functional goals, here is what you need to know when designing a retaining wall project.
What is the Purpose of Retaining Walls?
Retaining walls can serve multiple purposes within a home landscape, and can be functional, aesthetic, or both. Some of those purposes include:
Soil Erosion
If you have a sloped lawn, a retaining wall may be necessary to hold soil in place. Erosion often occurs when melting snow and ice loosen the soil. Retaining walls can prevent safety issues arising from ground instability.
Sinkhole Prevention
By controlling runoff, a retaining wall can prevent sinkholes from forming beneath the surface. Adding a retaining wall that can hold back or redirect water flow on your property is a solid protective measure that can help prevent damage to other elements of your landscape design and to your home’s foundation.
Stabilization
A retaining wall can stabilize a sloped area of your landscape, making it more functional. For example, the support may allow for an outdoor stairway to be built into a hillside.
Aesthetic Enhancement
By creating a tiered landscape, retaining walls add visual interest to your outdoor space. Segmented spaces can break up a large green or hardscape area or provide a focal point for garden beds or water features.
Types of Retaining Walls
There are two primary types of walls that can be incorporated into your landscape design: freestanding and retaining.
Freestanding Retaining Walls
Freestanding walls do not hold back any material. These are often used more for aesthetic purposes than to solve an existing issue within the current landscape. A freestanding wall can add texture and a coordinating color to your landscape design, or serve as a visual focus point in another area, such as a patio.
Functional Retaining Walls
Functional retaining walls hold back soil on one side. These walls are designed to solve an engineering problem, such as sloped lawns or drainage issues. Although functional retaining walls aren’t always built with aesthetics in mind, they can still add a nice visual contrast to the green spaces in your landscape.
Installing a Retaining Wall
Building a retaining wall should not be considered a DIY project. There are too many technical considerations to address. In particular, retaining walls intended to address erosion or ground stabilization will require the engineering expertise of a professional landscape design company.
Drainage
To fully realize the functional benefits of a retaining wall, it’s critical to incorporate sufficient drainage systems into the design. This will help manage water runoff and prevent soil saturation. The drainage system should also be designed so that water is directed away from your home’s foundation.
Reinforcement
For a retaining wall to withstand the constant pressure of soil or any material it’s holding back, it must be properly reinforced. A gravel base, reinforced concrete, or rebar may be used to reinforce the wall. The number of layers of material, the spacing between them, and the wall height are also important considerations in making sure a retaining wall is adequately reinforced.
Professional Guidance
Retaining walls might look simple once installed, but they are incredibly complex to plan and map. Maintaining and adjusting your grade during installation involves countless small details. A retaining wall is only effective if it is installed correctly in the right area, so trusting a professional with the job is critical. At Carroll Landscaping, we handle site preparation and proper installation, always considering grading and drainage along the way.
Interested in Improving Your Outdoor Living Space? Consider Landscape and Hardscaping Design Services from Carroll Landscaping
Carroll Landscaping has over 30 years of experience with landscape construction, porch construction, deck building, and hardscape installation. Our award-winning landscape designers are passionate about providing customers with top-notch service and landscape design. Our landscape designers have a creative design outlook and work as a team with our installation crews to make your vision a reality. We are committed to providing every customer with the highest quality workmanship, professional and knowledgeable service, and creativity in design in order to surpass our clients’ expectations in every aspect of the project.
We serve residents throughout the beautiful state of Maryland including Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Eldersburg, Clarksville, Sykesville, Manchester, Westminster, and Woodstock. For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our expert designers, contact us online or give us a call at 410-922-2416.