Featured Image Source: OZ Architects Inc
In case you have uneven ground outside of your house, then you probably need retaining wall ideas. Particularly, retaining walls can assist you on keeping the soil on one side of the structure, enabling a lower floor level on the other side of the wall. In the past years, people frequently used concrete for inexpensive retaining wall ideas since it functions well, solid, and dependable. However, concrete doesn’t look great aesthetically. Despite the fact that they serve an extremely functional purpose, there is no reason why retaining walls can’t look great as well. For inspiration on building your retaining wall, check out our list of retaining wall ideas.
FIELDSTONE
Do you want to be transported to another era with this unique fieldstone retaining wall plan? The retaining walls here are built out of gorgeous Pennsylvania fieldstone. The plants and flowers look great up against the wall. Mierop Design, FAPLD nailed it with this retaining wall.
BLUESTONE
Green plant enthusiasts will like this unique retaining wall design. The garden is beautiful, with many different plants and colorful flowers. The stone walls complement the vegetation and give the impression of order and cleanliness. Elise Landscapes & Nursery, LLC outdid themselves with this one.
TRANSITIONAL
Things appear to be incredibly easy and cheap to do. With the help of the dividing wall, the outdoor area seems adaptable to various styles. The Versa-Lok retaining wall is a work of art, and none can deny its strength and durability. Sylvan Gardens Landscape Contractors outdid themselves with this one.
CONTEMPORARY
This is the most modern outdoor wall design, in everyone’s opinion. The greenery and the newly painted wall give the room a contemporary feel. The lush greenery of this current New York landscape is a haven of peace and tranquility. The LaurelRock Company nailed it with this one.
TRADITIONAL
Do you wish you could transport yourself to a great film? This wall treatment is highly classical in appearance, and the resulting interior appears to be rather roomy. Universals are installed in the traditional Weston Stone retaining walls. Clear Creek Landscapes nailed it with its classic layout.
COMMERCIAL
This wall decoration is incredibly realistic looking! In no way does this scene resemble a dream. This amazing New York landscape features a commercial retaining wall like this. Manzer’s Landscape Design & Development has done an excellent job with this business wall design.
STEEL
This exterior wall scheme was created for you if you have a thing for brown and classic style. Unfinished steel gives your garden a natural look. The rusty appearance adds authenticity to the country feel. Look at this fantastic example of a rustic wall designed by D-CRAIN Design and Construction.
REFRESHING
This retaining wall in New York City’s changing terrain is very remarkable. This is so spacious and refreshing that it’s ideal for mansions. Events might be held here—amazing wall design by Zaremba & Company.
EXQUISITE
This is the most beautiful patio wall design we’ve ever seen. The transitional patio looks excellent with the stones’ natural beige and brown colors. How convenient for your evening get-togethers! Duxbury Gardeners nailed it with this one.
MARBLE
You can’t go wrong with retaining walls made of steel and marble-like this. All of this is extremely lovely and pleasant to the eyes. The room is large enough for any possible creative arrangements—amazing wall work here by Pearson Landscape Services.
In addition, having a great looking retaining wall is beneficial since it can truly change the way you feel about the exterior of your house. Also, by picking a design option, you can change a terrible retaining wall into a structure displaying your style and character. Besides, having a gorgeous retaining wall may make you want to spend more time outdoors with your family.
Moreover, when you make a functional or decent looking retaining wall to enhance your property, you do not just pick up the advantage of enjoying it yourself, but you can also be certain that you’re increasing your property value. That way, when you need to sell your house, you’ll have the option to request for a higher price. Furthermore, the cost associated with constructing your wall should, thus, become an investment that will pay off after some time.
BREATHTAKING
Wow, the sculptural quality sets off this classic scenery. This stunning wall decoration will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a five-star resort. It has the appearance of being both broad and staunchly conventional. Regenesis Ecological Design has done a fantastic job with this.
OUTSTANDING
Want to imagine yourself on a cool outdoor patio? Putting in retaining walls that serve their purpose allows you to use this area as an outdoor room. The patio’s retaining wall designs by Wallace Landscape Associates make it look like something out of a movie.
ROCKS
Everybody will agree that the design of these walls appears haphazard, but that’s the point! These rock retaining walls have such an appealing “natural” aesthetic. It has the appearance of something just out of the past. Clear Creek Landscapes nailed the idea for the rock wall.
EUROPEAN
Attempting to transport yourself to Europe? You’ll swear you’re in Europe when you see this outdoor wall design. This classic garden has Europa Allan Block retaining walls. The wall design by Air Vol Block, Inc. is very traditional and well-executed.
Design Tips For Retaining Walls
Notably, a retaining wall is an exceptionally designed structure that on one side holds soil, while the other side is free standing. In general, they assist in accommodating changes in grade in a landscape with uneven ground. Also, these walls frequently enable steeper cuts to a slope to have more usable space on a cut-and-fill hillside area. Moreover, durable retaining walls can be vital to making a level driveway or sports lawn as well.
In addition, you can also use retaining walls to raise living spaces over the encompassing ground plain. Besides, well-thought small retaining wall ideas can hoist planting zones for improved drainage while simultaneously making a seat wall. In fact, there are endless advantages to these retaining walls, but they can be expensive, and you should carefully build them to avoid failure.
RUSTIC
Looking for a nice bar to go to on a Friday or Saturday night? With this beautiful scenery, it’s no wonder people like to drink outside.
All Backyard Fun has created a retaining wall plan that is quite industrial and concrete looking.
STONE
What a great approach to fixing up a home after a natural disaster. We can all agree that this stone wall style is frequently seen in outdoor settings. Everything appears to be rather ordinary. You could even hold events in this space—a great stone wall by Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC.
BASALT
This timeless and uncomplicated basalt wall design is sure to please any homebuyer. How lovely and organic everything is! Portland, Oregon, is home to the Northwest basalt, perfect for this artisan garden. Pistils Landscape Design + Build outdid themselves with their basalt wall design.
POOLSIDE
Do you desire a pool surrounded by stone walls that provide the impression of natural beauty? What a wonderful layout for a pool area! The pool blends nicely with the landscape because of the stone walls surrounding it. Evelyn Benatar, New York Interior Design, created this beautiful pattern for a pool’s outer wall.
As a matter of fact, what makes retaining walls incredibly challenging is the strength they require. In particular, these walls must carry heavy loads or lateral earth pressure. Certainly, cheap retaining wall ideas should not only withstand the weight of the soil. Also, the water behind the wall makes way for the development of hydrostatic pressure, which is the purpose behind most wall failures. Besides, a retaining wall can only survive over time just by having satisfactorily designed drainage structures and waterproofing.
Finally, you must remember that no matter how lovely these walls may be, they are an amazing structure that must function as planned. Indeed, this is only possible when you use the most appropriate materials and with the help of professional contractors. In case you get these things right, your small retaining wall ideas will be excellent financial investment and will surely last for many years to come.
CHARMING
Want a more sophisticated and luxurious appearance for your home’s exterior? The walls of this house did a great deal of work to make it look warm and inviting. In this case, Teale Architecture has created a stunning façade by combining traditional brick masonry with cutting-edge concrete retaining walls.
SPLENDID
As far as wall designs go, this one is up there with the best, and it goes wonderfully with the other buildings. This modern facade is a feast for the eyes, with its vibrant colors and varied textures. Paula Ables Interiors did a fantastic job with this energizing and uplifting wall design.
Retaining Wall Block Options
Junior Block – Also called Allan block, this is the answer for an assortment of utilizations like retaining walls, privacy fencing, and two-sided patio seating walls since it’s truly simple to stack and has incredible capping units for a sleek finish.
Limestone Block – In particular, this natural stone walling block is brilliant for building retaining walls, fences, garden walls, and even sculptures. In addition, it’s also surely simple to cut and install.
Flagstone – This concrete retaining wall block provides an actual stack stone appearance because of its patterned finish and shading range. Also, it is perfect for garden walls and garden edge, landscaped, and curved walls, along with curved style garden steps.
Versawall – This block has particularly a remarkable interlocking element that makes it simple to stack. Moreover, it takes after the appearance of a natural rock which will enable you to make a contemporary design.
Duostone – This multi-piece retaining framework has five block sizes that, when utilized together, make a natural, random-looking wall. In addition, it can likewise be utilized to make curved garden walls or setback and landscaped walls due to its natural-looking stacked stone finish and one of a kind rear lip for simplicity of installation.
Textured Concrete Block – A concrete block is a mainstream decision because of its rough texture, strength, and durability. Moreover, this is simple to install, so a DIY project will always be feasible. Also, this is great for garden wall and retaining wall.
Freestone – This imaginative and modern looking block is the most recent product accessible. It is particularly an incredible versatile block for all applications and offers the best value for money. Aside from it’s simple to construct, it is also eco-friendly due to its recycled glass aggregate.
Factors To Consider When Building Retaining Wall
When you mull over how to install a retaining wall, you may envision how firm and strong it’ll show up from the front, or how incredible the new landscape will appear above it. However, except if you give serious consideration to what goes on behind and underneath the wall, the retaining wall configuration may not look great for long. Ultimately, a poor retaining wall configuration can separate, lean, even topple—and it’s out there on display where every one of your neighbors can point and laugh. In any case, you certainly don’t want that to happen!
Many individuals think a retaining wall must hold back gazillion amounts of soil in the yard behind it. In reality, it doesn’t. Particularly, it just needs to hold a wedge of soil or a prolonged wedge of soil. In other words, it has to retain an “undisturbed soil”—soil that has left untouched and naturally compacted for a very long time. In addition, this kind of soil has a maximum slope that it can’t hold together on its own. This slope specifically refers to the failure plane. Whenever left alone, the soil behind the failure plane will hold on its own. On the other hand, it is important to realize that the soil in front of the failure plane will usually slide down the failure plane.
Gravity, as well as the incline, put pressure and direct most of the weight toward the lower part of the retaining wall. Because soil weighs around 100 or more pounds per cubic feet, you need some sturdy material such as boulders, large blocks, timber, or poured concrete to counteract the weight. Just as significant, you should also install them the right way.
Inexpensive Retaining Wall Ideas
Retaining walls are certainly costly. But with a bit of planning and various options for your materials, you can surely save a great deal of cash and surprisingly still have an appealing retaining wall with inexpensive retaining wall ideas.
Indeed, concrete is one of the most tough and durable materials for a retaining wall. However, it is additionally one of the most costly retaining wall ideas. In particular, poured concrete is the most costly choice, and it can cost around $30 to $40 per square foot. In the event that you want the vibe of concrete, you can save money by picking interlocking concrete blocks, which can cost you around $15 per square foot. Although the wall will be similarly as solid and as strong, you can save almost half on the materials. On the other hand, interlocking concrete is additionally the best alternative for toughness. Meanwhile, the interlocking bricks can move slightly during heavy downpours or earthquake, offering some flexibility that can avoid damage.
Stone is also a well-known natural material option for making a retaining wall. Be that as it may, you should strengthen the stone with a steel mesh or mortar to give some extra support. While stone can be more costly than interlocking concrete blocks, it is more affordable than poured concrete. Also, one approach to get a good deal on stone is to look for recycled materials. You can look through a local surplus or reuse store for your cheap retaining wall ideas.
Most Common Retaining Wall Materials
If you’re ready to begin a retaining wall project on your property, make sure you’re informed of the many material options. Although stone and concrete are common choices, materials such as brick or lumber may often achieve a more rustic look. There’s also the issue of choosing the proper colors to create the perfect aesthetic for your garden. With so many styles & materials to select from, deciding on the ideal ones for your retaining wall project can be complex.
Modern Concrete – The smooth form of concrete can complement a modern garden. When it comes to texture, the smooth wall presents an attractive contrast. When combined with the rougher textures of the plants, it draws attention.
Wooden Fence – A wooden fence can still produce a nice effect if you’re more concerned with budget.
Pale Sandstone – This is a terrific choice for anyone who wishes to blend a modern style with a rustic touch. It entails constructing a retaining wall out of sandstone.
Interlocking Blocks – If you want the retaining wall to stand out in the landscape, use this inventive idea. Putting several interlocking blocks on the wall creates a one-of-a-kind aesthetic impact that will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention.
Water Feature – While retaining walls are typically used to hold back soil; you can use this landscaping element more creatively by combining it with a water feature.
Boulder Wall – For a sense of dependable strength, try a retaining wall installation utilizing boulders. This is an excellent choice for anyone who wants stone as the principal material for retaining soil in the garden via a retaining wall.
Mixed Brick Colors – If modern concrete walls are too basic for you, perhaps a mixed color approach would be better for your garden.
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