Sloped sections can be challenging to manage. Not only is lawn mowing a much more complicated and dangerous task, but your yard can be less functional when you don’t have flat terrain for your outdoor furniture and other garden essentials. Fortunately, a retaining wall makes sloped sections much easier to manage, with the most complicated part being choosing the best type to suit your unique home design. If you’re having a hard time narrowing down your options, you might like to start with these popular retaining wall ideas:
Concrete
With the help of concrete sawing businesses and a landscaping team, concrete retaining walls might be an excellent option to pair beautifully with a modern home. Concrete walls are low-maintenance, easy to maintain with paint, and strong to last the distance. They can also be customized to suit your unique needs and cut to size if you have a particularly complex layout that traditional materials won’t always suit.
Rocks
Some people love the natural look of their sloped section but not how impractical it is. Preferring not to use artificial materials, they want to incorporate a retaining wall that blends in with the surrounding environment.
That’s where rocks come in. Rocks and boulders can help you create a rustic, natural-looking retaining wall that can look like it was always there. You might even like to plant creeping plants between the rocks for a burst of color where it’s needed the most.
Wood
Gardeners on a budget might not always be able to afford large rocks to build a suitable retaining wall. In that case, consider timber as a cost-effective option. Timber is one of the most inexpensive retaining wall materials on the market and can look smart when paired with any classic or contemporary home. It can also be practical for decking and planter boxes.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that wood is an organic material and might have a shorter lifespan than other options. Where possible, purchase pressure-treated timber containing wood preservatives.
Gabion
Many homeowners can be worried about exploring innovative landscaping designs because they’re worried about longevity. If you use gabion as your retaining walls, that’s unlikely to be a problem.
Gabion walls consisting of wire or steel containers full of materials like rocks have been around for centuries. They are aesthetically pleasing, customizable, low-maintenance, and long-lasting. However, they are not without their disadvantages. Gabion walls can also be expensive, difficult to install, and generally require heavy equipment to put them in place.
Brick
Finding retaining wall materials to suit a colonial-style home is never easy, but you might find the answer you’re looking for in bricks. A classic red brick retaining wall can be a charming addition to any property while also being strong, low-maintenance, and versatile.
Working with such a small building material also means you can get creative with shapes and heights to suit your unique space. You might even be able to tie the bricks in with other parts of your property, such as by building an outdoor brick fire, planter boxes, or pathways.
Sloped sections can be challenging, but you might be surprised by how versatile they can be once you’ve decided to install retaining walls. If the time has come to make your backyard more functional, consider exploring some of these retaining wall material types above.