4 Creative Ways Retaining Walls Can Be Used In Your Landscape

When thinking about retaining walls, most likely you imagine piles of stones containing various elements of a landscape to manage sloped terrain and prevent soil erosion.

However, these hardscape features actually have several other uses besides practical ones. About half of the retaining walls that we install in landscapes in Idaho are due to necessity, with the other half are for adding other elements to the landscape.

They can improve planting areas, provide a windbreak for certain features, create seating, add aesthetic elements, and increase the value of your property. Materials can be used like boulders or segmental concrete to build the wall. There are also many different colors available for you to choose from.

The following are four ways that retaining walls can be incorporated into your landscape in Idado, besides simply to restrain soil.

Multi-Purpose Seating

One of the more popular ways to use a retaining wall is a built-in sitting wall. The walls can be capped off with stones laid perpendicular to wall stones to make places to sit. Your walls can be standalone as part of the overall design or enclose a patio area.

They not only provide your guests and you with overflow seating but the walls also provide nice focal points for the area.

Columns can be added to retaining walls with lights on them to illuminate your pathway or patio. The lights add elements of security and safety and help to highly your structure so that you can enjoy it at night as well as during the day.

Around Fire Pits

Are you tired of having to bring in chairs each time you want to spend time enjoying your fire feature and then have the flames go out when it’s windy? Retaining walls can be built around your fire pit. This will solve both of these problems.

The wall can be used as a sitting wall surrounding the pit, and create a windbreak for the fire as well.

A half- or full-circle wall can be installed around your fire pit, depending on your preferences and the space you have.

Hot Tub Barrier

Nothing can be better than getting to relax in your hot tub at the end of a long day. To ensure you stay warm even when its windy, a retaining wall can be installed around your hot tub area.

A stacked wall can act as a windbreak and help to protect your hot tub against the weather elements as well.

You can use other hardscape features like an outdoor kitchen – or the same materials that your house is made of – to tie it all together.

Design Element

Instead of just having plant material installed, you can define your yard’s edges and shapes by incorporating walls to your design.

Also, the wall can extend the footprint of your house into your landscape. They can create focal points and break up open landscape areas as well.

Begin with a Solid Foundation

You can use retaining walls to solve landscape issues in a cost-effective manner while adding aesthetic features and value to your property at the same time. Whatever your reason for adding one, it is important to ensure it is installed properly.

Retaining walls that are poorly constructed can wear down quickly and become damaged. There are also no quick fixes that are available. You will need to tear down the retaining wall and rebuild it. So if you want to ensure it is done correctly from the very start, find a qualified and experienced landscaping company.

Our team has many years of experience building sound retaining walls, for both necessity and other purposes.

We can take all of your desires and ideas for your retaining wall and get a unique design created for you that will help to enhance your outdoor area.

Give us a call to discussing having a retaining wall installed on your property.