A retaining wall can be used for both aesthetic and functional purposes.  The primary reason for a retaining wall is to help keep your yard or garden safe from erosion. Oftentimes erosion happens when land is situated on a slope or a hillside.  The underpinning dirt and soil are susceptible to rain, winds, even burrowing animals. Eventually, the land above begins to collapse.

So, how can you protect grass and garden beds that are perched above sloping land? You fortify the slope with a retaining wall. (Or, better yet, you hire a professional landscape designer to facilitate.)

Either way, here are some basic facts on how to add a retaining wall to your yard:

To start, you need to draw a string point where the front of your retaining wall will be. Using a chalk line is preferred, but you can also use spray paint if necessary. Next, you need to dig your trench, which holds the foundation.  It’s important to make sure that some of the retaining wall’s height is underground. 

It's suggested that you use a geotextile, which helps keep the wall together. It also keeps out any contamination and rain. If your wall is intended for both form and function, and you’re concerned about appearance, you can use another material—including pea gravel, poured cement wall, interlocking stones with wire or plastic grids, etc. Pea gravel, stones, gravel, or cement can be placed in the spaces between your retaining wall and the trench.  This keeps the wall level and secure.

Now you’ll need to choose a foundation. There are a variety of foundation options; each one is used for a specific situation.  For example, if you want something simple and strong, you might want to consider a gravity-type foundation. This foundation starts by stacking up short columns of rocks or slabs. 

On the other hand, if you’re securing an area where there is a lot of loose soil, you might try a sheet pile foundation. This type of foundation uses wood planks buried inside the soil.  The top part of the planks provides a good amount of pressure in securing loose earth. 

If you want a strong wall, but cost is a key concern, cantilevered retaining walls are a good option.  Unlike some of the other foundations, a cantilevered retaining wall does not use a complex construction procedure.  Also, a cantilevered retaining wall does not use any tiebacks.  Other foundations include counter-fort, concrete, block, rock, cinderblock, sheet pile, and terraced retaining walls.   

After creating the base and foundation, you need to add paving rock poles as well as concrete blocks to strengthen the structure.  When completing this step, make sure you incorporate drainage pipes underneath. Finally, double check that nothing is blocking these pipes.

For more information on retaining wall options, give us a call. We’re always happy to answer your questions!