Concrete parking pad

Advice on Retaining Walls

natural stone stairsSure, retaining walls look like simple stacked stone. But in fact, they’re carefully planned and engineered systems that are in a constant fight against Mother Nature and
gravity. While they remain a true workhorse in your yard, they can also be quite beautiful and used in many creative ways.

  1. Retaining walls add texture, dimension and break up yard monotony. A great use of them are for flower beds. Break up the straight lines and opt for a more curvy look.
  2. If you live on a very hilly or graded piece of land and need to go higher than a 4 foot retaining wall, call in an expert. Not only is your wall trying to hold back the forces of gravity with a lot of dirt, it also may need to adhere to local city codes.
  3. Terracing is a gorgeous way to grade land and add some architectural interest to your yard. From a lower grade, you’ll need to gradually step up the retaining wall to reach a greater slope. Add stone steps in between the the walls to add use and value.
  4. Opt for manufactured or pre-fab blocks. They offer structural integrity and an uniform look plus they create an even level base from which to work. Overall, they make installation easier and quicker.
  5. Don’t forget about drainage! A casual check around your neighborhood will natural stone retaining wallreveal lots of existing walls that are bulging, cracked, or leaning. That’s because most residential retaining walls have poor drainage, and many aren’t built to handle the hillside they’re supposed to hold back. You will need drain pipes when:
    • All walls taller than 4 ft
    • Sites with poorly draining soils
    • Alongside paved areas
    • With slopes above the wall
    • On multi-tiered and terraced walls

Charlotte Pavers & Stone knows retaining walls and can help design and build a beautiful stone or paver retaining wall to accent a flower bed, a graded yard or add some division to your outdoor living space. You can always contact us to help consult you on your retaining wall project.