Retaining wall is a garden structure that should be aesthetically built. Apart from holding off dirt and rocks, retaining wall has to look beautiful in order to be effective. It can be safely said that the design of the retaining wall carries as much importance as its implementation strength. There are many materials from which you can choose to design your retaining wall.
What should you aim for?
When selecting a retaining wall, some things have to be given deep thought. Things such as color, texture, material, cost, practicality, placement, size, design should be considered before you start building your wall.
The best way to build a wall is to start with the design and overall look. If a particular design suits the surrounding, it should be picked. Next the cost should be considered. Different contractors will charge differently. It is needless to say that select the contractor with the best rate. Similarly the materials you employ will also be a determining factor in the overall cost. In a nutshell, good design with a reasonable cost is what you should be aiming for.
Best materials for constructing retaining walls
Some of the best materials for building retaining walls are:
- Conventional Stacked Blocks
- Field stone
- Ready Mix Concrete,
- Concrete Block,
- Architectural Concrete Block,
- Brick Blocks,
- Stone,
- Concrete Pavers,
- Wooden Material (Lumber or Timber)
Some readymade branded materials
There are some reputable builders who provide you with their own materials. The ingredients are kept secret of course, but they provide you with a lot of variety. Some examples are:
- Allan Block Wall Systems
- Keystone® Retaining Walls
- KINGS-wall® Retaining Walls
Selecting the most suitable raw material
As you can see there are plenty of materials for building retaining walls. Now, what should we go for? This question puts us in a bit of pickle. The first thing to consider is the size of the retaining wall. Depending upon the length, width and placement of the wall, you should carefully select the material. For example, if the wall is going to be more than 6 feet tall, it is recommended that you use solid stone blocks not wood. The best way to go about material is to select the one that fulfills both practical and aesthetic requirements.
If you go for stone or concrete wall, it may not look as good as the one made from lumber but it is certainly long lasting.
Generally wood is not as durable as stone but development in technology have allowed us to create ‘pressure treated lumber’. As the name suggests, the lumber is subjected to high pressure which makes it long lasting and sturdy. Wood is more cost effective than stone. However, since it is organic it is open to insects and infections. Treated lumbers such as redwood are recommended as they have the tendencies to keep organic infections away.
Stone is a long lasting, durable and perhaps more customizable material. It is slightly most costly than wood. There is a large variety amongst stones but unfortunately not all stones are found in every place. If you decide to proceed with some specific stones, you may have to pay the shipping or transportation cost as well.