If you have ever been told that your landscape could benefit from retaining walls, you may have wondered what purpose these structures serve. In Pittsylvania County, VA, and Caswell County, NC, there are many ways that retaining walls can benefit a landscape, from functionality to beauty. We’ve listed five of them below—some of them may surprise you.
Related: A Sloped Backyard in Granville County and Caswell County, NC, Calls for Landscape Design Changes
For Easier Navigation of Sloped Landscapes
A home built on a steep slope or near a large hill can make the landscape very difficult to navigate. Retaining walls can be added to help lessen the slope and make it more manageable to navigate. In some cases, tiers of retaining walls can be created to turn the slope into usable levels. Stairs and walkways can be built to make it easier to walk from level to level, which is a more inviting way to design a landscape than trying to have visitors walk up and down a steep hill. Retaining walls can also make a flat area of space for children to play or a place to have a playset built.
For Aesthetic Reasons
Retaining walls can also add to the beauty of the landscape. In fact, whether they are built to be a focal point or serve a mostly functional purpose, the materials used can complement your home, style, and architecture. You can have colorful and vibrant flowers or green plants installed in a flower garden near the retaining wall, which also increases the beauty of the space. The ledges of the retaining walls also make a great spot to display any outdoor decorative items that you have. Adding built-in outdoor lighting will also make this area of your landscape more aesthetically pleasing.
To Prevent Soil Erosion
Many retaining walls provide a primarily practical purpose—preventing soil erosion. Steep slopes can make for rushes of water during heavy rainstorms. This water can wash away the soil, effectively removing nutrients from the soil resulting in muddy bare spots in your landscape where grass or other plants cannot survive.
For Flood Control
One of the benefits of having a retaining wall built is that it can slow the flow of rainwater. Retaining walls can also help direct the water into a more desirable location that is strategically planned so that you do not have muddy puddles within your landscape. This helps control flooding and prevent the basement of your home from being flooded.
To Add Functional Space
It is usually difficult to have much functional space on a steep hill. With retaining walls, you can have flat areas of land that will provide more functional space. For example, you could possibly have an outdoor kitchen, outdoor dining area, outdoor living area, and even fire features built on one or more of these flat surfaces that a retaining wall helps to create. Stairs between each level make it easy to navigate between each of these spaces. This will allow you to be able to spend more time outdoors with your friends and family and even host more social gatherings in the landscape.
Related: Why Retaining Walls Deserve to Be a Part of Your Paver Patio Design in Pittsylvania County, VA
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