Retaining walls are purposeful to construction and act as ornamental features to your landscaped gardens. One of the main reasons for having these walls is to prevent localized soil erosion and to impart a sturdy and an old-school look to the property.
These are sturdy structures made from concrete, rocks, mortar and even reinforcing steel. They are generally left unfinished and rugged thus differentiating them from a normal compound wall.
Retaining walls in history
In ancient times, the structure of a wall decided many aspects of the property like safety, integrity of the land base and the cost of the property in question. The ancient retaining walls were made from uncut stoned of various sized & shapes and carefully chosen to fit together. Many of such amazing feats of architecture stand solid till date.
Purpose
Many landscapes in home gardens have a mandatory need for these walls as they are the only options available for a leveled surface for the gardens to grow. Retaining walls benefit the landscaping by slightly elevating its ground level, thus improving its drainage and arability. Since the retaining walls involve plenty of strength, they should be resistant to hydrostatic pressure. To create enduring and everlasting retaining walls, they should have adequate arrangement of water proofing and a widespread drainage system.
Choice of material
There are many choices to consider while considering making a retaining wall. These include, stones, mortar, concrete blocks etc; this depends on the availability cost, affordability and the nature of the wall that’s being built. Stones are famous for their rustic beauty and versatility while concrete blocks are used for their utility, and durability. The modern concrete blocks used come in an interlocking pattern that reduced the use of mortar thereby reducing chances of cracks or breakdown.
How to get your retaining wall- Useful pointers
- Instead of trying constructing of a retained wall on own, consult an approved company to get the plan and the execution of construction
- Ensure that the wall is built in accordance with local and national regulations corresponding to the map and placement
- To attain that perfect look of the retaining wall, take proper care of its tilt and angle.
Source: MagicBricks.com Bureau
The images used in the article have been sourced from gettyimages.