It can be difficult to make the most of a piece of land that includes steep hills. This is particularly true for people who are trying to figure out what to do with their yard space. A steep hill isn’t very useful for play or relaxation, and creates serious problems when it’s time to perform tasks like cutting the grass. However, with retaining walls, you can create more even spaces while also reinforcing hillsides and making the entire area more stable.
The basic version of this set-up is just a wall. They’re often called gravity walls, because they rely mainly on gravity to perform their function. These are the most common solution on residential lots, because they’re fairly straightforward to build. They’re often made out of stone, and may be thicker at the base than higher up. They’re often constructed at a slight tilt toward the area they’re supposed to be holding up. There’s no special reinforcement or anchoring to keep them in place, so they can only be used to hold up areas of a maximum of four feet high. It’s also important to check them for signs of bowing, because this is an indication that the weight of the dirt is becoming too much and it is time to rebuild the wall.
For times when taller hills need to be held back, or where the ground is not quite as solid, there are other approaches that can make retaining walls a workable option. One of the more complicated approaches adds cables to the structure to help better distribute the forces on the wall. In particularly soft soils, workers may embed materials deep into the ground to provide them with a strong anchor point before building the wall itself up around them.
It’s usually not a good idea to try to build a wall on your own. The professionals at Bednar Landscape Services have a strong understanding of different types of conditions, and can choose the right approach for a structure that will both look good and maintain the stability of the landscape.
Whether you are searching for a professional retaining wall contractor or you need help with landscape design and installation, trust Service First Landscapes to get the job done.
