There are many reasons why you should consider installing a retaining wall. One of the reasons is if you have an uneven ground and you don’t want the soil to slide to your property. You can also install the wall when looking to add texture to your yard. Regardless of the reason why you are installing the unit, ensure that you work with professional retaining wall contractors.

Materials that you can use in constructing retaining walls

Different materials are ideal for retaining wall construction. These materials include:

Interlocking concrete blocks: They are the most preferred materials for people looking to install the walls on their own. This is because they easily fit together without mortar. They come in different colors such as red, tan and gray. When looking to buy them, you can easily find them from home centers and stone yards. For them to last for a long time you should install them on a crushed stone footing.

Poured concrete: It’s the strongest and most preferred material for retaining wall construction. The cool thing about it is that you can design it in different ways including: staining, stamping, carving and veneering. You should buy dry concrete in bags from your home center. Leave the design, pouring, and formwork to a masonry contractor but if you have the skills you should go ahead and do the work. Just like other masonry constructions, you should support the walls with reinforced concrete footing.

Masonry: Bricks, stone, and concrete blocks are also great materials that you can use in constructing retaining walls. You should buy the materials from your local home centers or stone yards then hire a mason to help you with the installation but if you have the skills you should go ahead and install them. For durability, you should install the walls on a concrete footing. You should also install weep holes in order to relieve soil pressure.

Timber: Timber is easy to find and install thus you can install it even on your own. All you need to do is find 6X6, 6×8, or 8×8 pieces of timber from lumberyards and then join them using rebar, screws or spikes. To anchor the timber retaining wall, install a crushed stone footing. Best timber to use is pressure-treated pine and fir that has the ability to survive up to 40 years.

Conclusion

Regardless of the material that you use, ensure that you leave a good drainage system. To give your yard a great look, work closely with your landscaping company.