Mother Nature has had an impact on all of us this winter, but do you know what has taken the biggest hit? Your yard. If you’ve been in Annapolis to experience the last few winters you understand – withered plants, dead grass, trees that didn’t survive the cold, and that crumbling slope in the yard that took a major beating.
A retaining wall is the perfect solution for cleaning up your yard and giving your home a little more curb appeal. That deteriorating hill can ruin the look, safety and functionality of your yard, but building a retaining wall can increase the overall value of your property with quite the list of benefits.
Here are just a few benefits of retaining walls:
- Provide a strong foundation
- Prevent sinkholes in your yard
- Help prevent flooding
- Protect your yard from erosion
- Reduce yard maintenance
Check out this retaining wall we constructed for one of our residential paving customers!
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With a retaining wall, you could see the same great results as this residential paving client! Of course, there are plenty of other materials you can utilize when building a retaining wall, such as concrete blocks, natural stone, or wood plank/timber retaining walls like our featured client.
Starting with a Strong Foundation
Although there are many different looks you can achieve with a retaining wall, the most important aspect is a strong structure and functionality; that’s where AC Paving comes in. Our name may not suggest it, but AC Paving has years of experience constructing retaining walls.
A long lasting and durable retaining wall starts with constructing a strong foundation. So what does this entail? The process of creating a foundation begins by digging a trench and filling the bottom with paver base to create a level surface. Once the initial layer of blocks is laid flat in the trench you have your foundation.
By partially burying the retaining wall and ensuring that you create a sturdy base for the rest of the wall, you now have the basis for a retaining wall that will stay in place and stand the test of time.
Stopping Sinkhole Formation
If you’re afraid of heights the ground might seem like a safe place to be, but anyone who has experienced a sinkhole knows that this isn’t always the case. Groundwater that has turned acidic slowly dissolves limestone, creating underground voids that can cause the ground above to suddenly collapse.
A retaining wall can help prevent these voids from turning into sinkholes, meaning that your yard will keep its clean look and nothing you own will end up in a deep, dark sinkhole.
Minimizing the Risk of Flooding
If you live in a coastal area like Annapolis, a retaining wall could be just the safety net you need to prevent flood waters from damaging your home. A properly constructed retaining wall will keep floating debris being carried by flood waters from damaging your home. Some types of debris, such as logs, building materials and even boats, can do great damage to your home.
A major flood can destroy your home’s foundation and leave you with massive repair costs, but by building a retaining wall you can minimize the risk to your home.
Eliminating Erosion
Another issue that a retaining wall can help to resolve is the issue of erosion. Sloped areas are very susceptible to erosion due to water runoff, so all it could take is one big storm to create a huge eyesore in your yard.
Building a retaining wall slows the rate at which runoff flows down a slope, which will in turn limit the degree of erosion you can expect in your yard.
Reducing Yard Maintenance
Generally speaking, one of the greatest benefits provided by retaining walls is the fact that they can reduce the amount of maintenance required in your yard. If you have a slope that isn’t protected by a retaining wall, chances are it’s a lot more barren than the rest of your yard.
You could always wait until spring and plant either a garden or grass seed, but this requires a lot of work and there’s no guarantee it will even grow. Instead of attempting to cover that slope with plants, why not consider a more permanent and attractive solution like a retaining wall? Building a retaining wall can give your yard that beautifully manicured look you’ve always wanted.
With a retaining wall, you have the ability to increase the overall value of your yard while eliminating safety hazards. For this reason, building a retaining wall is a smart investment in your property that will continue to pay dividends for years to come.
In your article, you stated that although there are many different looks you can achieve with a retaining wall, the most important aspect is a strong structure and functionality. My neighbor came over to our house last night to let me know that there was a huge puddle of water next to his house that came from our property. Are there certain materials that work better in improving the functionality for our lawn? Hiring a landscaping company might be our best option.
I’ve recently moved into a home that has a hill in the backyard. It wouldn’t be a big deal if I didn’t watch over my nieces and nephew all the time. I’d heard that retaining walls could be beneficial so that my property isn’t one steep hill. It’s good to know that it’ll also be helpful and reduce the amount of work that my yard would need. It’s always nice when there’s one less thing to worry about.