How a Retaining Wall Can Be Used as a Seating Area for Both Residential and Commercial Properties in Waunakee, WI

Retaining walls are usually built for putting a stop to erosion in a landscape because of the effects of a steep slope, but a well-designed retaining wall can have other uses. From adding privacy to adding additional seating options, a retaining wall can serve many purposes in both residential and commercial Waunakee, WI, properties.

A Retaining Wall’s Main Purpose

A stone retaining wall’s main purpose is to hold back dirt that is causing parts of your landscape not to be as useful as they could be. Because the dirt behind the wall creates so much pressure, the retaining wall must be built by a professional with experience in the engineering and drainage of this type of wall. While a retaining wall is designed to be functional, there are a variety of ways they also bring beauty and utility to the space they occupy.

Related: How to Incorporate Retaining Walls Into Your Sun Prairie, WI, Landscape

Retaining Walls for Residential Properties

If you live in a neighborhood with homes that are fairly closer together, you want to create ways to foster a sense of privacy and intimacy in your landscape. A low retaining wall can separate your property from a neighbor’s without seeming to be unfriendly. It could also follow the lines of your landscape to give definition to your property in the same way that a fence does.

One of the most useful aspects of a retaining wall is the additional seating it can bring to your outdoor space. Installing a retaining wall around your patio not only brings a cozy feel to that area, but the wall can serve as additional seating for friends and family when you host a party or dine outside with your immediate family. The stone wall has a flat surface on the top that can hold drinks and glasses, pretty and colorful pots of flowers to dress up the space, or space for appetizers to be spread throughout the patio area.

Add low-level lighting and under-the-wall lights, and you have a multi-functional wall that brings a special beauty to the landscape at night.

Related: How Retaining Walls Can Help Control Your Sloped Landscape in Monona, WI

Retaining Walls for Commercial Properties

Retaining walls serve a similar function in commercial landscapes as they do in residential properties. Even in commercial terrain there are areas that are not easily accessible or useful, and this can be a problem for the businesses housed within a commercial building.

A retaining wall can border a slightly sloped walkway to offer protection as visitors in wheelchairs make their way to the building entrance way.

Retaining walls can also bring stability to an outdoor space that provides a place of respite for the employees of a commercial building. Many companies today are concerned with having green spaces for their employees and visitors, and this is exactly what a well-designed retaining wall can do—bring seating space for people to sit outside and enjoy a sunny day as they eat lunch or prepare for a meeting. The beauty of having seating on a retaining wall as opposed to benches is that it can serve as visual definition and look pretty in the landscape while maximizing seating space.

Retaining walls are meant to be functional, but they can also be eye-catching with their beautiful stones, contrasting banding, and nighttime lighting.