Create More Usable Outdoor Living Space With a Retaining Wall in Fitchburg, WI
There are so many excellent techniques and features that landscapers can use to make a landscape appear and function better, but few of them are as useful as the retaining wall. Surprisingly, even if your landscape is flat, you can use a wall to enhance the space and experience. The many benefits of a retaining wall can take your landscape to a whole new level. While you consider the next moves in your landscape renovation, know that you can create more usable outdoor living space with a retaining wall in Fitchburg, WI.
The Main Purpose of a Retaining Wall
Retaining walls have been used for centuries as the go-to landscape supporting technique. You can see them all over the world, creating terraced agricultural spaces and supporting hillside homes. By placing a retaining wall across a slope, landscapers will physically support the hillside above, reduce erosion, and create more usable space.
Expanded Horizontal Space
Retaining walls can produce a considerable amount of horizontal space for a landscape both above and below the location of the wall. The space above the wall benefits from level land that can be used for virtually anything; and the space below the wall is also made level and usable.
Some of the most common uses of this expanded horizontal space include a larger patio, a secluded corner fire pit, an outdoor kitchen, or a more spacious walkway or driveway. The extra space in your landscape can take shape in whatever way you please such as an infinity pool for a sense of luxury.
Expanded Vertical Space
People expect to gain a large amount of horizontal space from the addition of a retaining wall, but a more unexpected benefit is the addition of some vertical space as well. Retaining walls are typically around 2-4 feet tall (unless they are reinforced, in which they can be taller). While this doesn’t seem like it’s a large amount of surface area, it’s actually quite impactful from a design perspective. The majority of your retaining wall’s vertical surface will be either masonry blocks or a natural stone veneer. This is a great opportunity to tie a retaining wall in with other vertical features such as the home’s foundation; an outdoor fireplace; or the walls of an outdoor kitchen.
The vertical surface of your retaining wall can also house a variety of types of infrastructure, including electrical wires, water pipes, gas pipes, and light fixtures. This makes your landscape less cluttered. You can also add planters on the vertical surface of the retaining wall, providing an easily accessible home for all sorts of beautiful plants as well as any necessary irrigation to help you keep track of watering.
Expanded Seating
Retaining walls can also provide substantial seating to your outdoor living space through a variety of methods. The so-called seat wall can be located along the outer edge of any part of your outdoor living space, letting people take a comfortable seat on a sturdy piece of essential masonry. This is the primary use of retaining walls on a level property.
Or, you can build seating right into the wall itself, so that your back is supported by the wall. These seats can be all masonry, or a combination of wood and masonry. This is a popular solution for fire pit areas or in a space where you can sit and take in the view.
Related: How to Choose Wall Stone for Your Retaining Wall in Monona and Madison WI Areas
About the Author
With over two decades in business and maintaining an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau the entire time, Proscapes LLC is a leading landscape company in the Madison, WI, area. As a Unilock Authorized Contractor, we are recognized as the best-of-the-best in our craft—earning numerous awards along the way.