Homeowners use retaining walls in many different ways, and they always prove to be really great options for beautifying the home’s landscape. Retain walls are built in areas where the earth needs extra support to prevent it from moving downhill due to erosion. They support the land so that you can have a functional garden without worrying about soil erosion.
Basic Functions of Retaining Walls
There are many positive benefits of retaining walls. Some of them can include the following functions.
- They Provide Usable Land: Retaining walls have been popularly used since millennia to create terraces on slopes. This creates usable land that you can plant flowers and vegetation on. Even in the ancient South Asian civilizations and sacred lands in Peru, this technique was used so that people living in the mountains had a place to grow crops.
- They Manage Water Runoff: The retaining wall can help you by slowing down the flow of rainwater. The water helps keep the humidity of the soil at optimum levels which helps with lawn care and gardening. The walls also keep polluted or dirty water away from nearby rivers. You can also use a water-thirst wall to make a rain garden design.
- They Provide Extra Seating: The landscape seating in your garden is perfect for an evening tea or relaxation point.
Why You May Need a Retaining Wall?
There are many reasons why a retaining wall could end up being perfect for your home. The following reasons may be crucial factors in pushing you to invest in a retaining wall.
Erosion
Retaining walls are the perfect way to control downhill erosion and drastically improve the health of your soil. It stops erosion materials from clogging areas along your property and minimizes erosion by holding back soil.
Fault Lines
If your home is downhill from all soil fault lines, you should probably call an expert right now and build a retaining wall. The erosion levels may not be threatening enough to harm your home, but it could cause a lot of destruction under the right conditions. For example, in case of an earthquake, the land can often slide away from the fault lines and begin to fall downhill. If your home is located at the base or even in the way of the avalanche, it can really damage your house.
The Foundation
The sliding hill also places huge pressure on your foundation. Erosion is a huge threat to the foundation of your home since the soil beneath your house may start washing away. It can actually weaken the structure of your home and in severe cases, cause complete collapse. This can create huge costs for you, not to mention potentially injure the residents of the home.
Retaining walls are a really beautiful way to improve the health of your soil and prevent erosion. If you do plan on getting one installed in your home, then make sure you hire a professional. Connect with the professionals at JJW Brick today to get help with installing your retaining wall this spring! Give us a call today at 1-800-BRICK-PAVERS!
