If your home in Sudbury, MA, is located on or near a steep slope, you may want to have a retaining wall included in your landscape design. There are both practical and aesthetic benefits to having a retaining wall built, but one of the best benefits is how this addition can expand the functionality of your updated landscape. Here are some of the ways that a retaining wall can make your space more usable.
Related: 5 REASONS WHY YOUR FRONT YARD COULD BENEFIT FROM A RETAINING WALL IN THE NEWTON, MA, AREA
Easier Navigation
First of all, it’s difficult to navigate a steep hill. You could either find yourself at risk of tumbling down the hill or out of breath trying to climb up the hill. This problem can be easily fixed with the addition of a retaining wall.
Retaining walls can be built with stairs, which makes it much easier to navigate a steep hill. Not to mention, if you have a terrace of retaining walls, you could have multiple levels of flat land that you can put to use.
More Outdoor Living Spaces
The addition of more flat land in your landscape could give you an opportunity to achieve some of those dreams around an outdoor living space. For example, perhaps you could have an outdoor kitchen built on one level of the terrace created by retaining walls. This could be complemented by an outdoor dining area complete with a pergola and a large patio table. In another area, you could have an outdoor living area with comfortable patio furniture and an outdoor fireplace.
Aesthetics
Being able to spend time outdoors can be even more enjoyable when you have a beautiful outdoor setting. Made to look as if it were crafted of natural stone, many retaining walls can be aesthetically pleasing, helping to break up your landscape and clearly define the spaces. The style of wall stone used to build the retaining wall can complement your home’s architecture and style.
In addition, these spaces provide ample opportunity to have plant or flower beds installed. So you could have brightly colored flowers or vibrantly green plants adorning the space near your outdoor living areas. Not only are these plants pleasing to the eye, but they help provide oxygen to the air. Retaining walls can also provide additional surface space to bring attention to potted plants or other decorative elements.
Addressing Soil Erosion
On a more practical note, retaining walls help prevent erosion because they help slow the flow of rainwater down a steep slope. When erosion occurs, the essential nutrients in the soil can be washed away and you are left with muddy, bare patches throughout your landscape—rendering the area unsightly and unusable. Without those essential nutrients, plants and grass may not be able to grow.
In the case that your home is built near the bottom of a steep slope, a retaining wall can be built to prevent rainwater from rushing down the hill and possibly infiltrating your home. Flooding in your basement or other areas of your home can lead to other issues, such as mold growth, rotting, and structural damage.
If you want to improve the functionality of your outdoor spaces—and prevent the loss of functional space—adding a retaining wall is an excellent plan.