What is a Retaining Wall?
A retaining wall is a type of structure that will hold or retain soil behind it. There is a variety of materials that can be used to construct these retaining walls such as; poured concrete, timber, rocks, concrete blocks or boulders. Some types are easy to use and others have a shorter lifespan but all of them can retain soil.
The 7 Purposes of retaining walls:
Create A Flat Area
It is very difficult to use a sloped piece of land as an entertainment area for instance. Tables won’t stay up, chairs will be awkward to sit on, etc.
The retaining walls can convert a sloped piece of land into a flat area. This will allow you to build an entertainment area of some kind or a sports field or any other structure that can only be built on a flat piece of land.
Make A Slope Useful
Farmers will often utilise the retaining properties of retaining walls to convert sloped land that crops will not grow on, into flat, useable land. Sloped land promotes surface run off and if the land is not flat, the crops and/or valuable nutrients will be washed away.
The above mentioned technique is called terracing and farmers aren’t the only ones that use them. Golf courses will often use retaining walls when they construct elevated tee boxes. This will ensure that the tee boxes do not erode away over time.
Provide Handicapped Accessibility
Retaining walls can also be used to construct gently sloped ramps for people in wheelchairs.
Retaining walls can also improve the drainage of a site and sometimes, retaining walls are also used to direct water on a property.
Permits are often required to erect such walls so you should definitely do some research before planning on starting a project like this.
Hold Back Water
There is a thing called a sea wall which has the purpose of separating land from water. Some sea walls are constructed in order to improve pedestrian access to water, often at a public dam or river.
Other retaining walls will protect the soil on the banks of a river or dam from eroding away or they can be used to construct a docking area for boats.
Simplify Maintenance
It is far easier to maintain a flat garden instead of trying to mow or prune a flat area. It also very hard to plant new plants on a slope as they will easy wash away when it rains. Retaining walls can greatly reduce the maintenance costs of your garden as well as the time it takes to mow the lawn, etc.
No matter your need or your purpose for using a retaining wall, Buffalo Retaining Walls will have the solution for you that will suit your budget!
