The Complete Guide to Retaining Walls: Types, Materials, and Functions

Nov 15, 2023

Comprehensive Handbook on Retaining Walls

Retaining walls – a feature of gardens and backyards that provide important functional advantages and equally great aesthetic appeal. People want retaining walls in their gardens and yard spaces as much for the edge it provides as they want for the functionalities it offers. In some cases, people install retaining walls in their gardens even if there is no difference in the ground elevation, just to get creative with their garden designs.

As the popularity of retaining walls grows, it is important to understand their features and functions and the different options that you can choose from. Read on to learn about retaining walls in more detail.

Before we go into learning about retaining walls, here’s a little about who we are and why we are the right people to talk about it. Playford Pavers is a family-owned and operated business that supplies materials for paving, retaining walls, and landscaping. We specialise in paving and building retaining walls for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. With an elaborate combined experience of over 20 years, we know the trade inside out and are quite qualified to enlighten you with the right information.

Now, let us continue to talk about retaining walls and their types and functions.

Retaining Walls – A Brief Intro

We know that retaining walls are hard walls that hold the soil together, preventing it from spilling over when there is a difference in ground elevation levels. The geometrical divisions it creates add to the beauty of the expanse of land, making it more tasteful. This is why retaining walls have become more popular and feature in most landscaping designs.

Factors to be Considered Before Building a Retaining Wall

Just like any structure you are about to build, retaining walls also come with some pre-build considerations. So, before we start building the retaining wall for you, we check out the below factors:

Size and Height

Determining the size and height of the retaining wall will help us decide on the materials we can use to build it. Some materials are best for shorter, smaller walls, while some can endure at greater heights without much reinforcement.

Blocks to be Used

Retaining walls can be made using concrete blocks, stone, timber, bricks, etc. Before you decide on the material to be used, make sure you know thoroughly about its properties and see if they match up to your requirements.

Shape of the Wall

You also need to decide on the shape and design of the retaining wall. Do you want it straight or curved? Does it need to have steps or niches? Does it have to be terraced or simply vertical? Do you want the wall to be built in the interior part of your garden or on the boundary of your property? These are some factors that you need to decide on before getting on with the construction of the retaining wall.

Retaining Walls – Their Types

Choosing the right type of retaining wall depends on why you want one in the first place. Here are your options:

Gravity Retaining Walls

These walls are best for domestic gardens and are relatively shorter. They are built using stone, brick, or concrete and give a rustic look to your garden. They may use up much space and not be so useful in areas with unstable soil.

Sheet Pile Retaining Walls

These walls are best for areas with restricted space and can be built for temporary purposes on construction sites as well. They are constructed using materials like vinyl, steel, and wood and have minimal impact on the surroundings.

Gabion Retaining Walls

Gabion retaining walls are built using stone-filled wire mesh cages and are best for residential as well as commercial landscaped gardens. Best for erosion control and slope stabilisation with good drainage capabilities, these walls are also quite environmentally friendly.

Cantilever Retaining Walls

Cantilevers are the best type for taller retaining walls and are built using stucco, stone veneer, or bricks. The structural integrity of these walls relies mostly on reinforced concrete, which makes them stronger and more capable of handling heavy loads.

Anchored Retaining Walls

Anchored walls are best for places where you need tall walls and have poor soil conditions. They can be made using concrete, stone, or bricks and are stronger and quite flexible in use. These walls use anchors, tiebacks, and other specialised gear, which makes them a little expensive.

Retaining Walls – Their Functions

Retaining walls serve a number of purposes, the most important of them being soil management and preventing soil erosion. Retaining walls help manage the sloping areas and level the ground to make it more usable. They also provide for effective drainage, which prevents water logging and flooding in the levelled areas. While a retaining wall helps functionally, it also provides aesthetic solutions for landscaping. Features like lighting, small niches for artefacts or decorative items, overflow seating, and several more can be added to your retaining walls to elevate their appeal.

Why Choose Playford Pavers?

Of the several reasons why you should choose us, here are a few:

Outstanding Workmanship

We excel in all kinds of landscaping and retaining wall installation with our outstanding workmanship and superior finishes.

Trained and Experienced Staff

We employ only trained, certified, and experienced staff who can contribute great ideas and perfect solutions to building the right kind of retaining walls that meet your requirements and expectations.

Affordable Services

While we excel in workmanship and deliver unparalleled results, our prices are quite comparable to market rates, verging on affordable.

Range of Options

With a combined experience of over 20 years, we have a wide range of options to offer you. Our expertise spans several types of retaining walls, and thus, we are able to deliver perfect finishes on them all.