Retaining wall are used widely in landscaping and garden retaining walls can be constructed from a range of materials include concrete, block, gabion walls, timber retaining walls, block and stone retaining walls, dry stone walls, masonary retaining walls, brick and concrete retaining walls. Retaining walls for Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Darwin and Canberra,
Retaining walls are effective in creating landscaping features, maintaining or altering soil levels, creating flat areas on a sloping block and combating erosion.
Retaining walls may be structural or decorative and may require a planning or building permit depending on location, height and other factors.
Garden retaining walls may be low wall constructed from stone or timber and if they are a low wall may require little effort to construct.
A retaining wall can be simple or quite complicated. A low garden retaining wall designed to retain a garden bed may require a straight forward construction. A higher retaining wall expected to expected to hold back soil is a different story. So carefully evaluate:
the height of the retaining wall.
the material (soil rock etc) that the retaining wall needs to restrain.
drainage requirements behind the retaining wall.
any weight or traffic that will be applied above the retaining wall or at the base of the retaining wall.
council or engineering regulations relevent to your retaining walls construction.
MATERIALS FOR BUILDING RETAINING WALLS
Gabion Retaining Walls
Gabion retaining walls are wire mesh containers or 'baskets', filled with stone. They are usually handmade and Gabion walls are designed to suit a specific site. They are particularly useful for sloping sites. Gabion walls allow water penetration and if properly constructed are long lasting.
Unlike many other retaining walls Gabion Walls usually do not require concrete foundations. The mesh used for construction is usually welded wire mesh although materials vary depending on site requirements and the size of the wall. Gabion walls may be flush faced vertical walls or inclined at 6 - 10 degrees
Wet Stone and Dry Stone Garden Retaining Walls
Wet and Dry stone retaining walls are a traditional methods of building retaining walls and fences. Stone is decorative, durable and functional
Wet stone retaining walls are generally more stable than dry stone walls and when properly designed can be used for walls that need to hold back large quantities of soil.
Dry stone walls do not require solid foundations like those of wet stone walls.
Timber Retaining Walls
Timber retaining walls are one of the most popular garden retaining walls. Timber sleeper retaining walls have been used for many years to create retaining walls. Railway sleepers (red gum) and treated pine are the two main types. Metal uprights are now a popular alternative to sleeper uprights.
Brick Masonry and Block Retaining Walls
In many cases, block retaining walls or brick and masonry retaining walls are the strongest and longest lasting option. With proper foundations a brick retaining wall can last a long time.
Reinforced poured concrete retaining walls are another option.
