Tips to Make the Most of a Retaining Wall Addition in Your Outdoor Living Space in the Enola, PA Area
One of the most exciting aspects of planning a landscape design can be discovering new ways to make the most of the square footage in a yard. If you are struggling to picture what an ideal outdoor living space can look like, the addition of retaining walls could solidify your vision, by delineating the various activities that will occur in your Enola, PA landscape.
Related: How a Retaining Wall Makes for a Multi-Level Outdoor Living Space in the Hummelstown, PA Area
Increase Your Useable Outdoor Space
If your yard is sloped, it might seem that there are limits to what you can do with the space. In fact, more usable areas can be created by adding a retaining wall. The additional space you get when you get rid of the sloped area and add in flat land can be used for many different projects, from adding a private fire pit to constructing your concept of a dream outdoor kitchen.
Create Activity Zones
Having separate activity zones in your yard can make it possible for people to enjoy seemingly incompatible activities at the same time. You could use the separation of a retaining wall to create a designated area for active endeavors like yoga or entertaining and another area for reading, meditating, and similar quiet activities. Multi-level patios are another way to establish separate zones in the landscape.
Get Separation without Feeling Walled In
Some people would love to increase their privacy and create unique zones throughout their landscaping—but they don’t want to feel walled in. You could use a retaining wall to solve this problem. Generally speaking, retaining walls are 3 to 4 feet high and can be relatively short in length—they could be designed and built to specifically prevent the feeling of being boxed or fenced in. Such a setup could create that feeling of privacy you want, but without ruining sightlines.
Make Your Retaining Wall a Work of Art
There are many ways you can take advantage of a retaining wall to create a true work of art—it’s all about the material used and the design. The masonry used can add earthy, strong elements to your landscaping, depending on whether it’s natural stone, looks just like stone, or in fact chosen because it looks manufactured and almost industrial.
Integrated lighting can highlight that lovely stonework and design. You could choose to have a vertical garden installed, integrate fire features with the wall, or have flowers and vines planted along the wall. The point is to not to think of a retaining wall as “just a wall”—it could instead be an incredible opportunity to add art to your home.
Consider Your Soil
Erosion can be a serious issue that causes the top layers of soil to runoff downhill, exposing rocky layers and making the landscape less welcoming to plant life. A retaining wall can help anchor the top layers of soil while diverting stormwater runoff. This can be an added bonus—especially if your home is prone to flooding.
Related: How to Have an Outdoor Living Space Worthy of Showing Off in the Mechanicsburg and Hershey, PA Areas