The process of erosion is a very natural one, but it turned out that it was never a friend to people. The reason is that there are many times when soil is being washed off peoples’ property or even accumulate against the side of their homes. The solution for this type of problems is using retaining walls. Their main task is to hold back earth. Of course, there are walls that are meant for purely aesthetic uses, allowing a hill to be made to enclose a garden, for example. Anyway, retaining walls are a terrific component to your home, at the same time creating more usable surface area in a landscape design. When speaking about the materials being used for making retaining walls, railroad ties and found stone are the most commonly used ones.

It’s not too difficult to make a retaining wall and the method is the same as the one used many years ago. Start by digging back the land and then place the stones or wood as a wall. Fill the land back in and what you’ll get is two flat surfaces where there once was a hill. Modern practices have kept the railroad ties and added treated landscape timber as the main thing to be used. Using wood is said to be very risky, as it may rot if it is improperly installed or treated. Stones make the walls look very classical, provided that they are installed by a stonemason. Brick or concrete blocks, but also masonry, poured concrete and steel are options people may choose from.

Having the definite purpose of keeping back or moving earth, retaining walls are still very much used nowadays. They may also provide more usable yard for the property. So, no matter if you choose to have a concrete flat wall that will look industrial or a quarried stone retaining wall that you can be proud of, it must above all match the design to your home's exterior design.

Should you want to enclose a garden, garden walls are the ones to use! This way, you can get a terraced garden that your neighbors will be envious of. It is an elegant addition to any home design, creating a wall of flowers and shrubbery. This can surely make a difference on a summer day spent in the garden with your friends! Take the chance and try! You will see that the outcome will be very nice!