Urban Oasis Developments will help you create your landscaping design that will give you the yard you have always wanted. Our in-house designer will help bring your ideas to reality. We will create a custom design for you based on your vision, needs, and budget. Urban Oasis Developments understands that some clients want to see the design in real time and that is why we offer 3D renderings as well. Contact us today to get started building your own Urban Oasis.
Landscape Design Gallery
Here are a few quick links to our Calgary landscaping featured projects.
Calgary SE Landscaping Auburn Bay Landscaping Calgary SE Hardscaping Calgary NW Landscaping
Landscape Design in Calgary
Hardscaping is a water-efficient landscape design strategy. It involves adding several permanent features like retaining walls, stone pathways, or foundations. These landscape design features allow you to reduce the water intake by plants and turf and will add some elemental diversity to your lawn. Hardscaping features like retaining walls and cement patios are also less vulnerable to floods and heavy rains can protect the lawn soil from runoff. In this article, we will show you the different types of retaining walls in the landscape design of Calgary homes and what are their benefits.
What are retaining walls?
A retaining wall is a rigid wall structure designed to resist lateral pressure from the soil when there is a change in ground elevation, thus holding back soil materials. The pressure behind the retaining wall may be caused by liquid pressure, sand, earth filling, heavy rain, or other granular materials. In landscape design, they are used to bound two surfaces of soil at different elevations or retain the slope or shape of the soil area.
Types of retaining wall you can add
There are various types of retaining walls that you can add to your lawn landscape design.
Modular and precast retaining walls
Retaining walls made of modular blocks are easy to construct. They give a traditional and pleasant appearance. Each block interlocks with the other, keeping the whole structure secure and strong without the use of pins or mortar. This type of retaining wall will though not be very attractive. These walls can also be prefabricated.
Concrete retaining walls
Despite their strength and versatility, concrete retaining walls require precise construction methods. It is possible to texture, color, embed objects, and design concrete retaining walls in a variety of ways. When properly installed, concrete retaining walls provide you with much more customization options than any other material.
Brick retaining walls
Brick retaining walls retains their entire strength due to their brick construction. Two brick walls, inches apart, share the same foundation in the design. There is a cavity within the walls to prevent the transfer of moisture to the exposed wall. The walls are traditional in style and will easily blend with your home façade.
Natural stone retaining walls
These walls are constructed with natural stones piled together. If properly constructed, these walls can give your landscaping design an asymmetrical natural appearance and last for a long time. The walls of natural stone can withstand hundreds of years of abuse, but if made carelessly, they will topple and can cause severe accidents.
Wood retaining walls
Timber retaining walls blend more naturally with landscapes than any other retaining wall. It gives the appearance of a unified and beautiful home when stained to match cedar, log, or clad house materials. They are beautiful, especially when built-in woodland is surrounded by trees.
Why you should consider adding a retaining wall to your landscape design?
Well, there could be plenty of reasons. Some of them are:
- Retaining walls keep your landscape’s soil in place by providing structure and support. Stone walls can protect sloped landscapes from soil degradation since they act as barriers.
- Soil erosion is often caused by wind and water. Planting trees and shrubs is an excellent way to retain soil. A retaining wall is an alternative if your residential or commercial landscape does not have many trees or shrubs.
- Additionally, the stone wall retaining wall highlights other landscaping features on your property. You can use retaining walls to increase your outdoor space as well as show off your patio.
Hire a professional
For your lawn or backyard landscape design, it is important you hire a professional design and construction team. Retaining walls can be prone to failure, if not designed properly. A professional will know how deep the foundation should be dug, what should be the type of retaining wall and what should be the slope. Landscaping Calgary properties also present a great challenge due to ever-increasing environmental changes and short seasons. At Urban Oasis, we offer you all the services you need for the landscape design of your Calgary home.
