Retaining walls are built primarily for function, so is there a point in retaining wall designs Melbourne? The answer is a big yes — the looks of your retaining wall does matter.
A retaining wall not only holds the soil behind it and helps you create a usable outdoor space, but also enhances the curb appeal of your property. With its simple yet elegant design, it makes for a great addition to any landscape and will surely turn heads wherever they go!
A retaining wall is an ideal way to transform your backyard’s uneven ground into something appealing and usable. Concrete has the primary material for building this structure because it holds soil well and can be purchased at a relatively low price. The caveat with concrete walls, however, is that it can look boring if you go with plain old grey or white blocks everywhere! With some creativity, concrete can also be injected with some retaining wall designs Melbourne to look pleasing to the eye.
We listed down and described the most common retaining wall types, with design ideas that can be considered aesthetically appealing and makes your landscape a thing of envy for your neighbours. We also provided some tips or ideas for making the most of your retaining wall designs Melbourne to look their best.
Interlocking Blocks Retaining Wall
Interlocking blocks retaining walls are built by piling up and arranging blocks made of concrete or masonry in a way that they interlock with one another, forming a design pattern that many will find cool. These blocks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you have plenty of options to find the retaining wall designs Melbourne perfect for your taste!
Design tip: Many people find the cylindrical-shaped blocks stunningly beautiful and make your landscape look like an attraction.
Natural Stone Retaining Wall
Natural stones retaining walls offer a beautiful look to your landscape that other wall options just cannot match. For those who love to have a natural feel and look on their retaining wall, stacked stones are the way to go.
Design tip: If you happen to live by a lake, it’s a great setting to set up a perimeter wall made of natural stacked stones. And if you can have the colours of your house to match that of the stones, the result will be gorgeous!
Fused Large-and-Small Stones Retaining Wall
Fused large-and-small stones retaining wall is a variation of the natural stone retaining wall. Rather than piling up similarly sized stones, this type of stone wall will have large and small natural stones fused together. By doing this, you take the natural beauty of stone walls to another level!
The method involved in building this type of retaining wall is to have the large stones set in place first, then fill the spaces in between with smaller stones.
Design tip: Stones come in different colours and patterns. You can try to mix-and-match or follow a certain pattern using stones for your retaining wall designs Melbourne. You’d be making a permanent graffiti art on your retaining wall; isn’t that something?
Wooden Retaining Wall
Wood or timber retaining walls are known to be versatile. With so many options to choose from, wood or timber can get you the perfect look that you want for your retaining wall and not settle for good enough.
Wood or timber are not particularly strong when compared to other conventional wall options such as concrete. This is why wood or timber retaining walls are limited to short walls with not-so-heavy duty application.
Design tip: Wood can be used as a second layer or barrier to the concrete retaining wall to add warmth and vibrancy to what is otherwise a cold and dull concrete wall. As it is only a barrier wall, the wall will not be used for holding the soil, but rather to beautify an existing concrete wall.
Entwined Brick Retaining Wall
Many homeowners consider bricks the ideal material for retaining walls. Bricks are made of clay or shale, and they come in different sizes, colours (albeit limited) and textures. They are often customised or mixed-and-matched to provide a more pleasing look to your backyard.
Design tip: In order to achieve a great design out of bricks in a retaining wall, you can entwine different colours to follow a certain pattern. You can get gorgeous retaining wall designs Melbourne using bricks of varying tones paired together to add depth.
Retaining Wall with a Wire Mesh
Retaining wall with a wire mesh is a gabion-like wall construction normally used for commercial applications. The main building materials inside the mesh boxes are rocks, stones, or rubble. This wall gives off a look that most will find challenging to improve. However, with some creativity, you can customise the combination of rocks or stones inside the mesh boxes as they are loose.
Design tip: By varying the colour of the mesh wire, you can make the retaining wall fun and eye-catching. Think of something like an off-white mesh cutting through the natural brown colour of the rocks or stones. If the stones are grey, a pink-coloured mesh would be something that will make people want to look twice.
Retaining Wall with a Wire Netting
This retaining wall with a wire netting is a variation of the wire mesh stone retaining wall. The support wires or netting is aimed to be invisible, in contrast to the wire mesh wall where the wire mesh is made part of the design.
The way to make invisible wires is by having them so thin that you can barely see them, giving an overall look as if the stones are standing unsupported on their own. While this idea is not very popular because the wire will have to be very thin but also must be very strong, the outcome would be something amazing if done right.
Design tip: If thin-but-strong wires are hard to find, try using wires that may not be as thin but of the same colour as that of the stones in the wall. Keep in mind that integrity and strength of the wall should still be the priority when doing this method.
In Conclusion
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so does art. You can beautify your retaining wall designs Melbourne any way you want, as long as the primary function and integrity of the wall are not compromised. Whether you’re building a new retaining wall or have an existing one, you can make the wall look amazing with ideas and designs that should not cost you much.
In designing your retaining wall to look good and add value to your property, you need to pay attention to the colour combinations, material shape and textures, and how the rest of the landscape looks. If you’re not careful, there’s a chance you can mess it all up and end up devaluing your property. If you’re not confident, try consulting with professional landscapers on how you want your wall to look.