We’re putting two retaining walls in our backyard. Each will be at least 3 feet high and 25 feet long, so we’d like them to be features and not just functional. What materials should we use? Should we use cinder-blocks and then add a finish (we’ve been flirting with Corten steel), or a decorative rock? All ideas welcome - we’re lost!
What are the best materials to use for building a retaining wall? Which have the prettiest finishes?
Segmented manufactured block are one option. Look up Techo bloc. There are a variety of finishes.
I would be careful using concrete block (cinder-blocks), as the details are very specific and need to be done with every attention to detail. If hollow block is used, the voids in the block could be filled with water.
For a low wall I like to use natural stone, small boulders of random sizes. This type of stone is in its natural shape, and is very beautiful and less expensive. The stone wall is mixed with both round and rectilinear material, then dry-stacked (no mortar). There is a knack to doing this work so it looks really cool. You must find an artistic mason that knows or show him pictures of what you like, and of course see the mason’s work first. Back-filling with gravel and landscape fabric is required to relieve water pressure from behind the wall. Get a knowledgeable and well experienced mason.
Unilock carries a couple different kinds of wall stone for building retaining walls. One is Pisa 2; the block is 8x6x12 and weigh about 43 pounds. This is the go to block for home owners and contractors. Pisa 2 has a a smoother finish than Roman Pisa which is the same size but has a distressed look to it!
My favorite materials for a nice retaining wall are natural stone like granite boulders, random sizes 6”-24”. Make sure to add 6 inches gravel between dirt and boulders and landscape fabric.