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A great patio is a wonderful place to entertain and relax. But if your current patio doesn’t function the way you had hoped, you may be missing a key element—a retaining wall. Done right, a retaining wall edging for patio space is both functional and beautiful. And while it’s not necessarily something that comes to mind for the average homeowner, landscape construction companies like Harris Landscape Construction here in Reno find these features downright essential in many applications. Here’s how to know if your patio needs a retaining wall.

Function First

Ideally, a patio defines and elevates your entire outdoor space, but there are a lot of subpar patios out there. Done right, a patio serves as a key transition area that connects your home to the walkways in your outdoor space. That requires thoughtful placement and scale. But where does a retaining wall come in?

If you have a raised patio, a retaining wall is pretty indispensable because it will keep the sides of your patio from collapsing. While all patios have a slight slope for drainage, slopes that exceed a certain limit will need a retaining wall. Clearly, there’s a functional element at play when it comes to retaining walls and patios.

Wall height for retaining walls around patios can vary significantly. Shorter walls function well as extra seating space (especially around a fire feature), create planter space or serve as structural separations between specific parts of your outdoor space. Depending on what you want to achieve, retaining wall placement becomes key.

When the goal is privacy, the retaining wall should function as a physical blockade. Additions like fountains and water spouts for visual interest and the benefit of sound therapy are wonderful integrated features. A retaining wall that runs the patio perimeter, on the other hand, creates a sense of intimacy and definition.

The Trick to Combining Retaining Walls And Patio Spaces

Regardless of the size of your retaining wall, there’s a guiding principle to combing retaining walls and patio spaces. Match the wall stones to the paving stones by using complementary colors to create a harmonious effect. Doing so combines the separate elements into one, which adds cohesion. We also recommend adding outdoor lighting to illuminate your patio space and retaining wall, which makes this an area you can enjoy after when the sun goes down.

Getting Started

In Reno and Sparks, the experts at Harris Landscape Construction can answer questions about pavers, patios, retaining walls and anything else relating to landscaping. If a new patio and retaining wall are an upgrade you’re considering, contact our team today.