Garden Walls: 4 Things You Should Know Before You Build

Whether you opt for stone or concrete, most walls products are mortarless these days, which
makes garden walls a project that the DIY landscape gardener can undertake (with caution.)
You can also opt for a combination of concrete and stone, such as where you use natural stone
for steps or for the caps / coping; you or your hardscaper can create an elegant design that will
last for years.
Concrete forming technology has resulted in concrete wall products that have the look and feel
of natural stone, available in a range of textures and colours.
Concrete is lighter than natural stone, making it possible to build a wall without the extensive use
of machinery, though it does require a level base, which might take some effort to dig down to
create, to prevent the wall from shifting down the road.
Concrete wall systems are designed for easy tongue-and-groove interlocking installation and the
new designs allow you to create curves that are still smooth and consistent.
One of the biggest pluses to concrete, particularly if this your first attempt at building a wall, is
that is relatively inexpensive, compared to natural stone.
Those points made, natural stone has a beauty to it that is unmatched in other products.
The stones are different shapes and sizes, so they take more creativity to fit together tightly to
build the optimal wall, but the result is gorgeous. Natural stone is stronger—and consequently
heavier to work with—and requires less effort during the leveling process, as most natural stones
aren’t perfectly level to begin with.
You may need some machinery to bring in natural stone and it is much harder to create a curved,
consistent look. But when a natural stone wall is put together, with flair and design, it’s a sight to
behold!
Should You DIY Your Wall?
The short answer is: Probably not.
Building a retaining wall to deal with unequal ground levels without the help of a professional
CAN be risky. You want to be sure that you aren’t interfering with run-off patterns. Drainage
that isn’t planned properly could end up seeping into your—or your neighbour’s—basement,
among other risks.
Like what? Foundation erosion, drowning plants and trees, wood rot on decks and other garden
features, pests and so on!
Building a garden wall, which is far more about creating a design that you want for your yard, is
much simpler and can be done with a little design help from your local garden centre. With it,