If you're currently trying to discern whether or not you could benefit from building a retaining wall, try answering the following questions:
1. Do you own a home or property situated on or near sloped, uneven ground?
2. Do you live in a particularly wet climate where flooding and soil erosion are prevalent?
3. Are you looking to add a touch of uniqueness and beauty to your yard and/or property?
If you've answered "yes" to any one of the questions above, it's time to consider installing one.
The Benefits of a Retaining Wall
Retaining walls have a number of uses as well as offer many practical advantages to the homeowner. Generally, the main purpose is to prevent the erosion of sloped earth that may threaten to shift and slide; thereby, potentially damaging or destroying your home or property. They are also particularly effective tools in climates with heavy precipitation, e.g., the Pacific Northwest. Not only will an effective one properly support sloping earth, but it will also act as an effective means of draining water runoff and reducing hydrostatic pressure. Furthermore, they provide a number of agricultural benefits. For warmer, dryer climates, a wall can delay seepage of water from land, and for wetter climates, properly drained walls can divert water from areas prone to flooding.
In addition to practical purposes, these structures maintain a certain aesthetic value as well. As such, adding one may increase the resale value of your home, while also enhancing your own enjoyment of your property. For example, a wall can be constructed in a series of steps or levels, granting you unrestricted creativity to include all kinds of plantings, flowers, or other elements that will add texture, color, and new life to each successive level. Not to mention, stepped retaining walls have proven to be a more effective form of erosion control.
Retaining Wall Options
Since these structures provide support for vertical grade changes, an effective one must be constructed in such a way as to accommodate and redistribute the lateral pressure caused by sloping. As a result, they vary in size and type, and often include materials like stone, brick, concrete, vinyl, steel, and pressure treated timber.
BUILDING A FENCE: 5 STEPS TO GETTING STARTED
When it comes to fences, it is all about form and function. Building a fence needs a lot more forethought than one may think. Consider the following steps to building a fence when getting started:
1.Know your property. Before marking your perimeter, make sure to know where it really is. Have a clear map of the property lines run before building anything. Check with the city to see if building permits are required or if power lines will be underfoot.
2.Choose the fence style. There are several different fence styles to choose from when thinking about what is best for your home. Do you want a simple barrier, something to accentuate the home, more privacy, noise control, etc.? The following are a few of the more popular styles to consider:
•Picket fence: a classic fence style that is usually shorter and uses narrow wood or vinyl boards.
•Cedar Solid Style or Vinyl Privacy fence: uses a board-on-board or board-and-post style that limits the amount of space between boards to protect a space from visibility.
•Semi-privacy Vinyl fence: additional space placed between boards allows more visibility.
•Cedar and Vinyl Lattice fences: an ornamental look with a crisscrossing pattern that often appears on the top of a good neighbor or privacy fence.
•Split Rail fencing: a reliable, classic style that gives a property a Western look. This is a great style of fence to install for the do-it-yourself person because of the affordability and ease of construction.
•Decorator fence: used to accent a home or area of a garden, this fence style alternates wide dog-eared boards and narrow flat boards.
•Good Neighbor fence: Popular with neighbors, this style fence appears the same from both sides, providing security while offering a feeling of spaciousness. Quality cedar boards alternate on either side of this fence. It is attractive on both sides and allows the wind to pass through, holding up very well in our northwest winters.
•Picture Frame fence: A decorative and popular fence, aesthetically pleasing to the eye, which both neighbors can enjoy. Picture Frame cedar boards are mounted side.
For the full article see Custom Fencing and Decking
1.Know your property. Before marking your perimeter, make sure to know where it really is. Have a clear map of the property lines run before building anything. Check with the city to see if building permits are required or if power lines will be underfoot.
2.Choose the fence style. There are several different fence styles to choose from when thinking about what is best for your home. Do you want a simple barrier, something to accentuate the home, more privacy, noise control, etc.? The following are a few of the more popular styles to consider:
•Picket fence: a classic fence style that is usually shorter and uses narrow wood or vinyl boards.
•Cedar Solid Style or Vinyl Privacy fence: uses a board-on-board or board-and-post style that limits the amount of space between boards to protect a space from visibility.
•Semi-privacy Vinyl fence: additional space placed between boards allows more visibility.
•Cedar and Vinyl Lattice fences: an ornamental look with a crisscrossing pattern that often appears on the top of a good neighbor or privacy fence.
•Split Rail fencing: a reliable, classic style that gives a property a Western look. This is a great style of fence to install for the do-it-yourself person because of the affordability and ease of construction.
•Decorator fence: used to accent a home or area of a garden, this fence style alternates wide dog-eared boards and narrow flat boards.
•Good Neighbor fence: Popular with neighbors, this style fence appears the same from both sides, providing security while offering a feeling of spaciousness. Quality cedar boards alternate on either side of this fence. It is attractive on both sides and allows the wind to pass through, holding up very well in our northwest winters.
•Picture Frame fence: A decorative and popular fence, aesthetically pleasing to the eye, which both neighbors can enjoy. Picture Frame cedar boards are mounted side.
For the full article see Custom Fencing and Decking
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