The 4 Best Materials to Build Your Retaining Wall

Retaining walls are vast in both form and function, serving to hold up tons of soil and dirt while having a customizable design that can fit the exact style of your yard. Retaining walls can be constructed with concrete, cinder block, wood, or interlocking pavers which allows for endless options when it comes to design, so how do you know which is right for you? Let’s go over all the options, with examples, so you can be fully informed!

Poured Concrete

Poured concrete will provide the most durability when it comes to retaining wall materials. However, believing that concrete retaining walls can not be customized is a misconception! These retaining walls can be both stuccoed or veneered to deliver that look you’re dreaming of. 

Wood

An option that provides a nice rustic look, or a clean modern look that matches the home is a retaining wall. These are simple and straightforward, and offer the opportunity to pick the style of wood you like and the color that best suits your yard! These retaining walls will last you anywhere from 20 to 40 years, depending on the wood you use.

Retaining Wall, bulit with pressure treated Structural Pine, terraced garden beds.

Interlocking Pavers

An option that offers a wide variety of customization in both color and pattern is interlocking pavers. These will give your yard and textured look, complimenting both landscaped and hardscaped yards.

Photo of a light gray retaining wall made of stacked pavers

Cinder Blocks

This is the most affordable option for retaining walls but is just as sturdy as every other option here. They also don’t fall behind when it comes to customization, as these retaining walls can be both stuccoed and veneered to create a gorgeous design that will catch the eye of any visitor.

Fake slate retaining wall in front of a brick house

Retaining wall finishes

I have mentioned stucco and veneer a couple of times as a finish for either concrete or cinder block retaining walls, but what exactly do these terms include? You might be familiar with stucco, but did you know that the Technical Services Information Bureau lists 30 different finishes as stucco? Stucco is a mixture of Portland cement, sand, and either lime or gypsum and works to both protect while also beautify a surface. Put simply, there are a huge variety of choices when it comes to using stucco as a design element. Veneer, on the other hand, is a material that is plastered onto a retaining wall to give it the appearance of various materials and designs. When it comes to veneer, there are more options available than stucco!

wall facing with decorative stone tiles

To find examples of retaining walls and their various finishes in backyard projects, click here: https://empirepavers.com/gallery/