A Retaining Wall May Be Needed to Construct Your Dream Paver Patio in the Kansas City, MO, Area

If your Kansas City, MO, home is built on or near a steep slope or hilly area, you may need to have a retaining wall built in order for a paver patio to be constructed. Retaining walls serve both aesthetic and functional purposes. Here are some of the ways that having a retaining wall added to your landscape may be beneficial.

Create Flat Areas of Land

In order to have a paver patio built, the ground needs to be relatively level. Retaining walls can be added to help create a flat surface for the paver patio to be constructed on. The retaining wall will help secure the soil in place to create a strong foundation to build upon—the paver patio.

Terrace Your Landscape

A large hill can be transformed into numerous tiers of retaining walls to create terraces. Each of these levels will be connected with built-in steps. What once was a difficult-to-navigate landscape can become easier to navigate and also become much more functional.

Define Your Outdoor Spaces

Retaining walls can be used to define the various outdoor living areas. These distinct spaces can make limited spaces feel larger and also help direct the eye, making your landscape more aesthetically pleasing.

For example, one level of your terraced landscape could be your poolscape area, where you have an infinity pool that flows over onto the lower level. The lower level could feature a small pond area with a paver patio and comfortable patio furniture for relaxing. And yet on the other side of another retaining wall you can have your outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining room area, with a pergola that provides additional style and, of course, shade.

Prevent Soil Erosion

In many cases, having a retaining wall added to your landscape is essential to prevent damage from occurring. When rainwater rushes down a steep slope, it can wash away the topsoil and the essential nutrients needed for plant growth with it. When this happens, nothing will be able to grow. This means grass won’t grow in these areas and planting beds will not thrive. In severe cases, it can even form gullies, damaging the landscape. A retaining wall can help slow down the flow of water and prevent soil erosion from occurring.

Your Drainage Solution

Living on or near a hill often means that you likely experience water drainage issues. This might look like water pooling up in your lawn, creating muddy or soggy areas and mud tracked into your house on a regular basis. It can also look like flooding issues throughout your landscape or even in your home and basement area.

Since water will naturally flow the path of least resistance, it tends to pool up in the same areas. Over time, this can cause damage to your landscape and structures. A retaining wall can help redirect the water into more appropriate locations to prevent flooding and damage from occurring. This may mean routing the water to the storm sewer or into a rain garden.