When we think of sloped driveways, we tend to think about driveways tucked into the side of a mountain that requires 4-wheel drive and a steady foot. Although there are no mountains in the greater Houston area, even the slightest incline of a few feet can cause water to runoff in harmful places or make spots in your yard less useful than others.
Even though we live in a largely flat area, small hills, valleys, and slopes on your property can still impact your landscape. What better way to fully reclaim your front yard and its possibilities than by adding a sloping driveway retaining wall?
Protect your home, increase usable outdoor space, and up the value of your home by calling Pavertime to install a sloping driveway retaining wall. Here are a few fun ideas to help you get started.
Sloping Driveway Retaining Wall Ideas
1. Multi-level driveway retaining walls
Retaining walls are not fortified fortresses to defend against invading hordes, and they shouldn’t look like one, either. Rather than build one tall retaining wall to go along with your driveway, you can soften the appearance of retaining walls by building multi-level retaining walls that help the eye step down from one level to the next.
Built along a driveway, using multiple levels of retaining walls adds dimension and an air of sophistication. Topped with vegetation or used to hide a staircase, multi-level can make a huge difference in your home’s curb appeal.
2. Landscaped retaining walls
If your driveway is built on a hill, the area next to the driveway is mainly useless for planting, thanks to the runoff from heavy rains. Sloping driveway retaining walls will help you reclaim space for plants by giving you a workable surface.
If you want a homegrown feel, you can transform the retaining walls into garden boxes full of tomato plants and cucumbers. Or you can plant miniature citrus trees along the top of the retaining wall to give your home a Mediterranean feel.
3. Embedded outdoor lighting
Landscape lighting adds perceived value to a home. Imagine driving to your home at night and seeing gentle light embedded in your retaining wall and along any stairs or landscaping plants. Quickly, you’ll be feeling like you’re in a 5-star luxury resort.
Not only will adding lighting details to your driveway retaining wall boost the value of your home, but it will also make it safer. Adding lighting to your driveway area can help deter thieves while making walking safer at night. It’s a two-for-one perk that you should pay attention to.
4. Create outdoor living areas
A sloped yard and driveway doesn’t mean you can’t create fun and functional outdoor spaces. Using a retaining wall, you can transform a slope into stair-stepped levels, perfect for tucking away different outdoor living areas. A small area under a tree might be the ideal place to add a bench and a small paver patio, or you can create a large space that can support a full outdoor kitchen and dining area.
One of the main perks of building a sloping driveway retaining wall is the ability to reclaim usable space around it. Why not use part of that area to make an outdoor living area for your friends and family to enjoy year-round?
Don’t Forget The Little Details
You don’t want to forget the details when building a sloping driveway retaining wall. Small details, such as using a contrasting color or texture paving brick along the top of the wall can make your retaining wall stand out. You could also consider adding in a small water feature that would run down the exposed slope or adding in french drains to aid in redirecting flood waters. Little details can make a ton of difference.
You Can Trust Pavertime
With our own design team and experts with decades of knowledge and experience, Pavertime is the hardscape construction contractor you can trust. Whether you’re looking to build a sloping driveway retaining wall, add in a paver patio, or want to discuss options for better flood water draining in Houston, we can help.
Don’t wait; call today to schedule a consultation. Call 832-831-6058 to schedule an in-person consultation at your home or business.
