Luke's retaining wall and steps
Bringing two areas of the garden together with a bespoke WoodBlocX retaining wall design
Luke needed a solution to connect the space between his patio and lawn as part of his ongoing garden renovation. There was a quite significant 1.3m height difference between the top and bottom of the slope and it was also quite an awkward space as there was no space either side of the opening, he needed a solution that would fit the space as seamlessly as possible without leaving gaps either side or on the other hand would be too narrow.
Luke had aimed to include steps and some plants either side and create a couple of low level tiers either side using railway sleepers and building it himself, he also considered using a builder in to create some brick walls.
Luke's garden before ---->
Planning the garden
After researching railway sleepers and costs for builders Luke wasn't sold on either option and after looking for retaining wall inspiration online he found WoodBlocX and saw that a wall and step combination could easily be created, he sent some measurements, sketches of his ideas and photos of the space to our design team.
The design created by our design team included two large tiered planters either side of six central steps. The planters at the top utilising the existing retaining wall, reducing the amount of BlocX needed and the overall cost.
Building with WoodBlocX
Luke said: "To begin with I was a little daunted about building the structure, however, once I had read over the instructions, which provided me with a layer-by-layer guide, I was pleasantly surprised! I found that once the first and second layers were in place I could build upwards really quickly. The wooden blocks we easy to handle and the dowels were straightforward to knock in. The internal buttresses tied the structure together and made them really solid. I built the entire design in a little over a week, using my evenings after work and a weekend."
The finished design
This design is a fantastic showcase of how our designers can create a structure that fits a space perfectly and serves numerous purposes, in this case its retaining the space, creating access to the lower part of the garden and providing plenty of space to create an easy-to-maintain space. It has been planted with a range of ornamental plants which have been selected to provide consistent colour all year round.
Key features
A Happy customer
Luke: "The whole structure fits into the space perfectly. Once I got to adding the final layer of capping, I noticed that one the measurements I provided was a few mm out which meant that the capping provide didn't fit one one side of the raised planter, I spoke to Harry, the designer who created the design for me, and he suggested sending a length of the flush capping, which doesn't have the slight over-hang, and that has worked brilliantly.
"I am absolutely delighted with my wall and steps and would highly recommend using the Free Design Service."
Use WoodBlocX for retaining walls and steps
Our unique modular system is ideal for building retaining walls with and without steps in the garden, whether its a simple straight wall to retain a space or something tiered to make the most of a sloped area, it can all be done with WoodBlocX. Steps can be added to a wall design or as a standalone set, our design team can create the perfect solution for your space quickly and effectively.
