Garden Walls: A Primer

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Garden Walls A Primer
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A well-designed landscape can be inspiring,
consider creating visual interest by adding
garden walls. Changing the heights in your garden
is one sure way to improve curb appeal on a once
boring, flat yard. A low retaining wall or garden
wall might be just what your landscape
needs.Concrete vs Stone walls?The difference
between the look and feel concrete versus
stone walls has become more indistinguishable as
technology continues to evolve in concrete
forming. Here is a list of pros and cons for both
concrete and natural stone walls.
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Concrete WallsModern concrete walls are not the
ones you think of in cold, commercial plazas.
They have much improved over the years and come
in a variety of shapes, textures and colours
allowing it to blend in well with the yard,
garden and the exterior of the house.ProsLightwe
ight Machinery is usually not necessary when
installing concrete garden walls, most attempting
this DIY project are able to lift one or two
blocks at the same time. Concrete products are
usually compact and easy to work with.
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Quick and easy install The integral lip or
tongue-and-groove system interlocks the blocks
and makes the installation fast and easy. You
simply drop the blocks in place. Just be sure to
stagger the vertical joints between rows.
Versatile design The shapes that this material
comes in allows for curves in the design and much
more versatile than stone. Inexpensive The cost
to make a garden wall out of concrete is less
expensive than using natural stone and is widely
available at home centers.
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ConsRequires a strong and level base Leveling
a concrete garden wall requires more tedious
leveling, it is imperative that your base (4 to
6) is perfectly level before installing. We do
not want the wall to shift. Unfortunately, this
means more digging and base material
required.Cutting with a saw Cutting is
required when installing a concrete garden wall.
A special saw is required to cut these materials
during installation.
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Stone WallsNatural stone (Armour Stone/rock) of
different shapes and sizes fit tightly together
when stacked to form a wall. Stones create the
nicest-looking walls but are more costly and it
will take much more skill and creativity to build
as they are also much heavier.ProsLess time is
spent on the base when installing Armour Rock
because most rocks are not perfectly level to
begin with, most applications do not need tedious
leveling.
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Strength Strength is one of the biggest reasons
why a natural stone wall built out of Armour Rock
is a terrific option for a garden wall, the sheer
weight of an individual rock will make it next to
impossible to shift or move. Best-looking
Natural Stone is currently the trendiest option
for landscaping it offers great curb appeal to
all homes. With increased competition within the
industry natural stone is more affordable than
ever before.
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ConsToo heavy Weight is a problem when using
Armour Rock, most of the time a machine (skid
steer) is used when installing Armour Rock.It is
much more difficult to install Armour Rock on a
tight radius, most of the time you are limited to
straight/linear designs.Harder to work with
Stacking Armour Rock is difficult because of the
various heights, skill and experience is
important when selecting specific Armour Rock.
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The finished product looks complicated but is a
fairly simple project. Be sure to do your
research. Regardless of the material you choose
to build your new garden wall, with a little
planning and effort, you will soon have a new
focal point in your yard and a new home for your
flowers and plants.http//www.toemar.ca/