How a Curved Retaining Wall Added Level Backyard Space in Oakville
The backyard at this Oakville home had very little level ground before it dropped into a steep wooded slope. We built a curved segmental block retaining wall into the hillside, with concrete steps and black metal railing, in three working days. The homeowners got level space near the house and kept the woods below.
A Backyard That Ran Out of Flat Ground Near the House
The steep grade behind this Oakville home limited how much of the backyard the homeowners could use. Near the house, there was little level ground before the yard dropped into the wooded slope below. Getting down to the lower part of the property was awkward too.
In their words, “We wanted a backyard we could actually use.” They also wanted to keep the wooded feel of the lot.
The Slope Started Too Close to the Back Door
The hill itself wasn’t the problem. Where it started was. The ground began to fall away close to the house, so the flat part of the yard ended almost as soon as it began.
Flattening the whole backyard would have meant cutting into the wooded slope the homeowners wanted to keep. The better fix was a wall placed where extra level ground would help most, near the house, with the woods left alone below it. The homeowners still needed a way down the hill, so the wall had to leave room for steps.
A Curved Segmental Block Wall With Steps Built Into It
We built the wall along the backyard slope from segmental block, interlocking units stacked without mortar, with matching caps on top. It follows a curved layout that fits the shape of the property instead of running in a straight line across the hill. The wall holds back the grade behind it, with drainage behind the wall, as on every retaining wall we build. Here’s more about our retaining wall installation work.
With the wall in, the ground above it became a defined part of the yard instead of dropping straight into the hillside. That level area sits right outside the back of the house, where the homeowners needed it most.
The way down mattered as much as the flat ground. We built a central concrete staircase into the wall, connecting the upper backyard with the wooded slope below. Black metal railing runs along the raised edge, where the level yard ends and the drop begins.
The completed project included:
- Curved segmental block retaining wall along the backyard slope
- Matching wall caps along the top of the wall
- Drainage behind the wall
- Central concrete staircase built into the wall
- Black metal railing along the raised edge
- Level ground held behind the wall, right outside the house
- Installation in three working days
Level Space by the House, With the Woods Still Below
The backyard at this Oakville home no longer ends where the ground starts to drop. The wall holds a wider, level area near the house, and the steps give a direct way down to the wooded slope. The woods below were left as they were.
A curved block retaining wall let the yard grow without clearing the hill. In the homeowners’ words, “We now have a level space to enjoy while still keeping the wooded feel of the property.”
How to Tell If a Wall Could Give Your Backyard More Level Space
Stand at your back door and pace out to where the ground starts to drop. If the flat part ends a few steps from the house and the rest is hill, a wall near that break is often where the extra level space comes from.
Think about how you get down the slope today, too. If you’d want steps through the wall, plan them in from the start. That’s the time to call. We work in Oakville and nearby parts of St. Louis County.