Why Natural Stone Retaining Wall Appearances Matter

The New Face of Retaining Walls

Did you know a properly installed retaining wall should last decades? With that in mind, it’s easy to see why finding great-looking and sturdy walls that stand the test of time are in such high demand these days. Aesthetics are becoming a powerful motivator when choosing retaining wall systems. This is a common observation industry experts have made worldwide. It also explains why experts praise MagnumStone as the most natural-looking retaining wall blocks on the market.

Of course, we can’t overstate the importance of a retaining wall’s strength and durability enough. Those should unquestionably be the deciding factors when selecting, designing, and installing any retaining wall project, big or small. However, it is noteworthy that appearance is becoming such a prominent feature. The main reasons custom wall aesthetics are progressively becoming an influential component include:

  1. Gaining a Natural, Timeless Retaining Wall Appearance
  2. Combining High Performance and Sturdy Walls with Stunning Looks
  3. Blending Natural Looking Stone Walls into Any Landscape
  4. Making Your Retaining Wall Look Better
  5. Enhancing Property Value with Beautiful Retaining Walls

MagnumStone retaining walls perfectly exemplify this global shift toward striking aesthetics. Their facing’s ruggedly natural looks generously complement its advanced design and functionality. So, let’s do a deeper dive and analyze the major impacts of attractive wall aesthetics!

Gain a Natural, Timeless Retaining Wall Appearance

For decades, concrete wall block facing aesthetics all had similar designs on every block. Most are imprinted with an inauthentic stamped design. The stamped concrete facings are a classic. They are installed all throughout neighborhoods and infrastructure projects. Let’s be honest, it was a hot trend! Nowadays, the embossed concrete facing’s popularity has faded. And a traditional natural stone aesthetic reigns supreme.

The flexibility of retaining wall features also plays a vital role in terms of appearance. Products like MagnumStone excel at engineering versatile landscape wall blocks with beautiful facings. Their designs include flowing curves, tight corners, and tall freestanding walls. Their timeless, defined aesthetic can enrich the look of any retaining wall or landscaping project.

MagnumStone’s collection of facings was inspired and shaped by the alpine landscape of the Canadian Rockies. This aims to achieve impressive, deeply cut textures. The block face designs protrude 3” to 3.5” (7.62 cm to 8.89 cm) to blend and form spectacularly indistinct patterns. This gives MagnumStone retaining walls an element of randomness. It maintains plenty of character and an everlasting beauty.

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Combine High Performance & Stunning Block Facings

When it comes to retaining walls, landowners haven’t always had the luxury of great-looking facing selections. For decades, the functionality and performance of retaining walls were – rightfully – the main focus of each system. Adding a beautiful facing was largely deemed a “nice-to-have.” But due to the sharp rise in global development, appearance has now become a key consideration. And that is proactively integrated into construction plans.

The manufacturing process of precast concrete offers exceptional weather resistance. It also considers low absorption for long-term, sustainable building and wall materials. Any debate of choosing between a long-lasting retaining wall or a beautiful retaining wall has become a moot point, as they’re now one and the same.

The eminent looks of MagnumStone’s concrete blocks’ facing separate it from other retaining wall systems. MagnumStone offers powerful versatility and long-standing resiliency. It’s all thanks to its hollow core block design for superior and proper drainage solutions. The combination of strength and stunning aesthetics has been a hit worldwide. And it continues to gain popularity among engineers, contractors, project builders, and landowners worldwide. Here are some before and after photos of MagnumStone retaining wall transformations:

Natural Stone Retaining Wall Aesthetics for Any Landscape

Speaking of engineers, contractors, and landowners, a common concern of theirs is that the retaining wall may not look natural. Specifically, they want to ensure it will blend into their surrounding landscape’s scenery. Time has proven that achieving a natural wall stone or rocky aesthetic never goes out of style. Perhaps, the ambiance of natural-looking outdoor landscaping walls provides a comforting and peaceful atmosphere. This is in stark contrast to gabion baskets or the steel buildings sprawling throughout modern city centers.

Furthermore, the recent trend of planter walls has helped revitalize urban environments. This is largely thanks to innovative retaining wall blocks designed with hollow cores. Such blocks allow developers and city planners to add eco-friendly elements to any landscape.

That was the inspiration behind MagnumStone’s wall design. Its large hollow core concrete blocks have a handsomely rugged, craggy texture on the front facing. Whatever your design ideas are, MagnumStone’s blocks will enhance your outdoor living space.

Make Your Retaining Wall Look Better

Looking for tips and tricks that can help enhance the aesthetics of your retaining walls? First, always be on the lookout for potential wall failures before focusing on its appearance. Watch for signs of deterioration. These include a rotting wooden retaining wall or an overturning SRW (segmented retaining wall). For safety’s sake, it may be beneficial to prioritize repairs or a replacement.

MagnumStone’s large retaining wall blocks make it easy to improve the look and functionality of any property. Planting flowers, shrubs, or trees into MagnumStone’s hollow core blocks gives landowners more outdoor space. This also makes a retaining wall less prominent. From an eco-friendly perspective, it reduces the heat island effect. This happens when there are minimal concrete and asphalt surfaces.

Staining the blocks is another alternative that can be performed by professionals or DIYers to give the wall a fresh look. Fence posts can also be installed directly into the top units of MagnumStone retaining walls. Installing fence posts directly into the blocks—instead of behind—serves a dual purpose. It maximizes outdoor space and increases privacy!

Enhance Property Value with Beautiful Retaining Walls

It’s no secret that landowners are always searching for ways to improve their property value. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by upgrading outdoor areas. It’s amazing how different a property looks after having its old, crumbling retaining walls replaced. Besides, if they were installed in the first place, there was a reason – failing retaining walls can be a major safety hazard.

Before building or replacing a retaining wall, we recommend consulting with a professional. Ask them about the different types of retaining wall designs and their unique benefits. New residential developments, for instance, can take advantage of installing gravity-held walls closer to property lines with MagnumStone’s gravity extender units. These extensions attach to the lower retaining wall courses and effectively replace the need for geogrid. That reduces excavation area and, in turn, disturbs less of the property’s natural landscape. Without geogrid behind the wall, pipes and services can be installed closer to the retaining wall to optimize outdoor space. This is a huge advantage for community development.

Another common residential and commercial retaining wall application is increasing usable land through cut-and-fill techniques. One way to achieve this is via cut-and-fill techniques. Retaining walls can help extend the property above a slope, or on the contrary, remove impractical slopes that intrude on the property. MagnumStone’s large concrete blocks are excellent solutions for these ideal space-saving approaches.

For further details, ask your local MagnumStone dealer how retaining wall stone blocks can help make the most of your land! Talk to your nearest MagnumStone supplier today to learn more about our natural-looking durable wall blocks!

Photos: Masters Concrete Products, Cirtex, BM Valla, SLN Contracting, York Building Products, STI Precast, Oberfields & Mutual Materials.

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