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Terracing a backyard


Things to Know About Terracing a Yard | Home Guides

By Amy Rodriguez

If you have a hillside as part of your yard, this slope presents several challenges, from soil erosion to lack of gardening space. A practical way to convert the hillside into usable garden plots is through terracing. Resembling a wide staircase, terraces allow you to have several level gardening beds on the hill so you gain more overall yard square footage. Take all the factors into consideration when planning your terraced yard.

Small Terraces

  1. One of the easiest designs to implement on is a small terrace shape. Using wall materials less than 2 feet tall, you simply need to cut and fill the soil behind the short partition for each terrace level. Typically, you dig a trench wide enough to hold your base wall material, such as a landscape timber. One or two other timbers attach to the base wood to create a short, but strong, retaining wall. As you maneuver the soil behind the wall, it simply needs to be leveled using a shovel and a hand level.

Large Terraces

  1. Any terraces using walls that are more than 2 feet tall usually need a landscape engineer to determine wall strength and soil weight calculations. These terraces cannot have a basic wall and soil configuration. For example, landscape fabric holding gravel for water drainage is necessary at each terrace's base; the topsoil resides above this configuration. Along with adding a drainpipe to the fabric and gravel arrangement, the wall itself needs to be tilted inward by 1 inch at every 1 foot height to remain upright against the heavy soil and in case of an earthquake.

Benefits

  1. Terracing your yard has several benefits that save you money over time. A well-designed terrace has a slight slope to its surface so water flows to the sides and out to nearby drains. As a result, your home and foundation are not subject to constant water flow that may damage the structure's concrete or wood base. Additionally, the terraces control soil erosion because water does not run down the previously sloped hillside. You also gain gardening space for plants that may feed your family, from tomatoes to strawberries, which allows you to save money at the grocery store.

Safety Considerations

  1. Once you decide on a terracing strategy, it is imperative you verify where power, gas, sewage and telephone lines are. It's important you don't damage any of these while building your terraces. During the terracing construction, you also need to remove soil in small batches so you don't have landslides while you are on the hillside. Always check building codes to make sure you have the necessary permits before you start your project.

References

Writer Bio

Writing professionally since 2010, Amy Rodriguez cultivates successful cacti, succulents, bulbs, carnivorous plants and orchids at home. With an electronics degree and more than 10 years of experience, she applies her love of gadgets to the gardening world as she continues her education through college classes and gardening activities.

How to Terrace a Garden in Your Backyard

Every homeowner wants to enjoy their outdoor space, but not everyone has a flat piece of land to work with. Whether it’s an uneven yard or a home on a hillside, creating a terrace garden will add depth and function to your yard. But where do you start? In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to terrace a garden that you can enjoy for many years to come.

Determine the Purpose of Your Terrace Garden

Before you begin designing a terraced garden, it’s a good idea to decide on its purpose. Do you want to flatten an area to create more living space outdoors? Are you looking for a way to add landscaping, water features, or flowers to a steep slope? Would you like to grow a vegetable garden? Or do you need to create a retaining wall to prevent soil erosion?

Having a clear understanding of your purpose will help to determine the design and materials needed to execute your plan. Once you have this figured out, you’ll need to decide on a budget for your sloping garden.

The Cost to Build a Terrace Garden

The cost to create a terraced garden depends on several factors: materials for the retaining wall, it’s size, and of course, whether you build it yourself or hire a contractor.

According to Homeadvisor, the average cost to build a terrace garden can range from $2,901 to $7,832. Materials for terracing a garden can range from $3 to $40 per square foot. Here’s a list of the average price per square foot of some of the more common materials used:

If you decide to hire someone to do the work for you, then you’ll also need to factor in the labor costs. These can vary depending on the type of materials and size of the wall; however, you can expect to pay around $53 to $58 an hour for professional installation.

Additionally, you may incur costs for tools (like a compactor) and other miscellaneous supplies needed to secure and strengthen the wall. These can include things likes the stakes used to secure your building materials or fabric to hold the soil in place and distribute the weight evenly.

Terrace Garden Design

Now that your budget and purpose are set, it’s time for the fun part – designing your terrace garden. You’ll want to choose a design that is best suited for the slope of your backyard and the function of the terraced garden.

Material options for your sloped garden space include treated wood and landscaping timbers, concrete blocks, bricks, and different sized stones. Wood tends to blend with your natural outdoor surroundings, whereas masonry and stones create more of a focal point.  Pinterest is a great place to look for ideas and inspiration for your space.

Building a Terrace Garden

How to build a terrace garden depends on the slope of your land. If it is a very steep hillside, you may need to call in an expert for help. But in most cases, constructing a garden terrace can be a DIY project if you don’t mind a little hard work.

According to Nathan Sharrah of Mutual Materials, there are plenty of resources online on how to create your own hillside terrace garden. Mutual Materials offers numerous videos and installation guides for their stone and masonry products. So do other companies that offer terracing materials. You can also check out YouTube for step-by-step instructional videos and know how to help you along with this project.

“If you are thinking about building a terraced garden yourself, the main thing to consider is are you confident enough in your abilities to do the project,” said Nathan. “You can find all kinds of instructions on how to create one yourself, but if you feel unsure that you can do it, then it’s best to hire a professional. ”

If you are confident that you can tackle this project, then first you’ll need to figure out the rise (vertical distance) and the run (horizontal distance) of your slope. These measurements and the number of garden beds to want to create will help you to determine the height and width of each bed. Warning: Figuring out the slope may involve math.

The next step is to dig your trenches. How deep you dig depends on the number of tiers you want to create. The more levels you build, the deeper you must dig the first tier. With each tier, you’ll need to be sure that the front and two sides of each terrace level are even.

Once the ground is dug and leveled out, you’ll add your building materials. This could be landscape timbers, pavers, stones, bricks, etc. Be sure to anchor them down and level out the soil behind them, then repeat for additional tier levels.

You can incorporate many types of material into your terrace. Credit: Field Outdoor Spaces, CC 2.0

Finishing off Your Terraced Garden

With the foundation of your terrace garden built, you can now add shrubs, ground cover, flowers, and other types of greenery to your hillside garden. Here the options or virtually endless. You can mix textures, heights, elements, and colors to create your own unique outdoor space.

When choosing your plants and materials, remember that this area, like other garden areas, will require maintenance to retain its beauty. So be sure to choose landscaping that will thrive in this hillside environment. You can always seek the guidance of a landscaping professional for gardening tips and advice on the best plants for your space.

If you have a hillside or steep slope that you’d like to transform into an enjoyable outdoor space, terrace gardening is a great option. It does involve some work and research upfront, but the end result is a stunning space that you can enjoy for years to come!

Jennifer Lester

Jennifer Lester is a freelance writer and social media strategist who covers a variety of home and garden topics. She’s a graduate of Texas A&M University and the proud mom of three boys. In her spare time, she volunteers in her community and her children’s schools.

Posts by Jennifer Lester

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Beautiful terraces in the backyard to the house - 135 best photos, terrace design in a private house and in the country house countertops, and a custom decorative metal railing that connects to the lower deck's artificial turf area.

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The master bedroom looks out over the outdoor living room. The deck was designed to be approximately 2 feet lower than the floor level of the main house so you are able to look over the outdoor furniture without it blocking your view.

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We were contacted by a home owner in Playa Vista who had just purchased a home with a relatively small yard. They wanted to explore our services of how we could maximize space and turn their back yard into an area that was warm, welcoming, and had multiple uses / purposes. We integrated a modern cedar deck with a built in hot tub, created a nice perimeter planter with hedges that will continue to grow to add privacy, installed awesome concrete pavers and of course... you cant forget the ambient outdoor string lights. This project turned out stunning and we would love to assist you on any project you might be looking to embark on in the near future.

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Backyard Terrace Can Enhance the Look of Your Home

February 18th, 2022 Renovation

A backyard deck can really change the whole look of your home. Backyard terraces can be your extra living space to host small parties and social events for family and friends. If you are also planning to place a terrace in your backyard or lawn, then there are a few important things that you should definitely consider. On http://myagkie-okna161.ru you can purchase soft windows to protect your terrace from rain, wind or snow.

In the spring, a backyard porch or patio can really help you enjoy the colorful outdoors. In this article, I would like to share with you some tips that can really make your patio look as elegant as the interior of your home.

1. Consult your local building department .

Sometimes it's important to check with your local building department before you start building your home. Know the laws about their easements or restrictions. After completing all the initial formalities, ask the local utilities to mark all necessary underground utilities. If you wish, you can even hire deck contractors for the task.

2. Think unique design

Instead of making a simple backyard terrace, you can create your own unique design to make your terrace more impressive and inviting. Create a wonderful outdoor atmosphere where all your family members can enjoy in their spare time. Try including a granite bar, an outdoor stereo, and an outdoor kitchen with grill and fridge. You can even add sofas and comfortable armchairs to this living room.

3. Terrace material

Composite decking materials are now gradually replacing natural wood because they are environmentally friendly and do not need to be treated with wood preservatives. But if you want a traditional look, you can choose cedar, mahogany and pine as flooring materials.

4. Use Online Resources or Deck Builders

To give your deck a sophisticated and impressive look, you should look to online resources, websites and deck builders for ideas and advice. Look for a design that will fit your budget and needs.

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