Add Seating to Your Landscape With a Patio Wall

A patio wall is a great way to add seating to your landscape. They’re also good for erosion control and look great under trees, alongside swimming pools, or anywhere you need extra seating.

Before starting the construction of a patio wall, make sure that you lay and compact the base material. This will help ensure that the wall is level and stable.

Materials

A seat wall can be a great way to add value to a retaining wall that needs to rise above the patio grade, or even to a retaining wall that isn’t functionally required to control erosion. These walls can also be built purely for aesthetic reasons, and can serve as a good place to sit when enjoying your garden or landscape.

There are a few different materials that can be used in the construction of your seat wall. Typically, these include wood (such as pressure-treated pine or cedar), brick or concrete. Concrete can be more expensive, but is durable and able to resist moisture better than wood.

When using blocks, it is important to use a strong, stable material like granite or limestone in the base of the wall. This can reduce the movement of the blocks and help to avoid them shifting over time. In addition, it is recommended that a quality soil be placed in the trench behind the block for reinforcement and compaction.

Design

A patio wall is a great way to add a focal point without taking up space with chairs. It also provides privacy between the patio and the rest of the yard. Patio walls can be decorated with many different things, including climbing plants, tiles, wooden slats, a water feature, or even a fireplace.

If you want your seating wall to be a focal point, consider choosing a bold color. Alternatively, you can keep it simple by painting a mural on the wall. If you’re using a concrete patio wall, try applying a parge coat (plaster) before you paint it.

Some seat walls include built-in storage, which is a convenient way to hide away firewood or other patio supplies. Others may include a bench and a table, which makes them more sociable for dining and relaxing. These walls can also be designed to create a curved shape, which is more comfortable for sitting than straight rows.

Installation

A well-designed and constructed patio wall can be a beautiful addition to any landscape. It can also be very functional and add value to a property.

When building a seat wall, you need to keep in mind the drainage needs of your site. If drainage is not addressed, water can build up behind the seat wall, and it could eventually cause the wall to lean or even fall.

Seat walls are typically built to be 18- to 24-inches tall and are placed next to patios or fire pits. They can also do double duty as retaining walls when they are raised to stabilize slopes or meet the entry threshold of a home.

Begin by digging a base trench at the lowest elevation where your patio will be located. Be sure to compact the base trench as you go, using a hand tamper or walk-behind plate compactor. This is important, because this base will become the foundation of your patio and seat wall.

Maintenance

If your garden wall is showing signs of movement damage, it will require a professional to assess the issue and determine the correct course of action. If the cracks are categorized as level 5, major outside wall repair work may be needed, which could involve rebuilding parts or all of the wall.

Organic growth such as mildew, algae, and mold is easily removed with a 1:1 mix of vinegar and hot water. Wet down the area, scrub with a brush, and rinse.

Adding an irrigation system to your green wall is recommended to help maintain healthy plants and proper soil moisture levels. We can help you select the best option to keep your living walls hydrated and healthy. We encourage you to keep a log of your maintenance activities to better understand how fertilization, watering frequency, and pruning affect the performance of your plants.

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