Better Looking Than Concrete Blocks: The Durable Material For Your Retaining Wall

Concrete blocks are a very affordable way to build a retaining wall to protect your landscape. Even in poor conditions, a cinder block (more properly called a concrete masonry unit—CMU) can last 50 years. Unfortunately, unless you're going for the industrial or brutalist vibe, they are a bit bland. There is a much more attractive alternative that has been around literally millions of years, and it is quarried right here in the U.S. The material in question is American granite.

Granite is a versatile material. It can be used for countertops that can help turn your kitchen into a work of art, and famously, it is the material that the presidents' faces are carved from on Mount Rushmore. You can buy it in random shapes or different-sized blocks, allowing you to get creative with the design of your retaining wall. Colors range from yellow to rust and from gray to blue. American granite has high density, so it is particularly durable, and responsible mining practices make it an eco-friendly choice too.

It's not just the variety of shapes that allows you to build different styles of retaining walls. American granite is suitable for use with mortar to bond the blocks together or as a dry-laid wall. The latter creates a classic rural look that could be much admired, but it requires a high level of skill to safely construct a strong retaining wall using this method. If that's what you would like, it may be a job best left to a professional.

It should come as no surprise that building a retaining wall from American granite is more expensive than using concrete blocks and can even be around twice the cost. However, there is a budget-friendly option you might like to consider, which is to build your retaining wall with cinder blocks, then cover the surface with American granite veneers, fixing them in place with mortar. This is still real stone, but cut down into slices around an inch thick so it (and your money) goes much further. American granite veneers are available in the same range of different shapes and sizes as blocks, allowing you to build what appears to be a natural stone wall that looks amazing in your yard while being kinder to your pocket.