Wall Water Features

Is it feasible to decorate an existing retaining wall?

The house that my wife and I are buying has an unsightly 2-foot high cement retaining wall in the back yard. Is it feasible to decorate it by applying a facade? Also, I would like to build a water feature over it (small waterfall). How advisable would this be?

Public Comments

1. There is no limit on what you can do except your budget to change the look of the wall and your water feature idea is possible if done properly.
2. everything is possible... it depend how much you are willing to pay for it. I would check with landscape company of your area and ask for estimates. This is a great idea to beautify this area and adding a water feature would be perfect.
3. You can go to the slab yard or rock yard (like KRC rock) and choose from a number of cultured and real stone to reface the retaining wall. You can also build a recirculating waterfall over it but you need to know how the wall was constructed beforehand so that you know whether it can take the hydrostatic pressue behind it and in the collection pond in front of it. There are some companies out there that can construct it for you, but I would pick their brains first by getting estimates to see whether you can make it a DIY project. (Pool companies, spa companies, waterfall specialty companies and landscapers all can construct waterfalls.)