I want to build a three-foot-high retaining wall behind my house out of pressure-treated wood. Thoughts?—Shawn B., Sioux City, Iowa Go ahead, but do your homework. First, call 811 before you dig. The ...

Humans have been building retaining walls for thousands of years to create flat, or gently sloping, terraces on hillsides. A lot of my readers have them on their own property — or need to build one — ...

Reducing soil erosion, turning steep slopes into terraced backdrops, creating focal points in the landscape—retaining walls serve many purposes. Indeed, they are some of the most common ways to ...