You might not care for the look of concrete blocks for your retaining wall. But you can use another material that's durable and more visually appealing.

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 — ...

What goes behind a retaining wall matters just as much as the blocks you can see, and choosing the wrong material could undermine drainage and stability.

Concrete is almost a miracle substance; it's tough enough to use in construction, even for mighty dams. But the "almost" part of that sentence is a significant con to using the cement-based material.

Q: I want to build a retaining wall that’s going to look great for years. At my last house, a short retaining wall I had around a patio started to lean out toward the lawn. The wall was but 10 inches ...

Dear James: I’m planning a veggie garden on my sloping lot so I need a retaining wall. I have used timbers before, but blocks might hold up better. Which method do you prefer? -- Steve W. Dear Steve: ...

Question: Everyone in my subdivision uses man-made blocks for the retaining walls they installed on the sloping parts of their yards. I do not like the look of these concrete blocks and want to use ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. There are a lot of ways your DIY projects can save you money, but that's only if you avoid major pitfalls. Choosing the wrong ...