Terracing, Steps & Decking

Midlothian garden steps built by Water Gems, designed by Carolyn Grohmann

Contact

Heath Urquhart
0131 317 8585

Solutions for tricky slopes

Terracing, steps and decking are features often used in gardens built on sloping ground. Scotland is a noticeably hilly country and as a result, many of the gardens we build are on slopes. If budgets are tight, we work hard at the design stage to reduce the amount of retaining wall required in a project as these can be expensive. However, where they are necessary they can create a beautiful feature. We build them, ensuring they are safe, have the correct foundations and will last.

Natural Stone walls

Many of the Edinburgh gardens we work in give us the opportunity to build random rubble walls. We build these using lime mortar and match the colour to the stone. Dry stone and dry stone-effect walls are also popular options.

Brick and Rendered walls

We also work with brick, more contemporary rendered walls and have developed a system to retain banks and beds using reinforcing bars used in the construction industry. Rebar is a low impact solution where terracing or retaining walls are required but where there are mature trees whose roots must be protected.

Decks and boardwalks

Decks remain as popular as ever and are an excellent design solution particularly in sloping gardens. We build decks using knot-free cedar, locally sourced larch, and composite decking boards. Every garden has its own set of requirements and we are happy to advise on the best material to suit your project. We also build woodland boardwalks and jetties over ponds.

For more details contact us.

Gardens

Water Gems build beautiful, sustainable gardens and provide a comprehensive service in all aspects of landscaping. We work with a number of highly creative garden designers and architects as well as offering our own in-house design and build service. We work on projects of all sizes and with all scales of budgets.