Client Overview
After 30-years in his Edina home, Jim R. was having issues with a retaining wall that had shifted over the years and was sinking lower into the ground. In addition, the steps within it were narrow, making it difficult to plant feet properly on them. A retaining wall is necessary on the property, because of the tuck-under garage, but Jim wanted a safer and more sightly entrance to his yard. So, he decided to call Minnehaha Falls Landscaping (MFL) to build a new retaining wall and stairs.
Challenge
In order to improve the layout and safety of the retaining wall and stairs, it was necessary to dig further back into the yard. The MFL crew dug through a couple feet of soil, encountering softball to boulder size rocks along the way. The existing sidewalk also presented challenges when it had to be cut back to accommodate the new retaining wall footprint. Jim says, “We also had freakish warm weather. Then the crew got rained on and snowed on, but it didn’t dim their enthusiasm. They just kept at it.”
Solution
A retaining wall and stairs were built with Versa-Lok stone, the product MFL Owner, Russ Henry recommended for best results. “Russ directed me to a couple places to shop for the stone, and I made a couple trips to make a selection from 12 concrete colors,” Jim explained. The winner is Lakeshore Blend, with splashes of grey and tan. Jim says he grew to trust and follow MFL’s recommendations. “I was nervous at first because schematics weren’t included in the project, but as it turns out, their verbal version was spot on, and it saved me the cost of the drawings.”
Results
“I feel like a prom king every time I walk down the stairs,” says Jim with a chuckle. “They’re nice and wide, and I can fit my full foot on them. The steps take me down to the driveway, with accent lighting along the way. The stairs are safe now, and they look good.” MFL installed the lighting, routed to one controller box, so all of Jim’s lighting comes on at once. “Minnehaha Falls Landscaping’s workmanship is superb,” Jim adds. “And it was a tremendous value. They did a lot of work for the price.”