wondering

Just wondering -

I watch a lot of HGTV. I've noticed on a lot of shows that feature backyards, there is a wall in the yard. I've never seen this in the Midwest. Is this just a Southwest thing? (many are stucco). However, many are concrete block or concrete. Why a wall instead of a fence?

Al

growing up in in the hills of Los Angeles, many developments had concrete block walls. Most were due to the terrain and used as retaining walls. Especially helpful during mud slide season.

Josey

We asked that when house hunting in Las Vegas and were told that it keeps the sand from blowing, and holds down the noise if the house is near a roadway. In Costa Rica we were told that in the old days the walls kept the animals out of the yard. Maybe just privacy is another reason.

Linda

I live in Las Vegas, where most homes have walls. I think there are a number of reasons for this. First, it keeps the desert animals (most of which are undesirable) out of your yard. Second, it does keep down blowing sand, as someone above said. The last reason is cultural. I think it is much more acceptable since so few people in this (and many southwest) towns are "from" here. We do not have a "small town", every-one-knows-every-one-else feel. The wall is a physical symbol of that. We are cut off from our neighbors, both geographically and emotionally. Few people are close to their neighbors, as they generally are in the Midwest. This may not be something desirable, but it is, in my perceptions, a reality.

russ i

In the San Fernando Valley area of LA we have cinderblock walls in most the sub-divisions that were built in the 50's. Don't know if it was cheaper or just a fad.

Genghis

I think it's a tradition that started back in China.

curious

In Connecticut where I live many homes, including mine, have old stone walls. This is very common in New England and I have to admit that they are beautiful. I think the custom started years ago to deliniate farms. Rocks are pretty plentiful so I guess at one time it was inexpensive to build them, unlike today, when it will cost a small fortune to build one!

Celeste

When they start to build a subdivision in Orlando, they build the wall first. And walls greatly outnumber fences in yards as well. I hate it...

steve

In the Phoenix area, I think building codes require all subdivisions to have a wall around them - usually concrete block. Each house has a wall - only the houses in poorer areas have no wall or just a wooden fence.

Part of the reason is to prevent people from falling into swimming pools.

I thought it unusual in the midwest where ther are few fences/walls and dogs and kids are free to go into anyone's yard and do damage

Kevin

I've lived in the midwest all my life.
And there haven't been any fences or walls in any neighborhood I've lived in.
And no one (person or animal) has ever damaged anything in my yard.
Don't think I'll look into building one now.

Former Desert Rat

I do not think the Phoenix metro building code requires an ugly, unsightly concrete block fence like the ones in the Phoenix suburbs. Yes, fences are required for yards with pools, but I doubt there is the additional requirement that the fencing be best suited for trailer parks.

Builders do this to save money, IMHO.

S

I live in the South. Walled in back yards are definitely NOT the norm here. Sure, condos and townhomes might have them. But as a rule, if you see a home with a wall around the yard, it's in the historical district.

Yankee

The stone walls of New England, according to legend, were used by farmers and Indians of old to set off property lines and to keep animals in. I don't know if it's true, but I've heard that it is against the law in many parts of New England to un-do a stone wall as they are considered historic "sites."

John

It's definitely a western thing, brought about in no small part by subdividers wanting their developments to be "pool friendly," since most local codes require a 6' or higher barrier around swimming pools, and the wall was a cost-effective way to get this height along with the increased privacy created by masonry over wood fencing. European friends of mine, when visiting southern California for the first time, commented that "we thought we were the only ones with walled cities." But noooo...

Plus, the walled patio is a very typical Hispanic design (going back to Spain in the middle ages and the middle east before that) so it was a natural style for southwestern communities, mainly suburbs, that wanted to give a vaguely "Spanish" look to their developments, also to screen out the squalor of strip mall and gas station public areas.

Kim

My husband grew up in Ireland, and in many villages and towns there, people have brick and concrete walls between houses (most of the houses are semi-detached or terraced (townhouses)). Typically, the walls are high in the back and low in the front. Still definitely have a small-town feel, though.

Joanne

New England stone walls are very different from the cinder-block enclosure type, rarely being more than 3 feet tall. It's hard to balance those stones!

In addition to defining property lines, those stone walls also serve as a place to deposit the many many rocks that emerge from the soil with such regularity that in many places they're considered the major agricultural crop!

My niece has one of those cinder-block walls at a home she's building in Florida in the sand. It's partly to hold back sand and keep the pool safe, but it's also to offer a bit of privacy from the neighbors, who are VERY close next-door.

OhioAnnie

Wondering, I have seen walls in some of the inner city historic districts in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio (German Village) areas. You tend to see fences out in the burbs...

Yanqui

Yes, the walled garden is a typical Spanish feature. Yes, stone walls in New England are famously historic (remember "good fences make good neighbors"?). Yes, most places require barriers around pools. Most places specify a minimum (to prevent accidents) and a maximum (to allow access for emergency personnel)height. Distinguish between that and the "gated community" concept in which the entire ghetto...er, development is built behind walls. If you travel to much of Europe, or even Mexico, you will notice that most of the "better" homes are behind walls, mostly for security.
AS communication/data capabilities expand, our society is focused on preserving individual privacy (or the semblance of it - why do you think all those internet based services call themselves "My [insert service name]" rather than the more accurate "let us track your every move so we can better profile you for marketing and sales pitches?)

x

I live in Northern California and there are a lot of houses here surrounded by walls. Usually their either situated next to a major road (in which case it's usually installed as a noise suppression measure) or situated around a multi-million dollar home (usually for privacy and protection).