Hardscapes

Hardscapes need proper foundations. In the past and still today most people take an “add on” approach to building landscape patios, decks, even rockeries and water features. They don’t adjust the grade before building is started. The end result of shortcutting the grading stage is lower quality, more future issues to alleviate (fix), unwanted settling after your contractor has been paid and/or a job that just doesn’t feel right.
      Building a project on unstable material that will liquefy in a big down pour is not acceptable, but yet is sometimes overlooked in the hurry to get a “cheap” price. Walk along the river walk pavers in Drake Park for an example!  It’s always cheaper to do your job right the first time – redos – may mean starting over, but they also often mean removing the resulting mess first. Even if the problem doesn’t require removal, it’s usually hard to fix these kinds of issues once and for all and so they become reoccurring headaches.
     Almost all residential landscape designs lack the elevation plans always found with home building plans. Since you are really constructing outside rooms, of course grading and levels are important. Grades and levels need to be brought up or down so that the final grade goes where it is meant to go. Often times sites have “blemishes” that should be graded out, filled in or removed. Removing or repositioning rock, debris and dirt needs to be done when access is less disruptive to the project. To avoid these and other common frustrations do the needed site preparation as your first step.