Patios & Walkways
Whether it is a small landing by your front door or a 900 sq ft patio with bench wall seating and an outdoor fireplace, patios and walkways can add functional space to your landscape more than any other hardscape element. There are many options when it when you consider what type of material you want to use with your patios.
Pavers are available in many shapes and colors. It makes it very easy to find a style that will match other elements on your site. The other choice is whether to use a standard paver or tumbled paver. Over the last few years tumbled pavers have gained a lot of popularity. Tumbles pavers provide a softer more natural look to the landscape.
Natural stone is another option for patios and walkways. They are a great choice if you like the looks of natural stone. Natural stone is the more expensive choice for a patio. The material costs more and there is more labor involved in the installation process. Over time you may notice more shifting and possible chipping and cracking from the natural stone. It is a natural weathering process. If you like the look of natural stone but prefer the durability of pavers, in recent years they have developed pavers that look more like natural stone. It is worth noting that some paver companies have a better product for this application than others. We recommend finding a natural paver where you have trouble seeing the repeating pattern once it is laid.
Feel free to call us with any questions you have or to request a product catalog.
Walls
Walls can add both functionality and beauty to your landscape. At Hawcott Lawn Service we can work with you to come up with a wall solution that will best fit your needs and landscape. Here are some things to consider when thinking about wall options for your property.
- The height and length of the wall will determine what materials can be used. The higher the wall the larger the block or stone you will need to use. There is a lot of weight being held back by a wall. The smallest wall blocks we use weigh 80 lbs a piece when working with modular block.
- Natural stone is more difficult to use as a wall choice once you get over 4 feet in heoght. Above 4 feet you will need larger pieces of stone. Also above 4 feet it is recommended to use geo grid with modulat block to help tie the wall into the hillside.
- Boulder walls are often the cheapest form of wall while natural cut stone is the most expensive.
Fountains
Fountains are an excellent way to to add a water feature with the sound of running water to your landscape with very little maintenance input needed. Many water features such as ponds and streams are great but you really have to watch what falls into them and keep them cleaned out. Also if you have children an open water area can lead to safety concerns.
Fountains can be created with most stone materials. Drilled boulders are often a popular choice. Another neat idea is drilled out stacked flagstone.
The only real maintenance involved with a fountain is adding water from time to time and removing the pump in the fall.
Most fountains only need about a 5' X 5" space in the garden and is about 1/4 the cost of a pond.
