Planning a hardscaping project is a thought-intensive process that must take into consideration many factors. While the creative process can be a lot of fun, you also have to keep in mind functionality, the existing space and your contractor before any ground is broken.
There’s a lot to consider, but with a little foresight and some help from your landscape and hardscape supplier, your space can look great for years to come.
Local Laws
First off, you may need to restrain your vision, depending on what your local building and zoning laws have to say. Check with your community’s rules governing such projects before you contact a contractor, so you don’t accidentally disappoint yourself with a dream design that can’t come true where you live.
Where Will It Be?
“In the back yard, of course,” might seem like the obvious answer, but there are more specifics involved than just that. Some people try to add endless retaining walls and pour tons of concrete to fulfill a Grand Vision — and it turns into a nightmare that they end up having to repair every few years. It’s a bad idea to try to fight the land. When you work with the land and let the way water and wind flow through and over it guide your design, you’ll have a lot less stress. And you’ll be a lot better off financially for not having to over-build and constantly repair the resulting design.
Big Picture, Small Details
A big part of building any major project — particularly a hardscape project — is to keep both the small details and the big picture in mind. Your design will undoubtedly have many elements to it, spread over many different places. You need to have some cohesion to your design, or it’ll look like it flew over the cuckoo’s nest. Finding cohesion means spending some time visualizing and mentally spending time in the space. You’ll be a lot happier with the result when you take the time to intentionally place every piece.
How is the Ground?
One of the vital details that any PA hardscape supplier would tell you about is the ground. Your soil type will inform the level of support you can expect, as well as the drainage characteristics you need to worry about. With a simple path or border, the ground make-up is less of an issue. But if you want something awesome and grand, you can find yourself with a Leaning Tower of Pisa in a hurry.
Multiple Views
A lot of people forget that when you’re designing a three-dimensional space, you’re going to be looking at it from a lot of different angles. How will the hardscaping look when you’re outside at the grill, or from your kitchen window? Move around the space while you’re visualizing, and don’t get too stuck in one spot.
What’s the Functionality?
Form is wonderful, but function is at the heart of any great design. When you’re planning your hardscaping project, you need to decide on what function or functions you want it to fulfill. Do you just want something nice to look at? Are you looking to grow flowers or fruit trees, perhaps attract hummingbirds or butterflies? Do you want a fun place to grill out and entertain friends?
What to Keep, What to Toss
While you may think there’s “nothing” in your backyard right now, there’s most likely a lot. If it’s a rotting deck, you can probably scrap it — or turn it into some rustic outdoor furniture. But if there’s a natural pond that forms every time it rains, that could be pretty neat — and you could build it up into something even nicer than nature originally did. Take a real look around, and decide what’s worth keeping versus what can go to the scrap yard.
If you’re ready to add hardscaping to your property, contact Woodward Landscape Supply. Whether you’re building a wall or putting down stone pavers, you can count on our two decades of experience as PA hardscape suppliers to help give your property a great new look.