Expand Your Outdoor Living Space with a Hardscape Patio
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2017
By:
Sequoia Supply
Categories:
Hardscape Features
|
Outdoor Kitchens
Many people, after completing a great deck project in their
backyard, settle for that and don’t think beyond the deck. Many decks
dump the stairs right onto the lawn with little thought or effort put into making
the deck blend in with the yard or other great possibilities that lie beyond.
The best and most versatile way to expand your outdoor
living space and outdoor living options is to flow the stairs of the deck onto
a hardscape patio - with complimentary landscaping - that compliments the deck
and house style and colors and radically enhances your family’s quality of
outdoor living.
Plan and Prepare
It’s important to do your research in advance. Fixed objects
in the landscape don’t move easily. As much as possible, consider the entire
area available to you for hardscaping before you design a single element. You
may only be planning to put in a patio now, but maybe your plans include
a barbeque, pond, kitchen, bar, or walkway. Measures need to be taken to incorporate those elements and make them flow together.
Other important factors like drainage, traffic flow, focal
points, and balanced elements should be taken into consideration. You want the
eye to travel toward a destination and one or two visual elements that make
you pause, either visually or literally. Elements that are too linear in design
can create an unnatural feel. Give thought to the natural lines of the space
and try to include curves and shapes in a way that the hardscape elements
transition gracefully into the surrounding landscape.
Don’t Cut Corners on the Base Layer
There are many do’s and don’ts when it comes to installing
patio pavers. The mistake that many make is in not doing their research fully
and effectively, and not taking advice from the professionals. Perhaps the
biggest mistakes are made when installing the base layers. Many people are too
excited to start laying the pavers and seeing beautifying results, and they cut
corners on the base preparation by not making it deep enough, not extending the
base past the size of the paver coverage, not using the proper base materials,
and not properly compacting the base materials in thinner layers. If you try to
compact 6” of the base, you will only compact the top 4” and the bottom 2” will
settle in the future. Compact your base in layers of 3" – 4". Preparing a proper base is crucial for any paving
stone project.
Don’t Stop at the Pavers
Getting the pavers installed is, of course, the patio. It’s
the floor of your new extended oasis. But don’t stop there! Don’t settle for
throwing a few folding chairs out there and calling it, “good”. The majority of
today’s professional designs by experienced landscape architects include many
hardscape enhancements that will drive your new patio over the top and make you
the envy of the neighborhood. Some of the most popular enhancements include:
- Seating
Walls – Arguably, every patio should have a seating wall. They are
beautiful and multifunctional. If your yard is sharply sloped into the patio, a
retaining wall can be tailored into a seating wall. And seating walls will
outlast us all, unlike those rusted chairs you keep putting out each year. They
are even more functional when properly placed around a fire pit or fireplace.
- Fire Pit –
There is nothing like a permanent hardscape fire pit to create a focal
point of your patio and a gathering place while adding ambiance and warmth to
your outdoor oasis. Although portable fire pits can also be nice, and stylish, and
provide the same warmth; the stone of a hardscape fire pit will outlast, and
outperform portable options since the material holds and releases heat after
the fire has dwindled. They also blend seamlessly with your patio and seating
walls, look spectacular, and are the ideal spot for roasting a quick snack on a
stick. And you certainly don’t have to worry about them blowing away in the
next storm.
- Fireplace
– When integrated into thoughtful landscaping designs, outdoor fireplaces
extend your home and available party space from inside to outside. Like a fire
pit, it also provides a natural gathering place for family and friends to enjoy
their beverage of choice, converse, relax and stay warm on the cool early
spring and fall nights. And don’t forget about the cooking bonus! Cooking with
real fire is a great way to prepare a meal or snack.
- Outdoor
Kitchen – And, perhaps, the pièce de résistance… the outdoor kitchen! Ah
yes. Although outdoor kitchens can most certainly be constructed from a variety
of other materials including wood and steel, there is no substitute for the
hardscape kitchen that blends with your patio and other enhancements and
provides unmatchable longevity and durability. It can be as small as a simple
grill or smoker station, or as big as your dreams (and budget) can stretch.
Planning ahead by running electrical, water supply, and proper drainage beneath
your base layer will permit you to add electrical and water service. Beyond
your gas grill and smoker, you can now add a sink, refrigerator, heater, and
much more.
Tagged:Outdoor Kitchens, Fire Pits, Hardscaping, Grilling Stations, Outdoor Cooking, Seating Walls, Hardscape Patio, Pavers