Before we all know it the warm weather will be upon us. We are counting the days! The up side of it still being a while before the temps warm up is that if you’re building a patio this year, there is still plenty of time to find a design and style that you love. […]
This paver project used sand joints, and the construction method is referred to as an interlocking paver system. The pavers are not mortared, but laid on a sand bed abutting each other. The interlocking concept means that the pavers can’t move independently, when they are held in place by angular sand particles and edging restraints. […]
Recently, we saw in someone’s yard, a newly installed area (about 8’ x 2.5’) of pavers with sand joints, that had been installed alongside an existing asphalt driveway. Unfortunately for the homeowner, it was poor construction. Using pavers along side a driveway can be a great solution for many reasons, such as adding more space […]
Have you ever seen a paver walk or patio that has a charmingly weathered or textured appearance that reminded you of the old narrow streets or large piazzas in photos of Europe (or perhaps from a visit to Europe), and thought ‘where can I find a paver like that for my patio’? They are not […]
After the demolition of the old walk, and the excavation for the new brick walk were completed, the next phase of the project included accommodating a drainage pipe from a downspout of the house that needed to cross under the walk, preparing the soil subbase, and installing the aggregate base. To recap from Phase 1 […]
When beginning a new home improvement project, it can be both exciting and intimidating all at the same time. A homeowner can joyfully anticipate what will be a beautiful addition or renovation to the outdoors of their home. Over the next weeks we’ll spotlight the various phases of this outdoor home improvement project. The project […]
What would cause areas of a beautiful dry-laid paver project to caved in or sink? We’ll give you the answer in a second. But we can’t tell you the number of homes we have seen where this occurred on the porch stoop and/or walks. Some of these porch floors had areas where the pavers were […]
Mildew and algae can grow on both horizontal and vertical exterior surfaces. They can grow so slowly that you may not be aware of their presence until they become very visible by discoloring the surface, or when a walking surface becomes slippery, especially when the surface is wet. Mildew is typically black or gray […]
Wow! There is so much to say in regard to installing a fence in your yard! There’s a lot of preliminary stuff that you need to do and much to understand to make your project a success. But first, we want to say kudos to you for deciding to add beauty, architectural enhancement, and value […]
One of the classic details you can add to a traditional home’s home improvement project is period hardware. Period hardware manufactured today replicates the designs that were used at a particular time in architectural history. It includes outdoor hardware like door knobs and thumb latches, gate and door strap hinges, latches, door knockers and bells, […]
