DIYing your own home can be an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile endeavor. But it can also be hard work that can be far more complicated than you realize when you sit down to get to work. Especially when it comes to hardscaping – or all of the non-living elements that make up your landscaping designs. These are fairly permanent fixtures, like fencing, patios, etc. which means making the right choices and getting them done right is of paramount importance. Here is what your need to know before doing hardscaping work on your home.
Create a Vision for the Finished Product
You shouldn’t start any home improvement project without first having a clear vision of your end goal.
This is especially true when it comes to hardscaping, as hardscaping can be expensive and time consuming to remove, replace, and update once it is in place. Plan out a mood board, get a feel for the style and material that you want to go with and really envision the space with your choices. Then, once you have a general idea, figure out the specifics. Measure, plan, and make sure that your game plan will work. You don’t want to hop into a hardscaping project without a proper plan for what is going on.
Contact a Professional for Help
Unless you are a mason or have experience hardscaping yourself, you should seriously consider getting a professional contractor involved to get your hardscaping done. Professional help can ensure that you are going to have your hardscaping done properly and get quality work done. Hardscaping is not easy work, and you don’t have to do it on your own if you worry that you may not be able to do professional quality work. Having sloppily done hardscaping work on your house can be a major turn off, for you, and future buyers. Invest in professional help, it will be well worth your investment if you are worried.
Decide What Material to Use
Once you’ve got help figured out to complete your project, you are going to need to decide on the materials you want to use. Different materials have different longevity, different maintenance requirements, different climate considerations, and different styles and appearances that can drastically change the look of your project. Talk with your professionals about the impact and cost of the materials you have interest in. They will have expert opinions to help you decide, and will be able to talk you through the specifics of your project.
Staying Safe
The most important thing you can do for a home improvement project is to keep the work site safe and clear. A key to keeping your work site safe is keeping debris and material waste out of the way, to keep you and your family safe, but just importantly, to keep the work crew safe. Renting a trash hopper is almost always a good idea for any home improvement project. Self-dumping trash hoppers increase safety by removing debris from your worksite. Having a trash hopper can also make the removal process easy, and let you know that your waste is going somewhere it can be dealt with properly. Save yourself the time and effort and rent a hopper.
Your Project Will Take Time
Don’t be surprised when your hardscaping project takes lots of time. And your home improvement project may even run behind schedule. Do not be alarmed – getting quality work done takes time. It is better to run behind schedule and ensure that your project is done correctly and properly, rather than rushing through it and getting it done on time, but with some structural issues and less polish. You want your hardscaping project done well. Give your project some time to come to fruition. It will be worth it.
Consider Drainage
The last thing you want is to finish a nice and beautiful hardscaping project and have a heavy rainfall show you that you’ve got flooding issues now that you’ve finished your beautiful hardscaping. Drainage is something you need to discuss with your professionals early in the planning stage and keep it front of your mind throughout the design process. You will have to redo your hardscaping if you end up with a drainage problem. So make a drainage plan, and adjust your plans if it will improve your yard’s drainage.
Don’t Forget Greenery
While hardscaping can be perfectly beautiful, if you go too overboard on the hardscaped portion of your yard, you may end up with a disproportionate yard. Stone and wood elements work great in
contrast with the greenery and foliage in your yard. Plan your hardscaping around the foliage in your yard, and consider bringing new plants and trees into your space to compliment your hardscaping work. Balance is the key and incorporating a good amount of flora into your yard space will go a long way to giving you an aesthetically pleasing yard.
Spread the Word
After your project is done, if you really love it, don’t be afraid to share some love for the professionals who helped you make the yard of dreams. Many of these yard professionals get most of their business through referrals and recommendations; if they have done a spectacular job, then you should do your best to share that with your neighbors and friends. Many neighborhoods and communities have a local Facebook group, sharing quick posts about your beautifully hardscaped yard and the wonderful professionals that made your dream a reality can go a long way to sustaining business. Share your beautiful yard.
Hardscaping your yard can be a wonderful way to modernize and beautify a yard that needs some TLC. But hardscaping can also involve a lot of extra planning and considerations that many people don’t realize when they first get the idea to hardscape their yard. Hardscaping can be done wonderfully, with a little planning and preparation, and an understanding of the essential considerations for a hardscaping project. If you follow this advice, and stay positive, your hardscaping dreams can become reality in no time.
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