Are you ready to upgrade your outdoor living space?
When you look out your backdoor, what do you see? An old patio that you’ve never used because it either needs work or just isn’t inviting? Or an unused dead space that you have to mow once a week and little else?
Are you ready for a change? Good news! Big Bend Landscaping has the answer!
Your Backyard is Important
It doesn’t matter how big or small your yard is. It’s a part of your home.
And when you step out your back door, you should see an extension of your indoor living space. A place to BBQ on the weekends, plant flowers, play with your kids or grandkids, or just sit and sip a cold drink while watching the sky and breathing deeply. A space that you’re proud of and brings you joy.
Key to that enjoyment is both a beautiful area and the privacy to enjoy it in. When you have close neighbors and a small space to work with, this can be a challenge. But an outdoor living space built to your specifications, and a solid fence, may be the answer.
Small Spaces/Big Dreams
This homeowner lives in an urban neighborhood with homes in close proximity and adjoining small backyards.
They had two specific requests: a beautiful outdoor living space and the privacy to enjoy it in. This homeowner had a blended space in mind—a fence that complimented the house and a patio that tied it all together.
They also wanted a seating wall to use for plants and extra space for guests to sit when entertaining. Outdoor seating walls are increasingly popular with homeowners. They are a pleasant addition to any outdoor entertainment area, but are especially handy in small yards where space is at a premium and the customer wants to minimize clutter.
Small yards present unique challenges. A patio that doesn’t make good use of the space or a brick that isn’t quite right is especially noticeable. So attention to detail and what the homeowner wants matters even more.
Step One: Choosing the Materials and Layout
The homeowner settled on a 260 square foot patio space as the perfect size for their small backyard. This worked perfectly for them, offering enough room for barbequing and entertaining and plenty of green space left over.
They chose Belgard Melville Slab pavers in Newport Grey and Slave Sailor Course Border for the surface. For their seating wall, they requested Belgard Melville wall in Midnight Color with a caps mix design for texture and interest. All excellent choices.
Big Bend Landscaping only works with the highest quality materials, and Belgard makes the short list as far as we’re concerned. The Melville slab pavers are interlocking and offer a variety of patterns to choose from.
For their privacy fence, they selected a Brookline CertaGrain Texture in the Arctic Blend color. This is a vinyl fence. And it is a wise decision on the homeowner’s part, as it is easy to install, requires little maintenance, and comes with a lifetime guaranty. We love this choice as it a sustainable product that doesn’t draw on limited resources.
Stage Two: The Seating Wall
We began by excavating the area for the patio and digging the trench for the base of the outdoor seating wall. Then we partially filled the trench with an aggregate paver base, much like what we use when building patios. We then carefully placed layers of wall pavers, always checking to make sure each layer is level and well anchored.
The caps mix design means that we construct the wall of a mix of caps (the pavers we use on the top) and wall pavers. This creates an attractive variation in the structure’s surface. And since the brick is black, instead of fading into the background it attracts the eye of the observer.
We carefully staggered the placement of both types of pavers and capped it as usual, creating a comfortable, even surface. As you can see from the pictures, this came out beautifully.
After we built the seating wall, we moved on to the patio.
Stage Three: The Patio
As usual, we leveled the excavated area using our plate compactor, then added a crushed aggregate of rock in order to create a porous substrate for better drainage. Because of the slight slant of the yard, we also installed a drain in the patio to help with run off. We ran our plate compactor over the rock substrate.
Then added a layer of sand to ensure the pavers would not shift once put in place. After adding edge restraints, we began the work of installing the actual patio. This took several hours of careful work, making sure we stayed true to the owner’s requested pattern.
Once completed, we ran a plate compactor a final time to press the pavers into the sand and gravel bed and give texture to the surface of the pavers.
Stage Four: The Fence
The Brookline CertaGrain fence was the last step in giving the homeowner the ultimate backyard experience. Every step is important in fence construction. Holes for corner posts are dug and set first, then fence posts, then the vinyl panels are measured, cut, and tightly secured in place.
We took our time and made sure each stage was perfect and looked like the owner envisioned it. The owners should enjoy it for years to come. The Colorfast Fade Protection means it will be just as beautiful five years from now as it was the day it was installed. And they can be secure, knowing that if there is a problem, the lifetime guaranty covers parts and labor.
Final Stage: The Homeowner’s Reaction to Their New Outdoor Living Space
The owners were just delighted. The 260 ft square patio, the seating wall, and the fence changed the look of the entire outdoor living space. Their humdrum backyard is now a beautiful place they can be proud of—a place they will enjoy whether entertaining or just taking a break after a long, hard day.
The Conclusion
Big Bend Landscaping is one of the best Landscaping companies in St. Louis. We have a Level 1 Certification from the National Concrete and Masonry Association. This means we’ve received training in how to install all the best pavers available.
Though our customers rarely have any complaints, we stand behind our work, offering a five-year warranty on everything we do. Should there be a problem, we welcome your call and will fulfill our promise.
Are you looking for a hardscaping pro in the St. Louis area? Want to upgrade your yard, need a retaining wall, or a French drain installed? Give us a call or contact us for an online estimate!