Paver Work

An interlocking concrete paver is a pre-cast piece of concrete or brick commonly used in exterior hardscaping applications. Developed in Europe and introduced into the United States in the early 1970s, interlocking concrete paving stones offer an alternative to plain concrete or asphalt. Installed over a compacted stone sub-base and a leveling bed of sand, concrete paving stones can be used for walkways, patios, pool decks and driveways and airport or loading docks. Pressing the dry concrete-mix into moulds rather than pouring a wetter mix allows for their 8000 psi compressive strength, making concrete paving stones a more durable choice than clay bricks or poured-in-place concrete. Clay pavers have an advantage with resistance to fading from the sun and deterioration from long term exposure to the elements. They also do not require a seal coat to prevent staining, unlike the concrete paver.

Instead of connecting the pavers by pouring grout between the joints, as one would with tiles, sand particles are spread over the pavers and tamped down. The sand stabilizes the interlocking pavers, yet allows for some flexibility. In other words, this type of pavement will absorb stress such as small earthquakes, freezes and thaws, and slight ground erosion by shifting each tile slightly. Therefore, they will not crack or buckle like concrete. Brick paving being laid on a sand base, in south west England The mere special tools needed for installing interlocking pavers are vibrating compaction machine or "Vibra Plate" and Shear Cutter. The former is used to compact the base material to 90% density minimum and also to set and interlock the pavers into the sand bed. The latter is used to cut the pieces to fit at corners and edges. The sand does not easily wash out with rain or garden hose water and a sealer can be spread on to further lock the sand.

Characteristics and advantages of pavers:

• Paving Stones Increase Property Value
• Pavers Are 4x Stronger Than Concrete
• Paving Stones Are Earthquake Resistant
• Paving Stones Are Cheaper To Repair
• Better Weight Distribution
• Stones Have Elegance and Beauty

Irrigation Work

Flagstone Work

Flagstone, or flag, is a type of flat stone, usually used for paving slabs, but also for making fences or roofing. It may also be used for making memorials or headstones in a cemetery. It also refers to Pennsylvania Bluestone, a stone from northeastern Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York. The name derives from Middle English flagge or turf, perhaps from Old Norse flaga or slab.

Flagstone is a sedimentary rock that is cut or split in layers for walkways and patios. It has a mineral composition of quartz and up to 15% Muscovite Mica, which gives it its bluish hue. Flagstone is form of a sandstone, which means it composes of up to 50% quartz and is arenaceous in grain size (1/16th - 2mm in diameter). The material that binds flagstone is usually composed of silica, calcium, or iron oxide. The color of the rock usually comes from the cementing material. Typical colors of flagstone are red, blue, buff, and there are exotic colors, such as chocolate. It is often used for patios, walkways, steps, fences, housing, fireplaces, and many construction projects.

Lawn Work

A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other low durable plants, which usually are maintained at a lower and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn. In recreational contexts, the specialised names turf, pitch, field or green may be used, depending on the sport and the continent.

Lawns are a common feature of private gardens and public landscapes and parks in many parts of the world now. Lawns are created for aesthetic pleasure as well as for sports or other outdoor recreational use. Lawns are useful as a playing surface both because they mitigate erosion and dust generated by intensive foot traffic.

Many different species of grass are used, depending on the intended use and the climate. Coarse grasses are used where active sports are played, and finer grasses for ornamental lawns looked upon. Some grasses adapted to oceanic climates with cooler summers, and others to tropical and continental climates with hotter summers. Often a mix grass or low plant types is used to form a stronger lawn when one type does better in the warmer seasons and the other in the colder ones.

Pergula Work

A pergola is a garden feature forming a shaded walk or passageway of pillars that support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, upon which woody vines are trained. As a type of gazebo, it may also be an extension of a building, as protection for an open terrace or a link between pavilions.

The origin of the word is the Late Latin pergula, referring to a projecting eave.  The English term was borrowed from Italian. It was mentioned in an Italian context in 1645, by John Evelyn at the cloister of Trinità dei Monti in Rome and used by him in an English context in 1654, when, in the company of the Earl of Pembroke, Evelyn watched the coursing of hares from a "pergola" built on the downs near Salisbury for that purpose.  Pergolas may link pavilions, may extend from a building's door to an open garden feature such as an isolated terrace or pool, or may be entirely free-standing structures providing shelter and shade to a length of walkway.

Modern pergola designs tend to favor wood over stone structures, and are thus more affordable and increasing in popularity.

For many admirers of decorative concrete, the best attribute is that each installation is totally unique. Concrete can assume nearly any shape, design, pattern or texture. But the one characteristic that most distinguishes decorative concrete is color, whether used subtly to blend with nature or boldly to make a dramatic design statement.

Frankly, unless you're a purist and prefer concrete in its plain-gray state, there's no reason not to enhance it with color. The number of different products for coloring concrete has never been greater, and many manufacturers offer an extensive palette of shades to choose from for colored concrete . And although you'll pay more for colored concrete, the amazing transformation will be well worth the investment. In the hands of a creative contractor, these coloring mediums permit an endless array of decorative effects, from rustic earth-toned sidewalks and patios that harmonize with the surrounding landscape to vibrant multicolored floors that double as works of art.

Retaining & Boundary Wall Work

A retaining wall is a structure designed and constructed to resist the lateral pressure of soil when there is a desired change in ground elevation that exceeds the angle of repose of the soil. The active pressure increases on the retaining wall proportionally from zero at the upper grade level to a maximum value at the lowest depth of the wall. The total pressure or thrust may be assumed to be acting through the centroid of the triangular distribution pattern, one-third above the base of the wall.

Retaining walls serve to retain the lateral pressure of soil. The basement wall is thus one form of retaining wall.  However, the term is most often used to refer to a cantilever retaining wall, which is a freestanding structure without lateral support at its top.

Typically retaining walls are cantilevered from a footing extending up beyond the grade on one side and retaining a higher level grade on the opposite side. The walls must resist the lateral pressures generated by loose soils or, in some cases, water pressures.

Boundary walls include privacy walls, boundary-marking walls on property, and town walls. These intergrade into fences; the conventional differentiation is that a fence is of minimal thickness and often is open in nature, while a wall is usually more than a nominal thickness and is completely closed, or opaque. More to the point, if an exterior structure is made of wood or wire, it is generally referred to as a fence, while if it is made of masonry, it is considered a wall.

Boulder Work

Within the last 10 years there has been a great shift in landscaping trends. Out are straight lines and perfectly manipulated hedges. In, are flowing curves and plants allowed to grow into their natural shapes. It is true that often the architecture of the home, or desires of the homeowner, will call for formal structure, but more homeowners today want a relaxed look and low maintenance.

Boulders exemplify the natural garden and add a wild texture, color and form to the landscape. Using boulders in landscape architecture is a technique originally employed by observing how the Japanese and Chinese construct their gardens. They in fact perfected the use of rock and boulders - therefore making it a landscape art-form.

By strategically placing these moss-covered or granite boulders in an arrangement, we may view the groupings as pleasing to look at, while one trained in oriental design will see an island in a tranquil sea. The idea is to duplicate a piece of nature with boulders – therefore the symbolism.