Flagstone

November 5th, 2010 Posted in Flagstone
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Flagstone is a very popular and versatile landscaping material.  Flagstone is a generic term for flat, natural stone that comes from a quarry and is used for a wide variety of landscaping applications.  Flagstone can be made from many types of stone including slate, granite, and sandstone.  Once the stone is quarried, it is either cut or split into flat pieces of various thicknesses.  Flagstone can be further finished into regular square or rectangular shapes or left with irregular, natural edges for a more rustic look.  Irregular flagstone pieces are fitted together like a puzzle to create an interesting and attractive finish.

Flagstone is available in a wide variety of colors, thicknesses, and styles.  No two pieces of flagstone are exactly alike, which adds to its natural, rustic appeal.   Flagstone is extremely durable and relatively easy to work with although it is heavy.  Properly installed, a flagstone patio, walkway or driveway should last for ten to twenty years or more.  It is easy to repair if damaged, requires very little maintenance, and is less expense than many other landscaping or paving materials. 

Flagstone’s textured, non-slip surface makes it an excellent choice for walkways, driveways, and patios, but it is also a great choice for siding, chimneys, fireplaces, ponds, retaining walls, waterscapes, and just about any other hardscape imaginable.   For walkways, patios, pool decks or driveways, flagstone can be set with mortar, sand, or polymeric sand making it easy to work with for do-it-yourselfers. 

For more information about flagstone, visit your local landscape supply company.  They will have many pallets of flagstone in various colors, styles, and sizes to choose from.  They can help you complete your project or recommend a reputable landscaper to handle the job.

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Fall Mulching

November 5th, 2010 Posted in Mulch
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With winter rapidly approaching, now is a good time to help protect your landscaping shrubs and plants from winter weather by adding mulch.  In the spring and summer, mulch helps retain moisture, control weeds, and prevent erosion.  In the winter, mulch insulates the soil and helps protect roots from freeze damage. 

Mulching in the fall will help keep the ground temperatures more even.  The ground will be slower to freeze and slower to thaw.  Particularly in the fall and spring, this freezing and thawing cycle can cause the soil to heave and expose roots to the freezing air.  Mulching now will help avoid this problem and protect roots from exposure.  Mulching will also keep the soil from freezing as deeply.  This encourages worms to stay active closer to the surface and allows plants and shrubs to continue to absorb moisture.

One thing to consider is that mulching in the fall will keep the soil from freezing longer which will delay when some plants go dormant.  If you have plants that may be adversely affected by delayed dormancy, wait to mulch until the soil has frozen for the season.  Then you can take advantage of fall mulching without harming these plants. 

Applying two to three inches of bark mulch, pine mulch, pine straw, or other organic mulches will do a good job of protecting your shrubs and plants from winter weather.  Too much mulch can be detrimental, and too little will not get the job done.   In the spring, your plants and shrubs will be healthy and ready for another season of enhancing the beauty of your home and landscape.

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Modular Block Retaining Walls

November 5th, 2010 Posted in Modular Block
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Do you have one of those sloping backyards that looks nice, but you can’t do much with it?  If you have been thinking about how to use that backyard for your children’s playground, a swimming pool, workshop, or patio, consider installing an attractive, functional retaining wall. 

Retaining walls can make an attractive addition to any landscape.  Retaining walls are both functional and beautiful.  They can be used to create a flat area in a sloping yard, or to control erosion, improve drainage, or to create a division between two areas such as your lawn and a flower bed.  Retaining walls can be built from many materials including timber, poured concrete, masonry blocks, stone, and other such materials. 

The design and installation of poured concrete retaining walls or retaining walls more than three feet tall are best left to a professional landscaper.   Improperly designed or installed retaining walls are a safety hazard because they can collapse, causing personal injuries and property damage. 

For retaining walls less than three feet tall, modular blocks offer an excellent alternative for the do-it-yourselfer to create attractive, functional retaining walls.  Modular blocks are a flexible and easy to use.  They rely on the weight of the blocks to hold them in place so you don’t need to use any mortar. 

Modular blocks are made with an interlocking system to add strength to the structure and they are molded with tapered sides so it is easy build smoothly curving walls.  Your local landscape supply store will have a wide variety of modular blocks to choose from and can help you design and install a great looking retaining wall.

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Polymeric Sand

November 5th, 2010 Posted in Mortar and Adhesives
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Polymeric sand is the material used to fill the joints or gaps between stone or brick pavers in driveways, patios, and walkways.  Polymeric sand is designed to help hold stonework in place and keep it from shifting.  This resistance to shifting is called interlock.  Polymeric sand enhances interlock and stabilizes stonework. 

Until a few years ago, common sand was used to fill the joints that naturally occur in stone or brick pavers.  The sand would be swept into the joints and typically coated with a sealant that hardened the upper layer of sand.  This process worked reasonably well, but it was susceptible to being washed out by heavy rain, and also weeds and grass were often able to grow in the joints. 

Polymeric sand is a big step forward in joint filler for outdoor patio, driveway, and walkways.  Polymeric sand uses a water activated synthetic polymer to bind the sand particles and create a firm, water resistant joint filler.   Polymeric sand is applied like regular sand by sweeping or brushing it into the joints.  Once all the sand is brushed off of the stone and into the joints, water is misted over the stonework until it penetrates the sand.  The water activates the polymer, which hardens and binds the sand.

In addition to its excellent stabilizing properties, polymeric sand helps prevent water intrusion under your stonework which can lead to your stonework shifting or deforming.  Also, properly applied, polymeric sand prevents the growth of weeds and grass in the joints.  Finally, polymeric sand does not wash away so you do not have to continually replenish the joint sand for your stonework.

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