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Build a Patio
Landscaping and using the natural slope from your home can provide ample space to create a nice patio for general use and to entertain guests. A small retaining wall levels the space and adds to the exterior look of the home.
Firepit Anyone?
Another great landscaping idea is to provide a safe space for fires at night. Cozy songs, stories and S'mores are a treat for any age. What will you do with your space?
Flower Beds
Landscaping ideas are plentiful once you excavate and have the space to imagine the possibilities. Rock beds, flower beds, and open spaces for you to enjoy.
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Landscaping Ideas & Services that Last
Landscaping Steps to Preserve Your Property
Landscaping Ideas and Services
Prepare the Ground - Excavate the Property
The initial excavation of your backyard or property is to clear the ground of larger rocks, debris and vegetation to level and provide the shape of the overall property. The land is cleared to slope away from any existing or planned structures to promote good drainage. Excavations of more than five feet will require some form of sloping or benching for safety.
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Depending on the type of ground, you may want to install a trench for draining or a retaining wall. Retaining walls provide stability when one level of ground is significantly higher than one it is beside. Retaining walls also help to diffuse and spread out water when it drains from storms so it has less force to wash away soil and earth. After the ground is cleared, you loosen the top layer of earth that remains to remove any larger rocks that may remain near the surface.
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Landscaping Ideas and Services
Add a Layer of Gravel for Support/High Traffic Areas
Landscaping and preparing for driveways and walkways requires some planning because they require extra preparation to last for years. They use a layer (or layers) of gravel in order to provide more support, just like a foundation or retaining wall. The amount and depth of the gravel layer depends on the weight it is expected to support and the type of earth (the subgrade) it is built upon. 1-2 inches is usually plenty for a walk way.
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Gravel roads are constructed with 6 inches or more of gravel to provide support for trucks, depending on the type of ground the road is built upon. So 4-6 inches (sometimes less) is normally enough for a residential driveway.
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Landscaping Ideas and Services
Add a Layer of Crusher Dust
Once the ground is ready you have the subgrade to landscape upon. A patio or walkway will require an additional layer of gravel to allow for a good foundation and drainage before adding a 1″ layer of crusher dust. Paving a road, a long driveway or building a foundation requires additional gravel and crusher dust depending on the weight the drive or foundation is expected to bear. You can spread landscape fabric at this point to eliminate seepage from the soil into a layer of cruser dust.
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Crusher dust is very fine (5mm or less) and is produced from crushed rock or concrete. The size of crusher dust makes it easy to spread and cover an area. The fine pieces of rock and dust are more dense and make it easier to compact for a stable foundation for building a structure or to fulfil your landscaping ideas.
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Landscaping Ideas and Services
Compact Crusher Dust to Make Firm Foundation
Compacting the soil makes it more dense by decreasing the amounts of air and space between the molecules of dirt and sand. The result is that compaction increases the stability of the ground and how much weight it will bear.
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Crusher dust is very fine and does not absorb water. The fact it is easy to manipulate and does not retain water is important for establishing a stable and firm foundation for how you want to finish your landscaping. Compacting the crusher dust provides stability and prevents the growth of vegetation beneath it to disturb your landscaping plans. Crusher dust eliminates shifting and movement for what is built upon it and helps prevent potholes from developing in walks and driveways.
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Landscaping Ideas and Services
Add Layer of Topsoil, Gravel or Mulch
Once you compact the crushed stone, you are ready to create your landscaping ideas. How much lawn would you like? Do you want to put in flower beds or use mulch or rock for a rock bed? Obviously, the use of mulch or some type of gravel for your landscaping ideas greatly reduces the amount of lawn you need to mow!
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You can easily spread a layer of mulch or topsoil over the crushed rock and know that it will drain well. The slope of the ground away from structures helps reduce the effects of soil erosion as well. You will want to pay special attention to preparing the ground (the subgrade) for a driveway. Do you plan to use just gravel or to pave? See here for how to prepare a driveway.
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Landscaping Ideas and Services
Add Sod, Plant a Lawn or Flowers
What are the finishing touches you want to add to your lawn and gardens? Once you have a layer of topsoil, you can spread seed for a lawn or lay sod. If you dedicate an area for a flower bed, you will want to ensure you have a deeper layer of topsoil to allow space for plants to root in the earth. Getting the foundation right is the most important part. Yo can always make changes to your top layer and what people see. It takes much more energy and time to dig back down later and make changes, so plan for the future with your landscaping ideas.
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The least expensive option is to plant grass seed. See here for recommendations for proper seeding for a lawn.
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FAQ
Questions about Landscaping Ideas and Services
Crusher dust is also referred to as cracker, blue metal, or rock dust. It is the remaining material when making crushed rocks. Rocks are run through a crusher and tiny pieces of stone and dust particles are left over. The particles are very fine. Since they are smaller than 3/8″, they easily compact together. The ability to compact the crusher dust makes it ideal as a bedding for walkways, patio stones and driveways and other landscaping ideas. The dust is so fine and can be compacted together, so it makes it difficult for other vegetation to take root and grow through it.
A landscape filter provides extra protection for your landscaping plans. Draining water and the force of expansion and contraction in seasonal weather can allow dirt and soil to become immersed with the gravel for your backfill or the crusher dust over time. A landscape filter helps prevent that seepage and erosion around your buildings.
A retaining wall may be required to prevent rocks and earth from tumbling from a higher level to a lower level of ground. Often, the difference can be graded and made into an angled slope to allow for proper drainage of your property. However, if the difference between two areas of land is large enough, earth, soil and rocks will be swept down over the lower due to the forces of gravity and storm water without a retaining wall.
Compacting the ground is a critical part of any landscaping services because it does several things. Compacting increases the density of the ground because it reduces the amount of air between the soil and rocks. At the same time, less air and space makes it more difficult for existing vegetation to get rooted and grow up through the layer of ground you want to landscape.
Compaction is vital when it comes to preparing foundations, retaining walls and areas with heavy traffic for landscaping. Compacting the soil increases its density, so it is able to support more weight.
Crusher dust is particularly helpful for landscaping because it does not absorb water like soil and earth. The final layer of crusher dust is key because the dust and rocks are so small that they can be tightly packed together to create a level and stable service. This layer creates seperation from the earth below and a new layer for your final landscaping ideas and plans.
Good preparation and compacting the layer of crusher dust provides the support for your lawn abd gardens. It is essential for the proper foundation for a driveway and walkways without developing pot holes. It also helps prevent cracks or other deterioration of the surface layer of pavement, stones, or concrete.
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