When landscaping, it can be difficult to create a unique and beautiful yard. One way to add a great deal of contrast and color to a yard is by utilizing what is called hardscape. Hardscaping refers to landscaping with hard materials. This article is going to outline three different materials to use when hardscaping, but will also delve into how to use these specific materials. Hardscaping can be used to create retaining walls, walkways, stairs, that can break up lawn, or can be used to xeriscape.
Stone
One of the best things about stone is there are so many different varieties of stone available. No matter what color of stone you want to work with, you will be able to find the perfect color. When laying flat stone for a walkway or patio you will need to be sure that they lay nearly perfectly flat. This is best accomplished by using sand, and shifting the stone back and forth gently until the stone will no longer shift when weight is applied to the top. Other type of stone and rock can be used to create anything from simple walkways, to decorative mounds. If you want to build a retaining wall from stone, you will need to be sure you do not need an engineer.
Wood
The variety of wood make it a fantastic hardscape surface to work with. Just as with stone there are many different types of wood that work great for hardscaping. The possibilities are many when working with wood, and creating a beautiful patio, terrace, or spa oasis are all very real possibilities. Picking the right wood may be one of the most important parts of hardscaping with wood, but redwood, cedar, and cypress are great lumber to use when landscaping. One very important aspect of wood is that it needs to be coated so that it is insect and weather resistant.
Brick
One material that often gets overlooked when hardscaping is brick. There are many different varieties of brick, and each will offer different colors and textures. The fact that different textures are available makes utilizing brick very nice. If you are building in a wet climate a rough texture might be the way to go so it will not be slick when wet. Much like when using stone, using brick requires things to be level, and often straight. Utilize sand to keep your surface flat, and use a string to keep things straight. For more information, go to site.
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