With many people looking to upgrade their yards for aesthetic and practical purposes while increasing their home’s value, homeowners often consider hardscape installation. But what exactly is hardscaping, and how can homeowners make it work for them?
Simply put, hardscape installation involves man-made or non-living materials such as brick, concrete, wood, pavers, stones, and other rocks into your property. When done correctly, it can add immense value to homes while offering new uses for outdoor areas. Hardscape installation is more attainable than many might think, and it is a long-term investment homeowners ought to seriously consider.
Here, we will take a closer look at the specific hardscape installation features and options available for Idaho homeowners.
Outdoor Kitchens
Idaho residents are more than aware of how nice summers are here, and outdoor kitchens are one of the ways homeowners can take advantage of the warm and dry weather. Outdoor kitchens are areas outside the house where one can cook and prepare food, while also being an excellent entertainment area for friends and family.
Whether you’re really into grilling, sports, or even just having friends and family over for dinner, your outdoor kitchen will fulfill all your entertainment needs. With so many different ways to make the space uniquely yours, an outdoor kitchen might be the perfect addition to your home!
Fire Pits
Another great addition to anyone’s backyard is a fire pit. A fire pit serves as a great area to congregate and enjoy each other’s company, whether it’s just simple conversation with loved ones or s’mores with friends and family. Fire pits are an easy hardscape installation for any backyard, and instantly add value to any home. Summer nights around a fire will create lasting memories and enjoyment for years to come.
Another great feature about fire pits is they can be used year-round. This is great for any climate, but especially here in Idaho with our long, frigid winters. Being able to circle around the warmth of a fire has served humans for thousands of years, and will surely serve you and your family for many years to come.
Another great aspect of fire pits is they don’t take up a lot of space. If you aren’t looking to take up a large amount of your backyard, or have plans to use the space for other things, a fire pit can easily fit into a small nook or corner of your property where it won’t interfere with other uses for your yard.
Dry Riverbeds
For properties with slopes, low points, or drainage problems, a dry riverbed might be the perfect way to deal with these while also enhancing the beauty of your home and yard.
Anyone with drainage problems knows how much of a nightmare it can be after a big rainstorm, or when the snow starts to melt. It can push landscaping back by days or weeks, and makes it impossible to mow grass without turning the yard into a mud pit. While dry riverbeds are an aesthetic asset for any yard, they can help turn even the worst drainage problems into a useful, long-term solution that will enable homeowners to turn their focus to beautifying their homes through landscaping.
Not only do they look great while serving a practical purpose, but they also require very little maintenance after installation. By using high-quality landscaping fabric, you ensure no weeds will come up through the riverbed and affect the beauty of your investment.
An important part of installing a dry riverbed is the material you want to use. Choosing the material that fits in with your home’s vision is a huge part of any hardscape installation and should be considered before any final decisions are made. Hardscape installation experts will be happy to help you realize your vision and make it become a reality.
Retaining Walls
A great way to add another level or dimension to your home is through retaining walls. While many people assume retaining walls are for homes with steep slopes to prevent erosion, they can also be added to flat areas.
The majority of yards in eastern Idaho are pretty flat, and adding a retaining wall is an excellent way to diversify the visual and topographic landscape of your yard. Adding landscaping to the retaining wall will ensure the uniqueness of your home and yard, and enhance the visual appeal of the property while serving to increase your home’s value.
Different Materials and What They Can Be Used For
You can enhance even the most basic aspects of your home by simply utilizing different materials. While most homeowners opt for basic concrete when building their driveways, walkways, or patios, there are actually a variety of different materials available to choose from that differentiate from other homes, and look beautiful.
Pavers
Using pavers adds depth to your hardscaping that most homes don’t have. It’s a timeless, classic look that is as practical as it is beautiful. While concrete driveways, walkways, and patios tend to crack and lose their visual appeal over time, pavers are relatively durable and if they break, very easy to fix and replace. We all know what concrete looks like after it begins to crack, and how bad filling in those cracks can look, but pavers offer an easy fix when broken, and are as easy as simply taking out the broken paver and replacing it with a new one!
Not only do they look better, but are more practical than typical driveways and patios as well. Pavers serve as not only an investment into the beauty and value of your home but also to future headaches and costly repairs.
Pavers can also withstand more weight per square inch than a typically poured concrete surface can, making them more durable and longer-lasting. If you have heavier or larger vehicles, it might be smart to keep pavers in mind for your driveway for this practical reason.
As a side note, if you are looking to add pavers as a hardscape installation to your home, it’s wise to buy more than you need in case of any future repairs.
Flagstone
Another material for hardscape installation homeowners ought to consider is flagstone. Determining the style of your home, your personal preferences, and what you think would look best is an important thing to consider when looking at the options available to you.
Flagstone is also much more durable than a typical concrete driveway, walkway, or patio, and may save you money in the long run.
For initial, up-front costs, a flagstone surface will run around 10 to 15 percent more expensive than the same surface in concrete. So, while it is certainly more expensive, the difference more than makes up for itself in the long run by adding to your home’s value, decreasing future maintenance costs, and having a longer lifespan.
Flagstone looks great and can be used in several different designs and features, but it’s important to keep in mind what your needs are.
Both pavers and flagstones can be used for a variety of different hardscape features on your property. While we focused on surface use, they can additionally be used for other hardscape installation features such as your outdoor kitchen, fire pit, dry riverbeds, retaining walls, or even water features.
Surfaces
As noted above, surfaces such as your driveway, walkways, or patios are some of the most obvious and apparent features of your home. They can instantly add or subtract from your home’s curb appeal, while also adding obvious function to your home.
Focusing on quality builds for those aspects will certainly increase your home’s value, make you the envy of the neighborhood, and reduce future maintenance headaches. Especially in freeze and thaw areas such as Idaho, cracking can prove a death sentence for surface areas. By reducing that risk through paver or flagstone installation, you will be ensuring you’ll avoid future stress with regard to your surface installation.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, hardscape installation is a crucial aspect of making your dream home become a reality. Any one thing or combination of hardscape features will instantly serve to both beautify your home and improve the potential uses of your home. By investing now into your home, you will be able to differentiate from the typical houses in your neighborhood, while providing you, your family, and your friends with the perfect place to meet and socialize.
If you are interested in improving the physical appearance of your home and yard, while also increasing practical uses for it, get in contact with a hardscape installation specialist at The Yard Butler. They will be happy to work with you to help you realize your dream home and ensure it’s the perfect gathering place for years to come.
This might just be the most practical and unique investment you can make into your home!