RI Landscaper 855RILAWNS

Landscaper Serving Southern Rhode Island Since 2001

SWEATER WEATHER!

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Fall is here and so is sweater weather! Time to sit by the fire in our most comfy clothes and relax after a very hot and dry summer. Are you excited for the season or are you just dreading winter and getting your yard prepared? Don’t stress! Let us take care of it for you. Whether you need your gutters cleaned, your sprinkler system winterized or a fall cleanup, 855-RILAWNS does it all. Want to rake those leaves but you have nowhere to put them? We offer a ‘you rake ‘em, we take ‘em’ service that might be for you. If you put your leaves within ten feet of the curb, we will vacuum and haul them away for you. The leaves are then brought to Earthcare Organic Farm in Charlestown where they are composted and resold as organic material. So much better for our environment than putting in bags for the garbage!

The days are certainly getting shorter! Mowing services continue through the second week of this month and then we’re beginning fall cleanups. If you had a fall cleanup with us last year you are on our list for this year! If you’d like to add gutter cleaning or even a garden clean out, give us a call. We’ve been very fortunate this year to hire some very skilled gardeners that can trim back any of your plants that require pruning for maximum health and blooms next spring.

Our hardscaping teams were busy this year with deck and driveway remodels. Whether you need some boards replaced on your deck or would like a stone edge on your drive, we have the crews that can handle your needs. Now is the time to get it done!

Driveway Remodel

Don’t forget to winterize your lawn equipment! How many times have you put your mower away without draining the gas only to find it won’t start the following spring? Popular Mechanics has a great article on the steps for preparing your mower for winter storage. Want someone to do it for you? We have a mechanic who will pick up, service your equipment, and return it back to you. Don’t want to be bothered mowing next year? Now is the perfect time to get an estimate for service in 2021.

Let us take the stress out of fall so you can sit back and relax!

Enhance Your Property with Crushed Seashells

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If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly, classically beautiful, budget friendly material to enhance your property, then crushed seashell may be the answer.  This material not only adds property value and curb appeal, but it’s better for the planet too. Are you considering an upgrade to your walkways or driveway? Are weeds overtaking your gardens? Do you have a high traffic area that would benefit from a walkway? If so, read on to find out more about using this versatile material.

Limiting your paved surfaces will help keep our water clean and help prevent flooding in your community. Permeable surfaces, like crushed shell, help combat the issues of surface runoff. According to the USGS Water Science School, “As watersheds are urbanized, much of the vegetation is replaced by impervious surfaces, thus reducing the area where infiltration to groundwater can occur. Thus, more stormwater runoff occurs—runoff that must be collected by extensive drainage systems that combine curbs, storm sewers, and ditches to carry stormwater runoff directly to streams. More simply, in a developed watershed, much more water arrives into a stream much more quickly, resulting in an increased likelihood of more frequent and more severe flooding.” As water travels through our streets and sewers, it picks up sediments and pollutants, which then end up in our watershed. When rainwater can quickly be absorbed into permeable surfaces, it has less of a chance to cause flooding or pollution.

Another benefit of crushed shell is that it actually feeds the soil! As the shell breaks down it adds calcium and chitins to the soil. Chitins are used to make an ingredient in many fertilizers which helps to stimulate plant growth and help with resistance to certain fungi. When used for driveways and walkways, this natural fertilization may add to that dramatic look of white shell against lush green grass. It’s also a great reason to use shells in a garden as mulch.

An oceanfront house in Bridgehampton, NY, by Stelle Lomont Architects. Photo by Francesca Giovanelli, Kay Wettstein von Westersheimb.

 

 

 

 


A crushed shell path in Colonial Willamsburg. Photo by Justine Hand.


A very low maintenance crushed shell garden with ornamental grasses.

Although fairly uncommon, crushed shell as mulch is gaining popularity for obvious reasons. Not only is it better for the soil but it is a fantastic barrier against weeds. Mixing the shell with seagrasses results in an extremely low maintenance garden. Unless you have a sloped garden, shells will do fantastic. They will also keep your soil warmer than typical mulch, which is helpful in our cooler climate.

When purchased in bulk, crushed shell is comparable to gravel in price and usually less than asphalt, concrete, or stone. Less maintenance is also required since weeds are much less an issue than with gravel, it won’t crack like asphalt or concrete, and ruts won’t be an issue like with gravel or stone. You will occasionally need to fill in more shells to replenish your driveway as they breakdown. 

All in all, we think crushed shell is a great alternative to use in hardscapes. Being the Ocean State, it’s only logical to use our abundant natural resources responsibly and do our part to keep the water clean. Classically beautiful and environmentally friendly; who could ask for more!?

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An 855-RILAWNS crushed seashell driveway immediately after completion.

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How To Pick The Best Pavers For Your Patio

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Patios make great additions to any house for a multitude of reasons. They make your outdoor space more enjoyable and can provide you with years of enjoyment if designed and installed correctly. Regardless of the reason you might want one, whether it be for relaxation or entertainment, it is very important to create a comfortable outdoor space, especially during the warmer months. Patios increase the usable living space of your home and are multi-functional. They can be used as a space to read, eat, lounge, cook, and to host an array of other activities. Even if you choose not to use it as a dining area or as place to have parties or celebrations for your family and friends, patios are guaranteed to help improve and add to your home’s value and create a fun atmosphere to use whichever bests fits your lifestyle.

 

A perk of getting a patio installed is the creative aspect of landscaping! Luckily, there is a variety of decorative stones, rocks and gravel that you can choose from that have multiple uses in and around your home. Other than patios, they can be used for mulch, ground cover, driveways and filler around pools! Your home’s curb appeal relies heavily on how your landscaping looks relative to other homes in your neighborhood.

 

In recent years, pavers have been very popular – the more common styles being clay and stone. Clay pavers will last a lifetime and stone can add an elegant and sophisticated look to your backyard. However, you should know that natural stone, brick and concrete are the three most basic types of paver materials; there are a wide variety of colors and styles to choose from!

 

Natural Stone

Natural stone is most commonly available, although it is more expensive than the other options. Most stones work as pavers. Flagstone, marble, sandstone, limestone, slate, and granite are often see in patios.

 

Multi-colored natural stone paver patio

Brick

While brick has been around forever, it remains a popular choice of many homeowners. There are a wide variety of textures available and it is strong and resilient. Be wary when shopping because the word “brick” is sometimes used to describe the shape of the stone, rather than the actual material. For example, you might see “concrete bricks,” however they aren’t technically bricks at all.

 

Moreover, clay brick pavers have many advantages such as their color retention. They’re colored naturally because they are mixed from various types of clay and retain color better than concrete, especially when exposed to UV rays. Although bricks may chip and crack over time due to traffic and moisture, they last for decades! Clay bricks require minimal maintenance as well because of their resistance to staining. Furthermore, bricks have a timeless, charming look and style to them and are also eco-friendly (which we love!!). A lot times they are salvaged, cleaned and reused, which goes along with our commitment to sustainability.

 

However, a concern is that they can be 15% to 20% more expensive than concrete and they have limited color choices, as well as shape (usually rectangular in shape and) and size. However, it can be fun setting them in unique patterns and exploring the different finishes available to add character.

 Multi-colored clay brick pavers

 

Concrete

Most recently concrete products have made a resurgence in both the inside and outside of the home. Concrete comes in many different styles and patterns as well and is durable. They’re made from cement and aggregate that is poured, compressed, and air cured. Some of the positive attributes associated with concrete pavers are that in can mimic stone and that it is inexpensive because the lower cost of raw materials.

 

Some cons are that the color in Classic concrete pavers can fade quicker than other choices because sun exposure can damage the pigments that are used to dye them. I would recommend Unilock Enduracolor concrete pavers for long-lasting color or use a sealant to help keep the color rich on the Classic pavers. However, be aware of surface erosion as it takes away the smooth finish and exposes more of the aggregate underneath. In addition, pay attention to the quality when purchasing concrete pavers. The durability and strength will vary depending on how the manufacturer makes it and it can be difficult to know what kind of quality you’re paying for at times. For a fun look, check out interlocking concrete pavers! They have tabs and slots so they fit together like puzzle pieces.

 

Interlocking concrete pavers

 

The best part about pavers is…

They are almost maintenance free! Feel free to sweep and clean them regularly to enhance their longevity and appearance if you’d like.To clean most pavers, you can make a mix of 10 parts water to one part vinegar and for brick, try using water and a small bit of detergent. Pressure washers can help them clean as well. In addition, to minimize staining, you can also seal some types of pavers.

 

If you’re unsure which type to go with, remember that you’re not confined to only one! Try mixing materials like brick and concrete together or stone with a rock trim, for a neat, unique look to showcase your personality and style. You always have choices! Picking out pavers for your backyard doesn’t have to be boring.

 

Fortunately for you, our hardscaping services allow you to install any type of landscape construction, including patios, walkways, pool areas, and many more. To learn more or to request an estimate, click here. 

Project Highlight: Patio with Wall Border & Planting Beds

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For this month’s project highlight, we would like to direct your attention to this brand new patio we built with a wall border accent and some added planting beds. Our client recently moved into a new home and once they were settled in realized it was time to add a beautiful new outdoor living space to their yard for some added outdoor relaxation as well as a place to entertain guests. Once they found out about our summer patio special, the rest was history.

After a quick yet detailed consultation, we had an excellent plan in place to add a patio that would be exactly what these clients had in mind. Things that they were looking for specifically were sharp edges using Brussels Dimensional within the wall with built in flower beds and a rounded coping top to provide a nice, aesthetically pleasing yet functional design so that guests may have extra comfortable seating.

We began by excavating the designated area down ten inches into the ground which was followed by pouring eight inches of gravel to help with any settling that may occur. We also installed a custom drain pipe to avoid any water buildup that would risk displacing the stones in the patio and lead to permanent damage. The patio itself is made up of Brussels Block concrete pavers as well as Town Hall black accent pavers. The nice thing about the Town Hall pavers is that they are permeable which means that water can travel through them and avoid any water buildup that might occur on the patio after rainfall or any accidental spilling of beverages or other liquids.

Overall there were no problems or obstacles with this installation, but one piece that did require special attention was the landing that connects from the bottom of the deck stairs to the newly built patio. Many precise cuts were required to make the stones fit together perfectly. With the careful attention to detail that we pride ourselves on at A Cut Above, this was as easy as drinking a cold lemonade on a hot summer day. Like what you see? Schedule a consultation now and let us build your new patio so that you can enjoy it before this beautiful warm weather comes to an end!

Project Highlight: New Walkway With Paver Edging

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We recently completed hardscape construction project that we are very proud of and would like to take this opportunity to highlight another successful job by our team.

Our client came to us with a failing walkway that she wanted replaced in order to help her with the sale of her house in Bonnet Shores, Narragansett. The walkway was actually failing in multiple ways. There was soil and grass coming up through the bottom of the walkway, and the sand dollar concrete steppers were all crumbling. We also needed to replace the border to not only prevent the migration of stones out of the walkway, but also prevent the migration of mulch from the surrounding flower beds into the walkway.

Our team decided to go with a Holland Stone paver for the border. Holland Stone always adds a touch of elegance to any project and is very versatile and beautiful addition to any walkway, driveway, or patio. Our client loved the original stone look of the walkway and actually wanted more stones added, so this was perfect. She also wanted to add an apron that we tied into the walkway using natural curves on either side. Adding curves to a walkway like this rather than leaving it straight can give it a more organic and inviting look and feel. Making sure that the curves match exactly on either side of the walkway tends to be the most difficult part of a hardscaping job like this, but we were able to overcome this challenge with relative ease. With a new, more durable and aesthetically pleasing stone walkway installed, our client will surely have an easier time accomplishing her goal of selling the house.

If you have any hardscaping ideas you’ve been considering, now is the time to give us a call. Any hardscape construction project completed before the end of July will receive a discount of 10%! This can include patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls, and more. Visit our hardscaping page for more information, and contact us today so we can help bring your ideas to life.