Questions tagged [hard-landscape]

Landscaping term that refers to construction materials used in landscaping. For example [concrete] or brickwork. Use this tag with questions about how to choose materials, how to work with them, or how to maintain them.

Landscaping term that refers to construction materials used in landscaping. Eg. brick, , timber, stone.

Contrast with soft landscape materials which refer to plant materials (grass, shrubs, trees, etc).

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Building natural stone steps

What tips and tricks are there to building steps? can it still be accessible for equipment and the elderly? how can I make it look like it has always been there?
kevinskio
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What tools do I need to build stone steps?

Do I need a lot of specialized tools? Will I have most of these tools already? What do they look like?
kevinskio
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How do I work safely with stone?

Gardening can be very physical. That's part of the fun. Can I work with stone to make walls and steps safely? What should I watch out for?
kevinskio
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Tumbled Bluestone retaining wall

I was thinking about making a short retaining wall for a flower bed in front of my house. We like the way Tumbled Bluestone looks and I was looking for any pointers anyone may have with laying such a material. It wouldn't be very high - I'm guessing…
Chasester
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How steep can a landscaped path/ramp be to qualify as accessible?

If I'm building a ramp, as mentioned in this answer, what are the slope and width requirements to ensure that it qualifies as accessible? (I recognize that there may be varying local regulations. Good answers will qualify the specs with which…
bstpierre
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What problems should I expect to encounter when building stone steps?

How long does a set of steps take to build? Can you create a micro climate with stone work? What worked and what didn't work for the project? Will most issues be apparent right away?
kevinskio
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What do I need to know to build stone steps?

Can I do this safely and economically by myself? What skills do I need to build using natural stone? What's better about doing it yourself? Why wouldn't I hire a contractor? What do I need to know before I start?
kevinskio
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Stone Degree Cut for Fire Pit

I am building a fire pit out of Square driveway type stones. I am trying to figure out at what degree I need to cut them to make them fit together in a circle tight. The squares are 9.75" Sq. How do I figure out at what degree they need cutting, or…
jfreak53
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Solid stone steps or interlocking stones for front stairs

I'm in the process of planning a landscaping project for the front of our house. Is there any clear benefits to using solid stone steps over smaller interlocking stones. My perceived benefits for solid stone steps is that they won't warp or change…
Reactgular
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When building a cinder block wall, how do I attach/level the stacked blocks?

I am doing some garden remodeling, which includes making sunken beds for veggies. To separate the beds, I am stacking cinder blocks. The problem is that the base is not level, and there are some places where existing work means that the blocks can…
Erick T
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Mortar Failure on Border Bricks

enter image description hereI have an outdoor patio in New Mexico bordered in bricks set in Mortar. These bricks were set 5 years ago.They get wet from the sprinklers. They are seperating from the concrete foundation. You can tap the bricks and…
Pat D
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Deck Planning / Building

I am in the process of planning for a deck. I have the deck plans done, but now I am looking at what to do underneath. I have an old concrete patio. It is cracked and not in very good condition. Is it best to remove the patio? or can I secure my…
staples
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Cap off tumbled bluestone wall

Last year I built a dry stacked tumble bluestone flowerbed. It took me a long time to fit it all and it looks great but I ran out of time to work on it. New year and I want to finish it off. I've got about 39 feet of capping to do and it's cost…
Chasester
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Additional aggregate needed or not

I have a gravel driveway that I want to finish with concrete. The driveway is about 200ft on virtually flat property having less than +/-2% grade at any point. It has a runoff ditch that runs along it until the end where my driveway turns 90° and…
DryOnHugs
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