10 hot tips for upgrading your property with hardscapes

More and more Americans are upgrading their properties and turning their backyards into their own private ‘staycation’ resorts. You may as well, since your home is your castle! Any good castle makes use of pavers and hardscapes, so here are some hot tips for you to help you transform your home from bland to grand.

Does hardscaping add value to a home? Here's a hot tip. According to some real estate experts, adding new hardscaping and landscaping to a home can increase the home's property value by anywhere from 5% to 15%, depending on the initial value of the home and the current market. So yes, hardscaping does add value to a home!

What is softscape and hardscape? Want a hot tip for creating a beautiful outdoor space? Add both softscapes and hardscapes! Softscapes often refer to landscaping, but such installations can also refer to non-plant-based installations that are soft, like artificial turf, synthetic grasses, and water features. Hardscaping refers to hardened installations like stone, brick, pavers, concrete, flagstones, etc.

How do you remove stains from hardscape? A hot tip for removing stains from a hardscaped surface is to mix about 1/2 cup of baking soda with one gallon of water. This creates a gentle, non-abrasive cleaning solution. For an added cleaning effect, add 1/8 cup of liquid dish detergent; any brand will suffice. Spray and soak the solution onto the hardscape surface using your preferred sprayer. Let the solution sit on the surface for 30 minutes, then scrub it with a nonabrasive scrubber and rinse. For heavily stained or mildewed, mossy, moldy, or slippery patios, you may need a pressure washer and plenty of elbow grease!

Does hardscaping include front porch steps? It does! And for a tip regarding front porch steps, most hardscape professionals recommend making the front porch step the focal point of a home's hardscaping. The front porch is likely the first aspect of your home that visitors will see; hence why it should be the most professional, best-looking, best-designed aspect of your home's hardscaping. Take your time with the front steps and make sure they're professionally designed and installed.

Do you need to seal stone hardscapes? That depends entirely on the type of stone you're working with. However, as a general tip, there is never any harm or detriment in sealing a stone hardscape, but here are many potential benefits. Those benefits vary depending on what type of stone you use. For example, particularly colorful stones should be sealed, as the sun will slowly bleach the stones over time.

Do most hardscapes lay concrete? Here's a hot tip regarding who to hire for the concrete aspects of your hardscaping. While hardscape and landscape contractors do not usually own cement trucks and therefore do not often lay large areas of concrete, such professionals do mix and pour concrete on smaller jobs. If your hardscaping installation is just a few dozen or even a couple hundred square feet, your hardscaping contractor can probably take care of it. If your concrete needs are in the thousands of square feet, you may need to hire a concrete contractor.

Are pavers considered permeable hardscape? That depends on how they're installed. Here's a tip for installing pavers. When placing the pavers, leave some space between the pavers, and add fine-grain gravel or sand into the cracks when you're done. This method will take any paver installation and add a degree of permeability to that hardscape.

How much does it cost to hardscape a backyard? As a general rule, hardscaping costs $15 to $50 per square foot, depending on the homeowner's needs. But as a general tip for reducing cost, consider doing most of the design work yourself. And if you're willing to do some manual labor on your own, you can pick aspects of the project to do by yourself, which will also save you some money.

What is the difference between hardscape and landscape? Hardscaping refers to any installation in an outdoor space that involves non-plant-based or “hard,” artificial aspects. Porches, decks, patios, pool decks, outdoor dining areas, walking paths, driveways, and parking areas are all hardscape installations, assuming they include stones, pavers, bricks, or concrete. Landscaping, on the other hand refers to any and all plant-based outdoor installations, including grass yards, flowers, mulched beds, trees, shrubs, and gardens.

Does hardscaping include mulch? It can, though mulch is not an inherent component of hardscaping. Here's a tip, add mulch on the outside of your.

What’s Next?

That wraps up our 10 hot tips on how to improve your property with hardscapes. We hope you found it useful!

While you’re DIY’ing if you happen to get stuck and all seems hopeless, feel free to reach out to us. We’d love to answer any questions you have.

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