Patios, Pavers and Fire Pits...Oh My!
Hardscapes Make Outdoor Living Easy
Living in Asheville and WNC gives homeowners one luxury that many in other parts of the country don’t have, outdoor living you can enjoy almost year-round. Whether you’re looking for a patio with old-world charm, a driveway that will give you mass curb appeal, or a walkway with contemporary flair pavers offer a wide variety of colors and styles to select from.
Pavers have become a very popular choice for backyard patios, driveways and walkways are pavers in the past ten years. They provide a beautiful, custom paving solution that installs quickly and is ready for use as soon as the project is complete. Pavers allow for a lot of design creativity too, and can be used on small or large patios. Patio pavers are made of concrete, brick or stone and the real draw of pavers for homeowners is that they can be laid in striking patterns.
Pavers come in contemporary modular, traditional cobble and brick pavers, and options with the look and texture of natural stone patio pavers. And of course, you can use natural stone but that can be more expensive. Many paving stones can also support vehicular loads to create stunning driveways. And the cherry on top, they last forever, much longer than standard concrete...with a much more
luxurious look.
And paver stones are not just to walk or drive on, they are used extensively for retaining walls, seating, firepits and fireplaces. A professional hardscape designer and contractor can assist in tying all that in together too.
Fire Pits and Fireplaces:
Nothing says outdoor living like sitting around with family and friends enjoying a fire in your own backyard. And designing an outdoor living room or outdoor kitchen with modular pavers is significantly faster and less expensive than building a similar design from scratch on site.
Companies like Belgard or Techo-Bloc for example, are built in a controlled factory setting and shipped in pieces to be quickly installed in a matter of hours by an experienced crew, where similar designs by scratch could take weeks to construct. What this means to you is less disruption to your lifestyle and less installation cost too.
Fire pits are on fire (no pun intended) here in Asheville since Covid. “We are doing more firepits now than ever before, and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon, even after Covid is gone” said Nick Cardillo of The Yardfathers, a Belgard authorized contractor here in Asheville.
Outdoor Kitchens
Kitchens are the heart of our homes, but an outdoor kitchen, is a well-defined space that craves a culinary experience, coziness, functionality and good times. Undoubtedly, humans have an affinity for nature. And what better way to get from the indoors to an outdoor living space than with a professionally
designed and built outdoor kitchen?
Depending on the time of the year or a particular season – the outdoors has a mesmerizing charm that is enjoyed by everyone, so why not move the kitchen outdoors! Depending on your personality and design style – you could choose from a simple minimalist outdoor kitchen to a rustic farmhouse style or even a contemporary feel. And of course, sturdy decorative patio pavers are an important aesthetical element in your outdoor living space to give you a solid foundation for a great outdoor kitchen and living experience.
Retaining Walls
As you know retaining walls are pretty common and many times necessary in Western North Carolina. For one, retaining walls mostly provide necessary structural support for homes and backyards. Even a simple planter.
And a paver or stone retaining walls are a beautiful part of any hardscape product. “We do a lot of retaining walls here in Asheville and many times our clients feel it’s the most attractive part of their backyard” says Cardillo. “There is definitely an important functionality to it of course” he adds.
This can also save you from huge headaches as a homeowner down the road too. For a retaining wall to provide this support, it needs to be installed correctly, probably professionally to give you a
piece of mind.
Hardscapes Give You a Good ROI Too
Professional hardscaping and landscaping not only boost’s your home’s value and generates a higher return on investment (ROI), it can also transform your outdoor space into a sanctuary to enhance your overall lifestyle.
ROI on Landscaping & Hardscaping
Landscape economist John Harris was quoted in a realtor.com story saying landscaping and hardscaping can contribute over 20% of your home’s overall value. Considering how important curb appeal is to the average home buyer, it’s not surprising that well-designed hardscapes and landscapes are a valuable (and marketable) feature. That’s nothing to sneeze at, and it should definitely make you think twice about putting off your property’s landscaping and hardscaping needs.
Here are a few hardscape projects that give a great return: Fire Pits/Fireplaces 71%, Paver or Stone Patios – 69% and Outdoor/Patio seating/dining areas – 64%.
The bottom-line, outdoor living is a big part of why we love to call Asheville home. Most of us spend way too much of our time inside. Let’s move to the great outdoors, and there is no easier place to enjoy that then in your own backyard. And let pavers functionality and style, pave the way.
You can reach The YardFathers at
(828) 490-0361 or Info@theYardFathers.com.