Amplified aesthetics, decreased yard maintenance and an increase in outdoor living space are only a few reasons to invest in outdoor brick paving. Because yard space is especially limited in New York City’s outer boroughs, it can be easy to mismanage the functionality of outdoor space. While lush lawns and wooded areas are lovely added benefits to a property, they are often wasteful attributes in smaller yards. Listed below are 5 benefits and ideas as to how to get the most out of your backyard space:
1. Add an “outdoor room” with pavers– How often are you using your back yard? Paving some or all of your outdoor area will add living space to your home. While simple patios are still common, many people are enjoying the additional benefits of custom built bench seating, fountains, planters and ornate fireplaces or fire pits for those cool crisp evenings in the autumn or spring. With a clean walking surface, you can move from indoors to outdoors freely, taking advantage of all the tolerable seasons for grilling and dining a la fresca.
2. Less maintenance– Most of the time, paving will result in less yearly maintenance in your yard. First and foremost, you might be able to cut out your lawn service if you commit to having the majority of your space paved and the other unpaved areas as places for shrubs and flower beds. Less lawn and deciduous trees will result in much less cleanup throughout the spring and fall seasons. In addition to typical maintenance, paved patios will reduce the amount of dirt tracked indoors during summer grill outs and can sometimes even reduce mosquito population.
3. Just because you pave doesn’t mean you waste space to plant- Paving might take up an area that would otherwise be lawnspace; however, the incorporation of planters and small islands or corners of open ground can be left for any type of flowerbed. To keep your yard green all year long, open boarders and edges can be planted with evergreen plants such as low maintenance Japanese Yew (Taxus), Rhododendron, Juniper, False Cypruss or a handful of Boxwood variates. For those who prefer bursts of color, Black-Eyed-Susans, Cone Flower, Kingswood Torch, several phlox variates and countless other perennials can fill the corners of your yard with a palate full of colors. Perhaps the biggest garden craze right now is edible gardening. Thick clumps of hardy herbs such as variegated oregano, rosemary, purple basil and vibrant nasturtium flowers will not only add organized texture and unusual color to your outdoor space, but you’ll also be able to pick cooking ingredients from every pot!
4. Drainage Issues Resolved- Because of the way brickwork and pavers are installed, drainage issues can sometimes be resolved as their uniform spacing atop reinforced cement allows for proper runoff. Also, unlike cement patios and stamped concrete, most pavers are weather proof to ensure that their condition is maintained over the years.
5. Increase your home’s value- While the inside of a home is usually the biggest factor in deciding whether or not to buy a home, a reasonable yard is usually the second attribute that people are looking for. When adding pavers, you increase the aesthetic of the backyard and also decrease the yearly maintenance. Also, because pavers are treated for harsh weather and leaf decay, the patio/ yard will stay new and clean looking for years to come!
If you’ve ever thought about how pavers could amplify your outdoor living space, but you’re unsure of specific options and designs, please contact us. Our landscape architect will work with you to help you accomplish the dreams and memories that will take place in your new and gorgeous backyard!