5 Driveway Types and Their Pluses and Minuses

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Yorktown Heights, NY Driveway

There are at least five major driveway types, as categorized by the material they're constructed from, and each one has its own pluses and minuses.

Asphalt driveways expand and contract, thereby enduring freeze-thaw cycles better than concrete. Their ability to stand up under pressure makes them earthquake resistant. Their attractive smooth surface is easy to walk on. They do require maintenance resealing every three to five years; however, they often look as good as new after the resealing.  When driveways are constructed on a sloping surface, asphalt is preferred over concrete, as concrete sits unevenly in sloping wooden forms. Because asphalt driveways do not take up moisture, water will flow into sewers and streams during and after heavy rains. This may result in toxic runoff and flooding. Asphalt absorbs sunlight and converts it into heat, which can lead to uncomfortable temperature buildups in and around cities.  

Natural stone driveways are elegant, and therefore more expensive to install and maintain. They may erode over time, especially in moist climates prone to heavy freeze-thaw cycles.  Examples of natural stone used in driveway construction include granite, limestone, and sandstone. 

Pebble or gravel driveways consist of stone chippings with or without paved areas. They're rustic looking, the least costly to install, and are often seen in a rural setting where the farmhouse has a long access driveway. They're easy to maintain and can be converted into a solid driveway if the owner wishes. They absorb water, but care should be taken to ensure proper yard drainage around their sides.  In snowy areas pebbles may be accidently removed by the snow plow during the winter and must be replaced every spring.  In rainy locales gravel driveways are prone to erosion. Driveways built on a slope are especially likely to erode.

Concrete driveways have been a favorite choice of homeowners for years. The availability of colored or decorative concrete has greatly expanded the visual possibilities of this genre of construction. Concrete driveways may be installed as open cell blocks or using pervious material, either of which will make them highly resistant to the problems of water runoff.  Concrete driveways are durable; however, they are susceptible to cracks and staining. They're cheaper to install than paver (manufactured stone) driveways, but subsequently more expensive to maintain. They are less flexible than most other driveway constructions and thus susceptible to damage from ground movements or earthquakes. Concrete driveways divert water and reflect heat, which can cause flooding and or uncomfortable temperature buildup.

Paver (manufactured stone) driveways are durable, porous, and come in a sizable assemblage of colors, shapes, and texture combinations. They may be installed as larger architectural slabs or smaller interlocking uniform parts, but only the later are suitable for car traffic.  Being composed of many smaller units, they are resistant to the impacts of weather conditions and earthquakes. They are also safe surfaces, being both skid and slip resistant. Brick pavers have all the aforementioned advantages plus they are colorfast and easy to install. In fact driveways made of brick are ready for use almost immediately after installation. Modern concrete pavers can almost perfectly imitate any natural stone look. So with pre-manufactured concrete pavers, a homeowner can create a beautiful driveway that looks like cobblestone, ancient Roman cut stone, natural brick, or more. Skillful masons engage in paver quilting, combining shapes and colors to form attractive geometric and artistic patterns.

You can see there's lots of variety to choose from when you are planning to install a driveway. Consequently, consulting with an expert is advisable. So, if you live in the Yorktown Heights, NY area or anywhere in Westchester County, be sure to call the Turf Barbers, outdoor masonry specialists, at 914 302 2469 and get answers to all your outdoor masonry questions.  

Resources; the Turf Barbers are masonry experts who buld all types of outdoor driveways in Westchester County, NY 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; 914 302 2469 

Outdoor Stone Mailboxes

 
Stone pier mailbox

Your mailbox is often the first impression people have of your home. A stone enclosedmailbox is a permanent fixture that leaves a strong impression on the viewer. A sturdy mailbox thats inset into or sitting on top of a stone column will never break or be stolen and becomes a permanent part of the home that adds beauty and value to your property 

There are myriads of stone enclosed mailbox styles. Differences  depend on the shape of the pillar, the size, color, placement, and material of the mailbox, the type of stone used (cultured versus natural) , stone color and placement,  house address appearance and placement,  use of just stone or stone veneer,  type of capstone, and the surrounding landscape.  We will consider each of these qualities below. 

Mailbox pillars are usually square and may be squat (pier shaped) or taller and thinner. Some pillars are round. More rarely mailbox  columns are arched or gable shaped. 

Mailbox inserts are frequently made of iron or brass. The mail boxes may  contain the house address on front or not. Most mailboxes are recessed into the stone, though some protrude out. Most mailboxes are brass, dark metallic colored, or grayish; however, they may be white or any other color that strikes the fancy. Most have an arched top and some are wider and some are taller and narrower. Some mailboxes are rectangular shaped. Some mailboxes come with a flag on the side, which permits the mailman to alert the home owner when mail has arrived.

Column stone is broadly divided into natural versus cultured or manufactured stone. Natural stone is rock that has been taken from the natural state. Fieldstone, which refers to stones picked out of the top soil of fields being cleared for agriculture, are often used to create mailbox columns.  In the Plain states fieldstones are usually remnants of rocks left over from the last glacier. In New England, fieldstones were picked out of virgin soil made bare by the lumbering efforts of the early pioneers. They were often piled into natural fences that separated neighboring farms.  Manufactured stones are usually made of Portland cement, aggregates and iron oxides. Modern manufacturing processes allow companies to produce manufactured stone that looks just like any type of natural stone. 

Stone color is partially dependent on the type of stone used and partially dependent on the artistry of the mason. Since most stones come in a variety of colors they can be placed so as to create attractive combinations. For example, fieldstone  comes in beige brown, buff, and tan. New England fieldstone comes in beige, brown, lavender, and tan. Fieldstone from other locales features additional colors. Manufactured brick has its own characteristic shape and comes in a wide variety of colors. By adding circular layers of brick or brick arches to stone pillars the mason can achieve additional color combination s and contrasts.  The appearance of the stone pillar also depends on how the stones are placed together. Stones may be held together with mortar, which creates a traditional look or may be stacked naturally with no mortar between individual rocks. In modern pillars  the visible part of the mortar between rocks is often scraped away so more of the rock shape is visible.

  

Placing the house address on the stone column provides an additional opportunity for the mason to exercise his creativity.  Letters might be placed individually or all together on a metal plate that is inserted into the stone. The address area may be decorated and embellished with a stone or brick arch and or border. The address may appear on the front or side of the column depending on its orientation to the street and may be made in a variety of colors that blend in with or contrast with other colors in the pillar. 

Mailbox columns can be made of whole stone or stone veneer, As opposed to whole stone, veneer is a decorative thin stone,  attached with mortar to the surface of the actual weight bearing structure. Veneer may by thin  (less than 2 inches) or thicker,  2 inches or more. The three most well known veneer stone manufacturers are Cultured Stone, El Dorado, and Coronado Stone Products.While stone veneer is easier to work with than whole stone it is still best installed by a skilled mason.

Capstones add beauty and distinction to mailbox pillars. They are often square, concrete, and around 2/3 of an inch thick. They might have round edges and might be double layered. They can be flat, peaked, or arched, They may have a light,  flowers, or a decorative sculpture on top. Caps can also be metallic and may be flat, peaked or arched. Capstones are often natural stone color; however with the right columns, red, blue. white or other colored capstone can be very attractive. 

Mailbox pillars vary in the type of surrounding landscape they are placed in. Some pillars stand alone and others are part of a wooden, stone, or iron fence. They might be one of two gate pillars.  Sometimes mailbox pillars are placed in a decorative garden bed or  enhanced by a colorful flower display or with a planter on one side. 

Other features that set pillars apart include the use of lighting at the top, near the top, on the mailbox, and or on the address. Some families choose to add a newspaper insert, which is a hole in the column where the delivery man can place the daily newspaper. Because of al the possible selections and combinations, selecting the stone mailbox that is right for your property is a task calling on creativity, knowledge, and deliberation.

Resources:  For help installing a stone mailbox in Yorktown Heights or Westchester County, New York contact the Turf Barbers at 914 302 2469; 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; http://www.theturfbarbers.com  

Unilock Pavers for Outdoor Masonry Projects

Unilock is a national corporation that provides pre constructed pavers for outdoor landscape masonry projects. The company has regional Unilock Outdoor Idea Centers, including one in New York State, where homeowners can go and see paver options in a real life setting. The company website is full of rich information about hundreds of paver options, suitable for any type of outdoor project that uses pavers, and it displays and organizes photos and information about styles for any type of use. Paver installation is an art form and while the website helps owners design and prepare their project, they are encouraged to use a professional landscape company to complete that actual installation. 

The company offers pavers suitable for all applications including Unilock Select, tumbled pavers, permeable pavement, standard pavers, industrial pavements, garden wall blocks, and retaining walls. Each type of paver is briefly described on the main products page and also has its own page, which presents illustrations and various types of applications for which the company manufactures and supplies stones. The products pages are full of ideas and examples of what the different type of stones are used for and how they can be used.

On a separate page, Unilock presents examples of ways in which their pavers may be used in backyard projects. Homeowners can create outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, retaining walls, patio borders, walkways, driveways, and patios. Unilock stones are colorfast, with a wear proof finish that shields them against dirt and oil. The pavers come in a range of natural colors and textures, and are carefully quality tested. Unilock proudly informs customers that they are the first American company to offer a lifetime guarantee on their stone. They will replace, free of charge, any stone that was properly installed, used as directed and yet became defective.

When potential customers are ready to begin designing their project, they can take advantage of all the online and offline tools the company provides to help customers best visualize how their pavers will look in real life. An online mix and match tool allows homeowners to see how various stone paver styles look next to one another. This can help customers design and plan for borders, and to select pavers that match adjacent stone work. Potential customers can also purchase real life sized color sample sheets they can hold next to garage walls, existing structures, house colors in order to get a better idea of how the finished structure will look in real life. When gathering ideas, potential patrons can take home free sample from their closest outdoor idea center and can see how actual pavers might look in their home setting. Finally, a cost estimator page allows serious customers to determine how many pavers they will need to finish their project and the approximate cost. When they are ready to purchase, their order will be packaged in special containers that insure their stones will get to the house safely and in factory condition.

Qualified landscapers can help homeowners formulate their plans, and can also offer custom modifications of the formulated Unilock plan. From driveway to walkway, creating an outdoor paver project amd using the resources that Unilock offers expands the horizons of the imagination, helping homeowners to get the most out of their paver creation.



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Resource The Turf Barbers LLC; 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; 914 302 2469 Yorktown Heights Lawn Mowing Service

Patios Through History and Today

Patio derives from the Spanish word "patio," and means courtyard, forecourt, or yard. The modern patio is an outdoor space adjoining or partly enclosed by the house. It is usually a flat area covered by a hard surface. The patio is used for dining or recreation.

Historically the patio derives from the Roman atrium. The atrium in ancient Rome was an open central court containing the impluvium, a pool for collecting rain water. The atrium evolved to become the Italian cortile. The cortile was an enclosed inner courtyard typically roofless, surrounded by an arcade, and inside of or attached to a building. The cortile typically was found inside large dwelling houses or other large distinguished buildings.

From Italy the patio evolved into the Moorish and Spanish patio. Moorish patios are known for their enhanced privacy. A Moorish patio is typically an inner courtyard with a beautiful tiled surface, and might contain a central pool suitable for bathing. 

The patio was also a major feature in Spanish architecture. Perhaps derived from the Moorish tradition, the Spanish patio was open to the sky, and had a greater amount of seclusion. Due to the hot climate in Spain, patio arcades took on greater importance as places of shelter from the heat and were richly ornamented. By the era of the Spanish renaissance, the patio had become a standard element of residential architecture. It was exported from Spain to Latin America, where it became a standard part of large ecclesiastic structures as well as larger secular and domestic buildings. 

Unlike the Spanish patio, the contemporary American patio is typically a small paved outdoor area that adjoins or is partially surrounded by the home and often partially sheltered. Patios are typically found in the backyard of modern houses and well suited for sitting and relaxing. They often sit between the residence and the garden. 

Modern patios are often constructed from paving slabs, referred to as paving flags Patios may also be constructed with bricks, block paving, tile, concrete, natural paving stones, or cobblestone.

Synonyms for patio include terrace, veranda, sundeck, deck, close, courtyard, enclosure (also inclosure), court, quad, quadrangle, yard. Related words include atrium, galleria, parvis (also parvise), peristyle; forecourt, place, plaza, square; deck, terrace and curtilage.

Reference: The Turf Barbers is a Yorktown Heights, NY landscaping firm that specializes in masonry work including outdoor patio construction ; 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; Call 914 302 2469  or visit our website at http://www.theturfbarbers.com

Stone Pillars in History and Today

Ancient natural stone formations resulting from geophysical forces sometimes resemble pillars. For example the fabulous Lena stone pillars stand along the banks of the Lena River in Russia and draw people on four day peregrinations from Moscow to see them. Many ancient pillar formations have legends ascribed to them. A large rock sitting on Mt. Sodom in Israel is believed by many to be the wife of the biblical figure Lot, who turned to stone as she looked back at the fire and brimstone raining down on Sodom and Gomorra. A group of stone pillars in Kuklica are supposed to be a wedding party turned to stone by a woman designated to marry the groom on the same day as the first wedding. Massive rock pillars in Utah are said to be "Legend People" who the Cayote Trickster turned to stone because of their evil ways.

Stone pillars were sometimes set up to commemorate religious occurrences, such as the stone pillar erected by the Biblical Jacob, or were erected to commemorate historical events, such as the Allahabad Stone Pillar, erected during the reign of King Samudra Gupta, which contains inscriptions of stories about his reign.  In England, stone pillar formations at Stonehenge and Mitchel's fold were ancient astronomical indicators and places of religious ritual. The Katskhi Pillar in Georgia, was used by stylites (pillar saints) - Christian ascetics who lived on its top and eschewed worldly temptations –The practice was stopped late in the 15th century, but recently revived by locals. Modern stone pillars in Snowdon, England are used to guide hikers in the winter months through the treacherous snow covered trails.

Throughout the ages, stone pillars have changed their style and appearance and function. In modern outdoor masonry, stone pillars are used for a number of functional and decorative purposes. Stone pillars in residential homes may be used to decorate and or embellish a gate made of wood or wrought iron. Pillars can support a mailbox, and will include an attached address sign. Pillars are used to accent a driveway entrance, and may stand alone or with a light on top and or an attached  fence. Pillars can help decorate and or support a portico.

Pillars may serve as supports for a pergola. Pillars may stand under a deck as supporting columns or on top of the deck as decorative markers of the deck's border or as support for an awning that sits over the deck. Pillars can decorate the front of a home, enhancing its curb appeal and value. Stone pillars may also be built into a home adding ambience to basements, dining areas, and can frame fireplaces, cooking areas and televisions.

Stone pillars can be round or square, straight up and down, or tapered. They may have a capstone, such as of bluestone or granite, or they may be topped by a light or decorative piece. Stones used for making pillars include fieldstone, sandstone, brick, natural stone, river rock, brown granite, silver granite, limestone, or quartz. Limestone and fieldstone are easier to work with than granite because they are softer and more easily shaped.

Stones come in many colors, which the mason can arrange within a pillar to form attractive color patterns. The mason may fit colored paver stones into the stoneworks to add attractive accents, and pillars can be made to match the stone work in a nearby wall, walkway, or patio. Modern pillars can also be made of veneer stone. There are many durable types of veneer columns, the common factor being that the stone or faux stone is fitted around a pre-made concrete inner base and held in place with mortar.

Custom pillars add boldness, ambience, and distinction to any home's architecture These important, hardscape features add texture and form to the home's outdoor landscaping. From patios, to walkways, to decks, stone pillars can add accent and character to any existing outside feature.

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Resource The Turf Barbers LLC; 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; 914 302 2469 

Hardscaping Theory and Practice

Hardscaping relates to inanimate parts of the landscape, whereas softscaping refers to animate parts of the landscape, such as grass, plants, shrubs, and trees. Hardscape is inclusive of decks, patios, floors, stone or concrete paths, pillars, stone or concrete walls, stone or rock ornaments, and rock gardens. Masonry landscaping is like a subdivision of hardscaping, and is inclusive of traditional masonry projects such as walls, walkways, driveways, patios, and pavers. Some outdoor masonry projects land outside the scope of standard hardscaping and include outdoor fireplaces, brick ovens, and gas barbeques.

Hardscaping has been described as the structural frame of a natural landscape and proper application of hardscaping or masonry improves the natural look of a backyard. Aesthetically speaking,, lifeless hardscape makes the softscape more meaningful. Hardscape also serves a psychological purpose. It's presence in the garden serves as a touchstone for modern man, who lives surrounded by hardscape like objects.


Certain basic principles of design help explain the role hardscape plays in the garden.

1. Hardscape is intrinsically familiar to modern man and serves as a center on which he can focus his attention, while in the natural environment.
   
2. Hardscape features are simple whereas softscape features are complex.
   
3. Hardscape features are relatively permanent compared to softscape features, which change with the season.
   
4. Hardscape features are durable whereas softscape features are vulnerable.

Below are added some additional ideas about hardscaping.

Because hardscape contrasts so well with softscape, even one figure or feature may be effective. Sometimes hardscape serves as accentuation, such as hardscape figures in the landscape, whereas sometimes the hardscape is more about functionality. Functional hardscape requires attention to the details that will enhance its functionality. Hardscape features that appear to cleverly imitate nature may at times be especially attractive, for example, a water fall feature that is built on a slope. At times hardscape features can be designed to imitate nature, and this can be especially attractive, i.e. a waterfall feature built on a slope.

Proper application of these principles can aid the homeowner or professional gardener to introduce attractive hardscape additions to his landscape.

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Resource The Turf Barbers LLC; 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; 914 302 2469 Yorktown Heights, Landscapers