Jun 13, 2020 | hardscape, home appeal, landscape, pavers, retaining wall, stone
You are looking at your home in all its homeliness and just think to yourself, “This house is the best house in the world, and nothing can possibly destroy it.”
Well, not so fast. There is a secret menace that lurks in the wind and water that is plotting to destroy your home.
This villain’s name? Soil erosion, and it can wipe your home off the face of the earth in a matter of minutes.
But how does soil erosion work its horrible magic? When torrential rain comes falling, it lands on the ground, right? Well, when there is a slope in your yard, that water goes down that slope, taking soil along with it, which can cause your abode to be flooded with water, causing thousands in damage to your home.
But do not fear, as there are many things you can do to keep your house safe. One of the most effective of these is the use of a retaining wall to keep that soil from being swept away.
But what is a retaining wall? Think of a retaining wall as a sort of dam for soil that keeps it where you want it to be. Most of the time, they are used to prevent water from sweeping soil and nutrients down a slope and careening towards your house, causing severe damage to your home. Essentially, they are a simple way to prevent flash flooding that can wreak havoc on your house.
They can be made of just about anything that is strong enough to keep soil at bay, so anything from simple bricks to large rocks is fair game to make a retaining wall with.
But retaining walls do not just keep soil from moving. A good retaining wall needs to satisfy the following requirements:
- It can hold soil in place
- It can drain away water and channel it properly
If your retaining wall satisfies both, your defenses are nice and strong, and you can rest assured that your house is safe. They can also serve a decorative purpose as they can be used to create multiple terraces on which you can grow a garden to give yourself another layer of protection. If you are still anxious after using these techniques, you can use other methods like natural barriers to keep water away from your home.
So, retaining walls do sound like a good idea, but should you build your own retaining walls? It can be done given the right amount of time and lots of research, but you should seriously consider what is at stake: your own home. An improperly built retaining wall can make the problem worse than it already is and lead to severe damage, particularly to your basement and foundation.
It is a much better idea to enlist the services of a respectable contractor like Fritz Stoneworks. Contact them at 636-861-1530 to enlist their services to help you keep your home safe from soil erosion and its horrific effects.
Jun 5, 2020 | hardscape, home appeal, pavers, retaining wall, stone
Happy to be home right now? What if your home just disappeared suddenly?
Unfortunately, this happens quite often due to an unlikely foe: soil erosion. On average, 75,000 Americans are driven from their homes due to flash flooding from soil erosion every year.
This is an appalling statistic that should not exist. Luckily, there are things we can do to keep things like this from happening. One thing we can do is install a retaining wall that holds soil in place and channels water away from your house, keeping you and your family safe from flash flooding.
But what is so special about retaining walls? Here are five reasons why you should invest in a retaining wall installation as soon as possible.
They are a great decorative feature.
Retaining walls do not have to be boring and bland. In fact, it is encouraged to make retaining walls look good in whatever way possible. Whether it be a terrace garden, LED lighting, or interesting materials, anything that does not sacrifice the ability to hold soil in place or channel water away from your home is fair game.
They prevent sinkholes.
Let’s face it, sinkholes are terrifying. At the drop of a hat, one could open under you and you could never be seen again. One man was swallowed up by a sinkhole while he was sleeping, never to be seen again.
Thankfully, retaining walls are particularly good at preventing things like this from happening. They do this by keeping soil where it should be and by keeping pools of water from forming, which makes sure the conditions needed for a sinkhole do not happen in your backyard.
It can make your property more manageable.
Getting a retaining wall for your property is one of the best ways to prevent soil erosion from wreaking untold havoc on your property. It does this by not only keeping wet soil in one place, but also channels water in a way that directs away from your house, keeping any erosion that takes place away from your home and out of mind, giving you confidence that your home will be safe from a flash flood.
It raises your home’s resale value.
Since retaining walls can be dolled up to look as good as possible, they can help your home attract far more prospective buyers when it comes time to sell. It shows them the property was well cared for and that it is a safe place to live, driving up its value as a result.
It can create more space.
If your yard is very hilly, a retaining wall can free up space for you to use. You may be thinking, “Wait a minute, wouldn’t that reduce the space you have?” Well, there are many outdoor activities that require a flat piece of land, like gardening. A retaining wall can open up flat land your gardening partner or relative can use to train their green thumbs.
So as you can see, retaining walls have plenty of benefits that you will definitely appreciate in your life. If you want to learn more about other benefits like these, contact Fritz Stoneworks at 636-861-1530 to learn how a retaining wall may be just the thing you need.
May 15, 2020 | hardscape, home appeal, landscape, landscaping, lanscape company, pavers, stone, stone pathway
The value of your property is based on location, amount of property, and improvements on that property. When the majority of people consider the improvements on a property they consider the home or structures like storage sheds and buildings. They also think about amenities like pools and hot tubs because those items make a property more appealing to buyers, and thus the property becomes more valuable.
One of the things you can do to increase the value of your property is to create stone pathways from the major points of interest. When you leave out of the front door to walk to the driveway or to the street in front of the property you do not want to walk through the grass or across an unlevel ground.
If you create a pathway from the front door to the street by laying brick or stone pavers you will create a level walkway that allows you to not get your feet wet or dirty when you are traveling the path. Even if it has just rained outside you can travel the stone path and not get dirty doing so.
The benefits of a stone pathway
- The stone path is level and will allow you to walk safely and take fewer chances of falling, tripping, or turning an ankle.
- The inside of the home will stay cleaner because you are not walking through dirt or grass before you walk into the home. You track in less dirt because your shoes pick up less dirt.
- The lawn looks better with a stone path than it would with a beaten-down trail that you make by traveling over the same area repeatedly.
- You can add interesting lighting and borders to stone paths to dress them up even more
- Your home instantly has increased curb appeal when you create the stone pathways
Stone pathways are alluring to prospective buyers because they can see all of the benefits of having these paths that are level, safer to navigate, and cleaner to travel.
Where to place stone pathways on your property
The obvious places for stone pathways are from your front door to the most frequently traveled places like the driveway or the street in front of the house. It there are flower beds, gazebos, or areas of particular interest in the front section of the lawn you can also create a stone path leading to those areas.
When you exit the back door of the home you will want a path that leads to any storage buildings you may have in the back section of the property. You also want a path leading to any outdoor attractions like pools, tennis courts, patios, outdoor kitchens, game areas, or particular places of interest that you might frequently travel.
To learn more about stone pathways and all of the options you have in making them contact the experts at Fritz Stoneworks at 636-861-1530. The friendly staff will be able to answer all of your questions and help you make the best choices according to your location, budget, and ideas.
May 5, 2020 | hardscape, home appeal, kitchen, outdoor kitchen
Outdoor kitchens are more popular than they have ever been. Not too many years ago an outdoor kitchen consisted of a grill, possibly a sink and countertop, and a table to serve the food at. Then people began to realize that they liked cooking and entertaining outdoors. They liked the freedom of being out of the house, and the no-fuss of cooking and dining outside when friends and family came to visit.
Once the benefits of outdoor cooking became apparent to more people then outdoor kitchens started to take on a new look and purpose. Today there are elements you can add to your outdoor cooking space that make the food preparation, cooking and cleaning up easier than ever before.
Cabinets
Cabinetry with stone, or stainless steel, countertops is being added to outdoor cooking spaces. The cabinetry allows you to have cooking vessels and utensils already close at hand so you do not have to bring them from inside the house and put them back after the entertaining is over.
These cabinets are complete with drawers and storage space. They are designed to withstand the heat and humidity that exterior positioning creates. They also give you the counter space you need to cook fabulous meals from beginning to end without going back inside the house.
Sinks and Appliances
You know that you need to run water in order to prepare food. The latest outdoor kitchen additions are sinks, dishwashers, wine coolers, and refrigerators. You can have a sink with hot and cold running water so you can wash and prepare your food.
You can have mini-fridges under the countertops or you can install full-size refrigeration units in upright cabinets that are built to protect the appliance from water exposure or exposure to any of the outdoor elements.
You can also install a dishwasher so you can stop using the throwaway plates and glasses when you eat outside. You save money by not having to buy the disposable dinnerware and you save the environment by not adding more waste to the landfills. Your dishes are kept outdoors, cleaned outdoors, and ready to use whenever you are ready to entertain.
The addition of a wine cooler under the countertop will allow you to have chilled adult beverages at the perfect sipping temperature. You will not have to bring the wine out with you when you come or go back inside to retrieve the wine when you are ready to serve.
Stoves
I am not talking about simple gas or charcoal grills. I am talking about stoves that have working ovens, four or more burners, griddles, and grills. I am talking about some of the finest cooking appliances available today.
Lighting
Outdoor spaces with this many amenities need the perfect outdoor lighting so you can see to entertain no matter what time of day or night it is. You can have soft lighting around the perimeter and brighter lights over your work area so you can always see to do what you want to do.
Final Thoughts
If you would like to know more about creating an outdoor kitchen that takes the work out of entertaining contact the professionals at Fritz Stoneworks at 636-861-1530. They can help you learn about all of the options available in your area. They can help you with every phase of your outdoor kitchen construction or renovation.
Apr 22, 2020 | aroma therapy, hardscape, home appeal, landscape, lanscape company, lighting, natural landscape, retaining wall, waterfall
In this hectic world that we live in stress has become a number one problem. To reduce stress you need to have a place where you can relax and take time to rejuvenate yourself. You need this relaxing space to be close to home so you can visit it often. Just imagine having your own Puerta Vallarta or Turks and Caicos and it be just mere steps away. You need an at-home oasis that you can kick your shoes off, grab a beer, take a deep breath, and let out the deepest sigh imaginable.
To establish a relaxing space that is close enough to visit often you only need to look as far as your backyard. On your own property you can create a unique and inviting spot to relax and enjoy. The majority of the time when we think about creating outdoor spaces on our property we think about creating spaces where the children can play or where we can entertain. It is time to forget the kid’s desires and forget entertaining guests; you need to concentrate on an outdoor spot that is designed for you.
Waterfalls are Relaxing
Have you ever listened to a waterfall cascading over rocks? The sound is calming and makes you feel at peace with nature and with yourself. While listening to the water gently flowing over the rocks you can push the stresses of work, family and life aside and allow yourself to relax.
Waterfalls are great features to add to the landscape of your property. The size of the waterfall will depend on your personal preferences, and the size of the space you are creating. The waterfall can be used as a water feature that brings water to plants and shrubs, or it can be made to deliver water to your pool.
Aroma Therapy
Certain aromas can put the most stress-induced person into a calmer state. For instance, the smell of lavender can easily relax you and your partner after a long day at work. To help create a space where you can relax and leave the cares of the world behind you can plant lavender, and other aromatic plants close to your space.
Aloe Vera plants improve the quality of the air you breathe. Gerbera daisies also help improve the air by removing some of the toxins. Rosemary is an herb that helps reduce stress and improve your memory.
When you picture your relaxing spot in your back yard picture the sounds of a waterfall and the aromas of stress reducing plants.
A Living Space
You need a comfortable place to sit and enjoy these sounds and aromas. Creating a small patio space with pavers will allow you to have a spot to place a comfortable furniture set, or just a couple of chairs. You need some tables beside those chairs so you can set your iced tea glass down, and a fire-pit or outdoor fireplace will allow you to enjoy your space even when autumn starts to bring a chill to the air.
Establishing an area that has pavers as a foundation will keep you from having to move the furniture so you can mow. It keeps the furniture cleaner, and allows everything to sit level.
If you want to know more about how to establish an outdoor space that is perfectly relaxing call the experts at Fritz Stonework and Retaining Walls, (636-861-1530). You can also visit their website to get inspiration for your personal oasis. https://fritzstonework.com/
