Landscaping the hard way.

Landscape design has come a long way since prehistoric man first rolled some boulders around the fire to form a windbreak. In fact, today there’s even a term—“hardscaping”—to distinguish inanimate landscaping materials like rock, stone, concrete and wood from living elements like the plants and trees that comprise the “softscape” of the yard.

In the modern hardscape, rock-rimmed fire pits are still hot, but the really hot rocks are the ones used to pave driveways, pathways, patios and pool surrounds.

From gravel, poured concrete, patio slabs and pavers to sandstone, limestone and slate, an extensive variety of manufactured and natural materials is paving the way for paradise at home. With dozens of different colours, cuts and finishes and significant differences in compression strength, water absorption and price, selecting a product can be overwhelming.

“For the homeowner it really comes down to budget considerations, personal preference, and application,” says Halifax landscape designer Linda Van Vulpen.

Given the choice, Van Vulpen prefers to work with local flagstone, a term for natural paving stones that have been quarried and cut as opposed to manufactured. Commonly available in slate, sandstone, limestone, granite and marble, flagstone is low maintenance and durable. It doesn’t have the uniform look of manufactured materials, but for many, the “imperfections” are signs of character that allow it to age more gracefully.

Although you can pay as much as $30 a square foot for some special varieties, prices for flagstone normally range from $5 to $15 per square foot, depending on the type and size of stone. As with most paving products, the prices quoted are for materials only. Some contractors charge by the square foot. Others give a flat fee.

Excluding asphalt, which is commonly used for driveways, the least expensive paving product is the standard 12” X 12” patio stone at about $2 per square foot. Once the material of choice—especially in the 60s when patio lanterns were first popular—the standard concrete slab has been usurped by a new generation of concrete pavers, also known as interlocking brick. Pavers come in a variety of shades and styles, some of which replicate natural stone. Durable, low maintenance and affordable, they’re a practical option for everything from pathways to driveways. At $2.50 to $6 per square foot, they’re more expensive than poured concrete, which has recently become a popular option, but some perform better in Atlantic Canada’s freeze-thaw cycle climate.

“Pavers have come a long way,” says Kevin McGinnis, who handles Innovation and Product Selection for Shaw Brick. “The trend today is toward natural stone products, but we have some new pavers that mimic the look of natural stone while offering the installation advantages and durability of manufactured materials.”

Solid surfaces like poured concrete and asphalt will buckle and crack when the ground freezes and heaves. Pavers will heave with the ground, and if a few chip or crack you can easily replace them.

The average patio is about 400 square feet, so it’s important to consider the cost of materials, installation and long-term maintenance—but not to the exclusion of aesthetics and application. For a cohesive appearance, paving should echo the style of the house and the characteristics of the surrounding landscape. When Jill Covill decided to link an upper garden with a lower path at Bunchberry Nursery in Upper Clements, she consulted Paradise landscape designer Adrian de Montfort.

“I didn’t want cement,” says Covill. Instead she selected local basalt to complement her natural plantings and de Montfort used it to create cantilevered steps and stabilize a long, bare earth bank.

Ornamental steps are a harmonious fit in natural settings, but for a formal front walk they could be inappropriate. Application is as important as appearance when selecting a residential paving material. Rough-textured stones may have their appeal, but smooth surfaces are sometimes preferable for patios—especially those navigated by bikes, trikes, wheelchairs and walkers. A stylish pair of high heels will fare better on a smooth surface and snow will be easier to remove with a shovel, but some smooth paving materials are slippery when wet. For damp areas like pool decks, look for a product that’s rated for slip resistance. Whether a primary walkway or a backyard route to the BBQ, there are materials to meet every need.

There’s no beating around the bush: hardscaping is hard. From the initial design to the selection and installation of appropriate materials there’s much to be gained from professional help. Joy and Gary Morgan had a rough idea of how they wanted to landscape their Mahone Bay home.

“We knew where we wanted the deck and how we wanted to divide the property,” says Joy. “We wanted different materials in the walkway to the house and the path to the dock.”

They began by drawing the initial plan themselves. Joy works as an engineer in the construction business and Gary is trained as an architect, so there was no shortage of ideas. But when the time came to scale the entire project and plan for plantings and stonework they hired Linda Van Vulpen to measure the property and come up with a detailed set of specs. Armed with individual drawings for plantings, perennials and pathways, Joy and Gary got prices from a number of landscape contractors.

“The property is over an acre,” says Joy. “If we had done it ourselves we’d still be lugging a wheel barrow.” Instead they got what she describes as an instant yard—a cohesive, flowing expanse complete with random flagstone patio and stone pathways that lead to the house and the dock. “We considered concrete pavers,” says Joy, “but in the end we went with the slate. It was more expensive, but not substantially so.”

There’s a perception that natural stone is much more expensive than other paving materials. In reality, some of the new upgraded pavers are similarly priced. There’s also a perception that landscaping is done in the spring and summer. While it’s true that the planting season is usually over by late October, with the exception of asphalt and some poured concrete, hardscaping doesn’t require warm weather—just workable soils and strong backs.

“We have until the ground is frozen,” says Linda Van Vulpen, “which in some years means December or even January.”

So don’t worry if there’s no time this summer to put in a new patio. Fall is the perfect time to pick up a stone cutter, hammer, chisel and masonry saw. Actually it’s an even better time to pick up the phone and call a professional landscaper. Sometimes things are hard enough already.

It’s what’s underneath that counts
Climate, elevation and drainage conspire to place specific demands on paving treatments. Look at the lay of the land and make sure there’s ample drainage. To reduce the risk of erosion and ground movement, site preparation should include a level foundation of compacted base materials. For the typical patio, this will require a 6 or 7-inch gravel base with an inch and a half of crusher dust, a fine material used for leveling. A solid foundation goes a long way in withstanding Atlantic Canada’s freeze-thaw cycle.

Garden Floor Chart

Asphalt (asphalt concrete or AC)
Cost: $2 to $5 per square foot
Advantages: inexpensive, recyclable, smooth surface makes a level footing
Disadvantages: requires regular maintenance to fill and seal, over time may need replacement or repair, does not drain well, may crack and heave with freeze-thaw cycle, damaged by prolonged contact with oil and gasoline, repairs can be expensive and result in a patchy appearance, installation restricted to spring and summer.

Bricks
Cost: $5 to $15 per square foot
Advantages: many colours and styles, those rated for severe weather conditions will not crack in the snow or cold. 
Disadvantages: most often limited to geometric pattern

Concrete - Pavers (AKA interlocking brick)
Cost: $2.50 to $6 per square foot.
Advantages: affordable, easily installed and replaced, durable, low maintenance, available in a variety of colours and patterns, good traction for wet areas like pool decks, flexible joints that withstand the freeze-thaw cycle, hardy enough to take the weight of motor vehicles, easily shovelled or plowed, stronger than poured concrete
Disadvantages: may be damaged by salt

Concrete - Slabs
Cost: starts at $2 a square foot
Advantages: smooth surfaces, inexpensive, easily installed, easily replaced
Disadvantages: susceptible to salt damage, visually boring.

Flagstone - Random
Cost: starts at under $5 a square foot
Advantages: strong, long-lasting and low maintenance, distinctive appearance, easy to replace broken or cracked stones, less expensive than square cut flagstone.
Disadvantages: difficult to install, large gaps unless cut to fit, hard to shovel or plow.

Flagstone - Square cut
Cost: $6 to $14 per square foot
Advantages: strong, long-lasting and low maintenance, distinctive appearance, easy to replace broken or cracked stones.
Disadvantages: usually more expensive than manufactured patio stones, more difficult to install because of variations in thickness, hard to shovel or plow.