The Components of Hardscaping
Creating a dream yard with winding paths, a gracious patio, sitting and retaining walls, a fire pit or maybe a dramatic rock waterfall that sends soothing sounds across your personal sanctuary can represent a significant expenditure. This, however, is money well spent in the long run. Beyond elevating the value of your life experience, Marcus Celiano, owner of Golden Wolf Landscape & Design, LLC, attests that hardscaping has the highest ROI (return on investment) of any home improvement. “Everyone has a kitchen, everyone has a master bath, but not everyone has the unique spaces that really make a house into a home,” he says.
Hard Choices
Styles evolve and new products introduce different options for defining spaces. The standard 6x9-inch pavers from 15 years ago have more recently been eclipsed by the incorporation of three sizes of pavers – small, medium, and large –with a different color or style of border. More elegant, higher-end projects tend to feature big slab pavers measuring 2-feet or 3-feet square.
Pavers are made from concrete with other additives and formed in a press under very high pressure to harden them. Some have colors added, or sealers to make them more durable and stain resistant.
An alternative to concrete-based pavers is natural stone that comes from the earth and doesn’t need to be manufactured or processed, such as bluestone and flagstone. Another line of natural stone product is thin, veneer-style finishing stone that goes over a concrete cinder block retaining wall and creates the look of a solid stone wall.
Although Golden Wolf rarely uses bricks as pavers, they can be used in a more masonry application rather than a hardscaping application. Bricks are made of clay and/or shale and dried in a kiln, producing a very durable ceramic product.
Quality Assurance
As a Techo-Bloc Certified Hardscape Contractor, Golden Wolf sources hardscape products from Techo Pro, an industry leader. The company is also certified by ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute), an organization that sets industry standards, and they teach and train their hardscape technicians in these top-notch practices. Another certification comes from NCMA, the National Concrete Masonry Association, which oversees the standards of installing of retaining walls. “Very intense and extensive training goes into learning hardscaping skills,” Celiano says. “We believe in our products and the people who out there managing and installing projects.”
Alliances
Golden Wolf has forged strong relationships with subcontractors across a spectrum of specialties, from swimming pools installation to sport courts for tennis or basketball. “We want to make this a turnkey process for our clients,” Celiano says, noting that they also work with irrigation companies, electricians, plumbers, engineers, architects, and really any other kind of specialist required for the job.
Conversation and Collaboration
While Celiano believes that a well-executed hardscaping project should look appropriate and harmonious within the entire space, “like it’s been here forever.” Along the way, Golden Wolf shares their ideas and beliefs with the homeowner. These honest and open conversations throughout the entire planning, design and preparation process are important. “Hardscaping is more like construction than landscaping, and once we’ve gotten permits and approved designs and there’s a crew out digging it can be very costly to change things – or we may not even be able to,” Celiano says, explaining that expectations vs. reality can be challenging to bring together. “The expectations have to be clear about what the homeowner wants and what we can feasibly do within budget and within building codes, and what makes the most sense for the area.”
Codes and Clarity
One of the issues Golden Wolf needs to be aware of in Northern New Jersey is impervious coverage, which means the total amount of area on a lot or property that does not allow water to percolate back into the ground. A driveway, walkway or a house is impermeable; grass is permeable. (Impermeability affects the storm water system.) “We need to have the calculation about how much we can install before going over that threshold – that’s important to know since every single property or lot size is different,” Celiano reports. Going over that limit could involve a variance, which is a lengthy and costly process involving lawyers and going to the town.
Rules vary from one township to another, and there are certain products purposely designed to allow water to seep into certain structures. Unfortunately, this newer technology is not accepted by every township.
Another issue endemic to this region are setback rules for wetlands, established by the Department of Environment Protection (DEP). Encroaching too closely to these areas that protect nature and wildlife can incur hefty fines. Fortunately, clients have Golden Wolf to look after these details.
Doing It Right
Celiano relates the disappointment he feels when Golden Wolf is called because a less-than-professional crew had originally been hire for a job. “It’s upsetting because it’s a waste of time and a waste of money, and it could have been prevented,” he says. “Being able to contact a professional who knows the process and abides by it to make sure everyone is safe and not at risk, leads a seamless process start to finish. That’s what we’re here to provide.”
If you are not currently a customer of Golden Wolf Landscape & Design LLC, we would love to add you to our growing family of customers. Our focus is on residential and commercial properties in New Jersey. Our goal is to provide the best experience and value for each and every one of our customers. Contact us at (908) 578-1179. You can also fill out a request form for a quote on our website under our “Contact Us” tab. We're looking forward to hearing from you!