Before and Afters

[cgland]

Does anyone keep a photo log of before & after shots? I have a few, but not nearly enough. It's a great thing to show potential customers. Here are a couple. The first is before and the second is after.....I'm sure you'll figure it out.

Chris

[cgland]

Another

Chris

[tthomass]

Looks good! Might I recommend some Rudbeckia and Nepeta along the walkway? Ties in nicely with the grasses.

[cgland]

Point well taken. I know this is OT, but Do you ever find that in smaller areas where other plant material is prevalent that Rudbeckia really takes over?

Chris

[mckeeland]

here's a set. i will post more tomorrow, wife says its time to go to bed. gotta a big day of doing nothing to get ready for.

[Mbella]

That before pic made me laugh. I am so sick of seeing the vinyl and patchy grass!:sick:

Love the transformation.

[cgland]

Now that's a definite improvement. Night, Night!

Chris

[scaper27]

Nice pics. Look like great jobs

[kootoomootoo]

Before ! ........................

[kootoomootoo]

Only a trained eye can spot the difference.

[zedosix]

Phew! I thought you were showing us some of your work at first Koo, I was already gettin ready to blast you. I am relieved now, after looking at the real stuff. Beautiful work there mate.

[tthomass]

Here is an example for you Chris. This is a bit of a massing but not a problem doing a smaller grouping. Some like say about (10) Rudbeckia and (3) Nepeta (Catmint)....then throw in (7) Echinacea (Purple Coneflower)

[MuirView Design]

A couple of mine...

Here's a few paver walkways. First is EP Cov. IV and second is Techo Elena with the stoop capped and faced in travertine.

[MuirView Design]

Couple more.

1st - Travertine walk with cobblestone border
2nd - Travertine Patio with Quarrystone walls, steps & pillars

[cgland]

I can see the quality of the membership here is by far the best.
koot - How did you address drainage or run-off in the fire pit area?

Chris

[mckeeland]

here are few older ones

[cgland]

It's cool to actually see the painted lines on the ground and then the final product. ;)

Chris

[mckeeland]

paint is an awesome selling tool. when the homeowner, especially the wives, see it in actual size its so much easier for them to envision it. woman are very visual and need to see it to understand, where as most men can understand something based off of a design and idea. something to always think about when on consulatations. you always have one spouse who is more into the project then the other. thats the one you need to cater to.

[kootoomootoo]

I can see the quality of the membership here is by far the best.
koot - How did you address drainage or run-off in the fire pit area?

Chris


How did you address drainage or run-off in the fire pit area?

umm hope for the best.

everything drains right to left ...but the outside wall of the firepit has numerous weep holes and we ran a bunch of 4in pipe under and around patio.
Initial firepit was underwater whenever it rained.

[-EGLC-]

WOW!!! Some awesome work here!

[CaptainsLS]

Adam, I love that travertine. That material isn’t available in my area, or I just haven’t seen it at any yards. GreenMonster, do we have travertine pavers available that you know of?

[GreenMonster]

here is one from this summer.

I always tell myself to take the before and after pics from the SAME spot. Then, I start digging and realize I don't have before pics, and then I finish the job and forgot where I took the b4 pics from.

Nice selling tool though if you can keep on it.

I also threw in a pic of the irrigation controller stand... I thought it was a good idea. And one of my daughter after the sitter dropped her off at the job the end of the day.

[GreenMonster]

Our other crew did this hardscape. My only complaint is that the front was supposed to have very suttle curves, and IMO, they came out too suttle. almost as though someone screwed up a straight walk. Had I been on site, I would have tinkered with it a little more to get it to my liking. Oh well.

[zedosix]

Well kudos to you for showing that second picture. I would definetely pull a string line and just straighten it up. Would probably be easier than trying to curve it. I do understand how difficult it is to make suttle curves though. Nice try.

[GreenMonster]

Well kudos to you for showing that second picture. I would definetely pull a string line and just straighten it up. Would probably be easier than trying to curve it. I do understand how difficult it is to make suttle curves though. Nice try.

yeah... by the time I got there, it was all locked in. compacted, edge restraint, poly, etc. I debated it, tip toed around the customer to get their feeling for it, and let it go.

Here's a few more. Also from the other crew..... jeez, what the hell did I do this summer anyway???? :noidea:

Techo Quarry Stone wall, as if you couldn't tell. Allegro patio out back. Steps and plantings going down to the walkout next to the wall in the spring. We'll probably use the Rocka steps here too.

[GreenMonster]

Well kudos to you for showing that second picture. I would definetely pull a string line and just straighten it up. Would probably be easier than trying to curve it. I do understand how difficult it is to make suttle curves though. Nice try.

oh yeah, although I don't like the curves of the walk (Techo Trias), I do like the landing area with the Elena.. different shapes and texture breaks it up nicely, I think.

[zedosix]

Here is a before and after, one of my last jobs this year. It was pretty cold and windy when we did this one.

[zedosix]

Love that wall you did with the techo block. I need to start using that one next season. Getting tired of using the celtik day in and out. Real nice work you do.

[Mbella]

Zedo, I love it! That is by far the most attractive asphalt border I've seen.

Do you do all of your own design work?

[GreenMonster]

Zedo, I love it! That is by far the most attractive asphalt border I've seen.

Do you do all of your own design work?

agreed. very nice border. keep the plow on that driveway though -- or else stone everywhere!

[Mbella]

yeah... by the time I got there, it was all locked in. compacted, edge restraint, poly, etc. I debated it, tip toed around the customer to get their feeling for it, and let it go.

Here's a few more. Also from the other crew..... jeez, what the hell did I do this summer anyway???? :noidea:

Techo Quarry Stone wall, as if you couldn't tell. Allegro patio out back. Steps and plantings going down to the walkout next to the wall in the spring. We'll probably use the Rocka steps here too.

Maybe, you should have arrived sooner??:Cry:

Serioulsy, welcome to the world of having more than one crew.:)

[chardscapes]

What did you use to cut the asphalt so clean ? Cutoff saw ?

[zedosix]

What did you use to cut the asphalt so clean ? Cutoff saw ?

We use a ts 400.

[zedosix]

Zedo, I love it! That is by far the most attractive asphalt border I've seen.

Do you do all of your own design work?

I have done all my own designs, pretty rare I use someone elses. In fact even if the home owner supplies one I will make changes. I design it on dynascape.

[Mbella]

I have done all my own designs, pretty rare I use someone elses. In fact even if the home owner supplies one I will make changes. I design it on dynascape.

Again, nice job.

[HRLand]

Zedosix, that looks great. Do you still prep the base the same way you would for an all paver driveway? I can't imagine you could excavate that deep next to existing asphalt without it crumbling somewhere.

[MuirView Design]

Zedo - I love the precision of your work. You have some great installers that really capture your vision. What's the process you guys use for transferring the radius points in your design to the field? Do you drop dee stakes everywhere and use string lines to compass the curves? I'm curious, because it really seems like you guys have it figured out.

Also, what's the name of the curb stone you use...is that Belgard?

[zedosix]

Zedosix, that looks great. Do you still prep the base the same way you would for an all paver driveway? I can't imagine you could excavate that deep next to existing asphalt without it crumbling somewhere.

At the top of the driveway we excavate to 18" below grade, compact, add geo-tex and then compact again in layers of 6". A jumping jack was used after the first and second layer also. On the sides we excavated to about 14" with the same procedure. At the edge of the asphalt we excavate on an angle so as not to disturb the asphalt.

[zedosix]

Zedo - I love the precision of your work. You have some great installers that really capture your vision. What's the process you guys use for transferring the radius points in your design to the field? Do you drop dee stakes everywhere and use string lines to compass the curves? I'm curious, because it really seems like you guys have it figured out.

Also, what's the name of the curb stone you use...is that Belgard?

First of all thanks for the feedback. Mostly the curves are done by eye, my foreman just measures off the plan and sets up the snap-edge as a guide and marks it out then cuts. Simple as pie. I make it easy for him by putting the measurements on our working plans, with dynascape its easy to bring plans to life.

We have been doing this stuff a real long time guys, we take pride in our cutting and accuracy of layout.

That curb is "celtik-curb" from permacon.


Here is another picture of a job we did 2 yrs ago of the asphalt and brick edge. And no the driveway wasn't paved after:)

[chardscapes]

Nice Z !! Your work is always impressive. You have a trademark look - I can always tell your work.

[Mbella]

Here is my contribution. It's not the most impressive job, but it is a before and after (we don't take enough pics).

[NCSULandscaper]

this is about the only before/after pic that i have

[NCSULandscaper]

after pic..........

[NCSULandscaper]

another angle

[NCSULandscaper]

..............................

[cgland]

Looks good guys!

Chris

[Mbella]

Looks good guys!

Chris

BS, I know you want to make a comment about the river rock!

[cgland]

I'm trying to be nice here!!!! "Don't make me angry..you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!"


Chri.....Hulk

[tthomass]

from this summer

[tthomass]

....................

[scaper27]

small driveway and walkway pic

[JZap]

Here's a couple before/afters from this season.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9d77b9b4300000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9d4e75a7600000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9d4e4db4500000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9d4e75a7600000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA

[JZap]

Another before/after. I had our guys go back and add a 3" course to make the step-up even on both sides.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9ee085a8400000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9efe59bc100000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9efe21af600000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc33b3127cceb2d9efe39bc700000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA

[custom patios]

critique if i may. i really like the paver balistrade look. very creative. i would just pay closer attention to those soldier courses. they should be smoother. how did you do the posts on the columns. thru construction, or anchored on top. nice job. i love the touch of drapes or whatever they call them. are you a fashion designer. just kiddin.:gossip:
steveo

[custom patios]

ok, i'll bite.heres some. im not a great photographer.

[JZap]

Nice work! How thick is the counter top?

[custom patios]

about 7/8ths

[custom patios]

zedo buddy, what fine work you do. your sense of style in design and craftsmanship is right up my alley. splendid, quite spendid:humble:
your work is well appreiciated.
steveo

[JZap]

zedo buddy, what fine work you do. your sense of style in design and craftsmanship is right up my alley. splendid, quite spendid:humble:
your work is well appreiciated.
steveo

I coouldn't agree more. Timeless design for sure!

[kootoomootoo]

critique if i may. i really like the paver balistrade look. very creative. i would just pay closer attention to those soldier courses. they should be smoother. how did you do the posts on the columns. thru construction, or anchored on top. nice job. i love the touch of drapes or whatever they call them. are you a fashion designer. just kiddin.:gossip:
steveo

smoother as in please show where.... pillars are thru construction.

[custom patios]

yeah, thats not what i wanted to say. i meant that you should(in my opinion)cut the soldier course pavers to make a radius. no gaps. very nice design by the way. cool atmosphere to have a fire.
steveo

[kootoomootoo]

yeah, thats not what i wanted to say. i meant that you should(in my opinion)cut the soldier course pavers to make a radius. no gaps. very nice design by the way. cool atmosphere to have a fire.
steveo

ummm still lost ...please show me where I should make radius cuts.....

[JZap]

In your third pic I believe it is. There are wedges in your soldier course on the left and other little wedges where it looks like two patterns meet? I think the premise is to avoid these small wedges and cut slivers off of every couple pavers in the soldier course.

[custom patios]

ah, there we go

[kootoomootoo]

Do you guys mean this pic>? Because I hate to tell ya but these are the before (AS IN WE RIPPED THIS 100% OUT) pics.
B4 pics are of patio only 6 months old that we ripped out and did all new design but with same material plus some.

[Sodking]

Here are a few before/afters...

[Sodking]

Couple more....

[Sodking]

one more...

[custom patios]

i am so sorry.whew, i thought that was the after picture. that one should go under hack jobs. sorry bout that.

[JZap]

i am so sorry.whew, i thought that was the after picture. that one should go under hack jobs. sorry bout that.

Agreed:yield:

[GroundScapes]

We have a Before and After gallery on our website. I have finally got into taking pictures on a regular basis, come to think of it every picture on our site has been taken this year.
check it out www.groundscapes.net

[SCgreenscapes]

nice photoshop work...

[GroundScapes]

There is nothing photo shopped on our Before and After page.

I just looked over our entire website and the only thing that has been edited at all on the entire sight is three pictures that have had grass added.

So the only thing that has been added at all is grass to three pictures that just had straw on the lawn. That is the ONLY thing that has been changed with any of the pictures on our entire site.

[SCgreenscapes]

I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I SAW GRASS, BOULDERS AND A WATER FEATURE. BUT IT MAY BE CAMERA ANGLES. i AM NOT CONDEMING...I HAVE PUT GRASS AROUND SOME OF MY PHOTOS TOO B/C I THOUGHT THAT STRAW WAS HIDIOUS.

[SCgreenscapes]

It May Be The Grass That Is Making The Other Stuff Look Fake.

[GroundScapes]

You Are Very Very Wrong.

I Promise You All The Boulders, And The Only Water Feature On Our Site Are 100% Real And All Stuff That We Installed.

[GroundScapes]

Like I originally said the only thing that isnt real on ANY of our photos is GRASS in three of the pictures. I dont see anything wrong with adding grass to a picture, even if it looks a little fake it looks better than the straw did in Febuary when those pictures where taken.

[Colonial]

here is one I like to call the "Nerds" job, its the Techo Bloc Antika

[GroundScapes]

Looks good. Whats the idea behind the little wall?
That Antika is growing on me, Chris posted pictures of a job (on another forum) that turned out real nice and this job looks very good as well. I think the trick to making the antika look good is to never use it alone, always use another paver with it.

[Colonial]

Thats exactly it,do not lay it alone. We did just to see what it looked like and it looks horrible. The sitting wall was a place for him and his freinds to sit and smoke a Cigar and she did not want any chairs out front, lol.

[SCgreenscapes]

GROUNDSCAPES: i agree that there is nothing wrong with adding grass to the picture to make it look better. I have even done it myself. It just make parts of the pictures look like they were photoshoped, probally b/c the photoshoped grass was right beside it. I didn't mean to discredit you or ruffel your feathers.

[GroundScapes]

GROUNDSCAPES: i agree that there is nothing wrong with adding grass to the picture to make it look better. I have even done it myself. It just make parts of the pictures look like they were photoshoped, probally b/c the photoshoped grass was right beside it. I didn't mean to discredit you or ruffel your feathers.

No problem, their unruffled now:)

[SCgreenscapes]

koot, why did you remove your pics? You had some great ones to be proud of. I pulled up the thread to show my wife and they were gone. Oh well.

[GroundScapes]

Here is a few pictures of the job we are working on right now. We started this job late in the morning on Monday.

[GroundScapes]

These pictures were taken early yesterday (Thursday Morning)

[chardscapes]

Did you excavate that area or just rip out the asphalt and lay ?

[zedosix]

Looks great, we would normally do it the opposite way and have asphalt at the end of the driveway and brick from the gate up to the house. But as I can see that would be a truck load or two of brick.

[GroundScapes]

Did you excavate that area or just rip out the asphalt and lay ?

We excavated to 14".
Compacted subgrade, installed geo-textile, installed approx. 10" 21aa in 3" lifts, and so forth. I dont care how good the base looks under existing asphalt I would never consider using it.

[GroundScapes]

Looks great, we would normally do it the opposite way and have asphalt at the end of the driveway and brick from the gate up to the house. But as I can see that would be a truck load or two of brick.

The biggest reason the client wanted to do the apron was because the county tore up the asphalt at the road side of the drive and did not repair it very well, also the asphalt was breaking off near the culverts, so we installed five extra feet of galvanized culvert on each side and widened the drive where it flares. The border will be continued all the way to the garage (you should be able to see where it is marked to be cut in the last photo).

Thanks for the comments guys.

[SCgreenscapes]

What did you use to draw your line. It looks a lot heavier than a chalk line. Seems like it would be a lot easier to see vs. standard chalk line.

[GroundScapes]

What did you use to draw your line. It looks a lot heavier than a chalk line. Seems like it would be a lot easier to see vs. standard chalk line.

Soapstone, we have started using soapstone for most everything now.