Stone Driveways Add Value & Curb Appeal To Landscape Project --
As indicated by its name, a stone driveway is any driveway made from stones laid flat to form a level surface. There are some very good reasons for using stones to build a driveway.
For one thing, stone is the one of the strongest materials found on earth.
In nature, it can easily last for hundreds of thousands of years. That is far longer than concrete. Stone also outlives many metals because it does not oxidize.
Most people realize, however, that they themselves will not be around for hundreds of thousands of years—at least in physical form. These people choose stone out of a personal affinity for its appearance.
Paver Driveway Are Attractive Addition To Your Landscape Project --
A paver driveway is one of the most durable and attractive additions you can have added to your landscape master plan. Due to the sheer number of paver types, their use is not limited to one particular type of landscape design.
While many are distinctively Old World and early 20th Century in appearance, others can be cast to emulate stone or concrete forms more apropos to modern landscaping and contemporary landscapes.
Pavers are cast masonry blocks that are geometrically shaped, very resilient, and made to look identical to stones or concrete. The advantage they offer over other hardscape surfaces is an astounding durability. Paver driveways will endure wear and tear far better than a concrete driveway.
Driveways & Motor Court Design & Installation Services --
A motor court is not the same as a driveway. It designates a special area for vehicle parking. Equally important, it is often a much more sophisticated hardscape that contributes function and form to a residential landscape design by providing a stylish transition space for guests approaching the front of the home.
In some cases as well, it is absolutely mandatory for homeowners living on narrow Houston streets where street parking is either impractical or completely unavailable.
A motor court is normally either round or square. The geometry will be based on what best compliments the particular architecture of the home. In most instances, it is built in front of the home between the driveway itself and the front door.
Houston Driveways and Drive Design & Installation Services --
There are many types of Houston driveways. In terms of residential landscapes, a driveway, by definition, is a special hardscape that connects the street to the interior of the property. A driveway can either function as a motor court parking area itself, or it can lead to a designated parking area in the front, to the side, or even in some cases, partly behind the home.
Without the assistance of a professional landscape designer, the typical Houston driveway tends to be little more than a plane concrete slab. People drive in and out of it every day without giving them so much as a single conscious thought. Also, in some subdivisions that feature very similar home architecture, driveway design can often be the most generic feature of everyone’s front yard.
Houston driveway landscaping adds attraction factor to your home --
An investment Houston driveway landscaping services will pay off in the form of enhanced curb appeal that elevates the attraction factor of your entire property. It doesn’t matter of you plan on selling your home in the immediate future. Having a house that is highly valued will make you feel better about your residence and will also make you feel more comfortable entertaining guests at home.
The best place to get a new driveway, believe it or not, is a professional landscaping company like Exterior Worlds. When our team develops the plan your new driveway, we choose materials that will complement both your home and your many other landscape elements. We also base the size and geometry of the drive on a proportional relationship with the entirety of your lot.
Why Gravel Parking Areas Work With Homes On Small Streets --
Homes on small streets sometimes require gravel parking areas in the front. When guests come over, these graveled areas provide much needed overflow parking which is much safer than any attempt to park on a narrow one lane street. They also provide much needed room for additional vehicles that get added to the family as children grow up and start to drive.
Although gravel parking areas are not technically the same thing as gravel driveways, it is important that they be constructed at a near equivalent, if not equivalent, level of quality to that of a gravel driveway. Many people take a do-it-yourself approach to building these parking zones by laying down a crushed gravel surface area along the strip of grass that runs alongside of the street.
Houston Gravel Driveway Design & Installation Services --
Several layers of rock are used to build a gravel driveway.
The initial layer is composed of large stones, sometimes as large as a person’s fist, that create a near-solid foundation. While very stable, these stones form a surface that is too irregular to be safe for tires to drive on, or for feet to walk on. Two additional layers are needed to make the driveway functional and aesthetic.
The second layers of stones will be considerably smaller than the first, but large enough to fill in the gaps between the top of the larger stones. The very top layer will be composed of a crushed gravel mix. This is much easier on vehicle tires, and it holds its shape very well in the wet climate of the Houston landscape. Along with the standard composition of small pebbles and tiny stones, crushed gravel is mixed with other materials including sand, dirt, and clay.
Flagstone Paver Driveways Possess Many Unique Characteristics --
A flagstone paver driveway is made from special masonry blocks that look identical to real flagstone.These pavers are used in many different types of hardscape design. Popular uses include patio design, walkway design, and driveway design. Due to its widespread popularity, it is one of the things that realtors look for when listing homes with superior curb appeal.
Flagstone pavers possess many unique characteristics that make them so popular.
They can be cast in a variety of geometric shapes and can interlock when laid out on a base. They are also available in many different colors, including red, blue, or brown in color. Many have something of an old-fashioned look to them, which makes them ideal for many different landscape master plans that are based on historicity, culture, or regional architectural styles.
In terms of cost, a flagstone paver driveway represents a long-term investment in driveway construction.
Flagstone pavers certainly cost less than high-end stones such as bluestone. However, they are marginally higher in cost than plain concrete (which really is not an option for high-end landscaping) and equal or even more in cost to decorative concrete.
Flagstone Driveway Adds Beauty & Curb Appeal To Your Property --
A traditional flagstone driveway is made using cut, irregular stones that convey a distinctively Old World European sensibility. In particular, it provides a superb compliment to French, Italian, Mediterranean, and other styles of Western architecture.
Depending on the way the stone is cut, it can be used to support either an formal home and residential landscape design, or it can be used to create a countryside look reminiscent of Old Europe and early Colonial America. It can even be used to support a patio home built to look like a small cottage.
If a home has a distinctively formal appearance, such as we see in many Italian style homes, cut flagstone can emphasize this formality with symmetrically shaped stones whose colors directly correspond to those of the home.
Flagstone comes in many different shades of red, blue, or brown. This spectrum makes it possible to match hues very closely to those of a home and create a drive that introduces the essence of one’s home life to guests pulling immediately off the street.
Driveway Landscape Design Delivers High Impact Curb Appeal --
By definition, driveway landscape design is the deliberate construction of a functional hardscape with a high aesthetic impact on the surrounding landscape. Walls and fences create vertical impact and style, while flower beds, shrubs, and trees soften an otherwise plain surface into a vibrant area of eye-catching presence and life.
The direction and shape of the driveway itself is based upon the size and architecture of the nearby home, the amount of lawn space in the front yard, and the design considerations of the landscape master plan as a whole. The intent of driveway landscape design is always to use the driveway to move the eye towards one or more special points of interest just like the pavement helps move the car toward the garage. Direction, size, and construction materials therefore vary widely on a per case basis.
Driveway Designs For Your Property Adds Curb Appeal --
A driveway is many things: a welcome mat as you drive into the garage, a utility feature that allows easy access and parking on your property, and an element of curb appeal. For all these reasons, Exterior World believes your driveway design should be an important part of your residential landscape design.
Driveway designs are a subset of custom hardscapes, the non-plant features of landscaping that are tailor-made for your location. All design considerations for driveways need to be practical since they are essential to the way we live today. However, that doesn’t mean that they need only be a slab of concrete. Form can still follow behind function.
Concrete Driveways Are Cost Effective & Durable Option --
If you are looking for a cost-effective and durable driveway option for your Houston home, call Exterior Worlds and get an estimate on a concrete driveway. Concrete is one of the toughest substances we can use to build a driveway. Only natural stone can endure equivalent amounts of wear and tear—and stone requires more upfront cost and often more maintenance to preserve.
Concrete driveways, on the other hand, really do not need maintenance can be constructed in so many ways that their decorative power equals that of more ornate or exotic hardscape materials.
Circular Driveway Design Provides Infinite Landscape Possibilities --
The term “circular driveway” can be misleading to some. It is not a semi-circle or U-shaped design. Nor is it necessarily what we would call a perfect circle. Technically, it can be anything from a loop, an oval shape, or an ellipse, provided it has no sharp angles, no breaks, and ultimately turns back upon itself in enclosure.
The driveway will always have a single entrance, however. The entrance is wide enough for two-way traffic so that it can also be used as an exit from the property at the end of an event. As the driveway entrance approaches the front of the home, it curves outward and then back in on itself to complete the circular design.
Brick Driveways Add Character & Curb Appeal To Your Home --
A brick driveway can add character and curb appeal to any brick home.
Brick is much more aesthetic than asphalt and very easy to work with when creating customized designs. Because the majority of homes are built of brick, a driveway made from the same material with instantly make the property stand out as preeminent on the block.
It also helps link the landscape around your home to your house itself by using the same type of material your home is built form as a material for hardscape design.
Brick does not make a perfectly smooth surface in terms of a comfortable ride, but it is smooth enough to be safe for tires. The irregular surface of the drive actually creates traction which adds safety value to your driveway during stormy times of the year. Building a small masonry wall on either side of the driveway can further enhance its safety factor and add decorative vertical impact to its surface.
Wood Patios Gives Landscape A Natkural & Triditional Look --
Many Houston homeowners prefer to have a wood patio constructed in their yard in order to give their landscape a more natural and traditional look. If you build it adjacent to the home, it provides an excellent transition from indoor living space to outdoor living space. This is one way to create unity between home architecture and the rest of the landscape.
A wood patio does not have to look plain if it is designed by a professional landscape company. Like anything else, it can be created as a personal expression of individual personality—much like the walls and decorations inside the house. Wood color can be matched to interior walls, and patio designs can be further personalized with unique planters, ornamental posts, decorative railings, steps, and energy-efficient solar powered or LED lighting fixtures.
Wood Decks Blend Wtih Trees, Gardens & Shrubs --
Most people prefer wood decks because they blend so beautifully with trees, gardens, and shrubs. When built by professional landscaping architects, these decks can also work to better blend the architecture of the home with surrounding Houston landscaping design. Professional landscape contractors will also build the deck using the highest quality woods treated to resist the elements for years.
It is imperative that the wood used in decks look attractive. We have all seen decks that are constructed out of unfinished wood that clashes with the colors of the home. A cheap deck like this will diminish curb appeal and cost more money than it saves when it eventually requires repair. A better way to invest your money is to pay for a top quality wood deck now that will add lasting appeal to your entire Houston landscaping design.
Exterior Worlds uses only the very best wood types in deck design. We also apply a number of proprietary treatments to the wood to make it weather resistant. No matter how much it rains, or how long the hot summer months of drought endure, you can count on your deck retaining its aesthetic for years to come
How to plan a deck for outdoor Living In Houston Texas --
Exterior Worlds helps Houston landscaping clients with all aspects of deck planning. We help our clients visualize the deck as an integral link between the house and the yard. We plan the structure to support activities that occur on its surface. We also tie the design to other activities that will occur throughout the entirety of the yard.
Access, location, size, and geometry are all factors that play into the process of developing the master plan.
The first step is to create a deck that will magnify the essential curb appeal of the house. We want to build a structure that looks like an integral element of architecture, not a simple add-on. The key to successfully doing so lies in isolating the essential geometric motifs that characterize the individual architectural style of the home. These motifs can then be replicated in the shape of the deck itself.
During the deck planning process, we also have to keep our concepts of geometry three dimensional. One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to conceptualize a deck without the help of a Houston landscaping consultant is the tendency to think only of how the deck looks from the perspective of someone standing on its surface.
Is Investing In A Professional Wooden Deck Design A Good Idea?
By definition, a deck is a flat, elevated surface that connects to the house. It serves several functions. It gives homeowners a place to entertain just beyond the threshold of their door. It provides guests with a vantage point from which to survey the Houston landscape, and it gives everyone a comfortable place to stand and sit.
Perhaps most importantly, it creates transition into the rest of the landscape by serving as a bridge between residential home architecture and Nature. Houston deck builders facilitate this transition building seating areas and staircases in such a way lead guests down into gardens, onto swimming pool patios, and into the far off reaches of the yard into trees, arbors, and outdoor kitchens.
Deck Plans Will Increase Curb Appeal & Expand Outdoor Space --
Adding a deck to your home will increase its curb appeal and expand the feeling of indoor comfort into outdoor space. Deck plans by Exterior Worlds are developed to combine the best in form and function in a manner that adds powerful attraction factor to your entire Houston landscaping design. This way, regardless of whether or not you are actually sitting on your deck, it will appear as a powerful landscape element whose beauty makes your entire outdoor living environment appear more complete.
Decks are built next to the house and can be located in any number of areas. Determining the best location for the deck is done by examining a number of factors. Scale and scope are the foremost factor. Above all things, the deck must look like a natural complement to the house. It must not overpower the home architecture, but rather extend it into the yard. Houston landscaping specialists must also consider the practical need for access when drafting a deck plan. People inside the home must be able to comfortably transition to its surface. People outside of the home must be able to access the deck from convenient locations in the yard.
Deck Designs Make Outdoor Entertainment Enjoyable & Comfortable --
Exterior Worlds specializes in custom deck designs that make home outdoor entertainment safe, enjoyable, and comfortable. Everything from roofs, insect screens, and climate-controlled areas can be built into a deck to make it a veritable outdoor living room for special occasions. The following are just a few examples of how deck designs for different parts of the house can be used to create unique realms of entertainment for your loved ones, friends, and clients.
Front DecksFront decks add a sense of grand entryway to a home that is set back from the street and has an unusually large front yard. Also, they are ideal for homes that are surrounded by large trees, shrubs, and heavy vegetation.
Deck Design Landscaping Adds Beauty & Value To Your Property --
The intention of deck design landscaping is to extend the things you most enjoy indoors into the outdoor realm beyond the walls of your house. As an add-on room of sorts, the square footage of your deck cannot be taxed as home property. However, the improvement to your home curb appeal builds lasting resale value and protects your investment in problematic times.
Many people may wonder why Exterior Worlds builds decks when we are so adept at custom patio design. It is partly a matter of taste, and sometimes a matter of practicality. Some homes, and some Houston landscaping projects, simply look better with a deck. Also, if the grade of the land slopes sharply away from a section of the home, a deck built on a small retaining wall is often a much better erosion control device, as well as a much more accessible, stable structure, than a patio would be.
Houston Deck design, custom patio design installation services --
Decks add form, texture and interest to your landscape. The most common deck design attaches the deck to the house, although freestanding decks can be quite dramatic. With the variety of materials available today, deck designs come in all forms and shapes from their inclusion in a small garden design to an unexpected urban landscaping project to a sprawling hillside sun garden.
Decks add natural beauty, warmth and desirability to your home. And not just for you and your family. A well-designed, properly built deck—one that is sturdy, long-lasting and beautiful—will add value to your property as well.
Deck Building Design & Installation Services Houston --
When considering a deck building project, you are probably thinking about either a wooden deck, most often attached to a house, or the decking, usually made of some kind of masonry, around a luxury swimming pool. Both types of decks add a special dimension to your landscape design, creating usable, safe spaces that are also pleasing to the eye.
Your Deck Building Project: Dreaming Your Deck
In the early phases of the design process, you want to get clear on what you want out of your deck design. Options include the additions of outdoor water fountains, outdoor kitchens, and outdoor fireplaces or fire pits. You might want to consider whether to cover the deck or not and whether to add deck railing or built-in seats. Decks also present a great opportunity to enhance your landscape lighting. On the practical side, your deck building project needs to take into account tying into any existing drainage systems—due to Houston’s notorious rainstorms. For decks, drainage solutions include gutters, French drains, or decorative drains.
Invest in a Custom Pool Deck To Add Value & Beauty To Landscape --
Exterior Worlds typically designs pool deck plans as part of a new swimming pool design or a swimming pool remodel. We normally treat the deck as an element in relationship to the home and other elements, and not just a single element that can be added to a yard without any further modifications.
Integrating custom deck building into the larger picture of a Houston landscaping master plan better enhances the curb appeal of home architecture by linking its structural motifs to the geometry of the swimming pool.
Custom Deck Designs Makes Outdoor Living Peaceful --
Perhaps one of the most popular deck designs that instantly generate a sense of total relaxation is the pool deck. Because the shape of the deck can be built to follow the linear movement of the wall of the house, it can offer you a tremendous amount of surface area that aesthetically links the house to the water and gives you plenty of room to tan, read, or sit outside to enjoy music.
Wood Decks Add Beauty & Warmth To Your Home --
There’s just something about wood. By its very nature, it has a friendliness and hospitality about it, which surely goes back to it being one of our first building materials in the earliest days of human development.
In this vein, wood decks naturally bring beauty and warmth to your home. Enjoyed by all your friends and family, a wood deck creates an outdoor room, thus bringing the indoors out into the open and expanding your living space.
Stamped Colored Concrete Adds Color & Design To Landscape --
One thing Houston landscaping clients should seriously consider for their next home project is stamped colored concrete.
Concrete, as we all know, is an enduring substance that often lasts longer than houses themselves. However, its rather drab appearance can often be the one spot on a landscape that looks like it needs work. By adding color and design to its surface, landscaping professionals can transform it into something completely different and add instant curb appeal to any front yard.
One of the biggest advantages this offers the discriminating client is the ability to create hardscape designs that perfectly match the colors, textures, and patterns of home architecture and home building materials. It also allows for some of the most ornamental and natural materials, such as cut polished stone, to be emulated at lower price points.
Concrete Patios Add To The Curb Appeal Of Homes --
Throughout Houston, concrete patios have added to the curb appeal of homes in neighborhoods ranging from West Memorial to the heart of River Oaks. Concrete is one of the best materials to use in patio design. It is far more cost effective than stone. It can also be used to create a surface of any size or shape. Furthermore, the decorative patterns and colors that can now be added to concrete make it one of the most attractive materials to use in hardscape design.
The versatility of concrete is one of its most important characteristics. Because it is begins as a liquid that later hardens into a solid surface, it can be molded into any geometric shape desired. This makes it a highly desirable material to use around custom homes whose eclectic architecture defies traditional categorization. We see more and more of custom homes being built on properties throughout Houston. Concrete patios are often the best way to add curb appeal to these estates because they can be customized precisely to compliment the architectural motifs, unique proportions, and colors of the home.
Decorative Stone Landscaping Adds Curb Appeal To Your Property --
Decorative stone landscaping can be used in both traditional and contemporary landscape design.
Many assume that a decorative stone landscape is one built only of natural stones where the presence of rocks dominates the scene. When we take a more decorative approach to planning a landscape theme, however, the principle of less applies more often than not as the forms we create are primarily used as accents to other, larger forms, or as elements embedded within other types of design.
