How to Hardscape a Backyard

Journal of Light Construction

Over the past few years, my company, Breyer Construction and Landscape, has been aggressively adding hardscape features such as patios and retaining walls to our deck projects. This is partly in response to our clients’ expectations, which have been influenced by what they’ve seen done by their neighbors or on YouTube and TV, and partly due to the rolling hills of our area and the need to get creative with maximizing backyard spaces. Not only has this kept us busy, especially during the early stages of the COVID-19-related shutdown as we were deemed to be an “essential service,” but it has also added a growing repertoire of tools and building techniques to our formerly deck-centric construction company.

The project featured in this article offers up a good example of our approach. Our client’s home, which sits at the back corner of a development, has a yard that slopes in every direction. While that is fine for letting the dog run around, it’s not so great when there isn’t anywhere level to set a few chairs for family time or social events.

The core of our design was an elevated deck on the back of the house that would provide usable living space easily accessed from the main level via a 6-foot sliding door. But the home also had a fully finished walk-out basement with another 6-foot slider leading to the backyard, so we designed an outdoor living space that would allow our clients to entertain on multiple levels with maximum accessibility and functionality. Incorporating hardscaping elements into the design ensured that our clients’ needs would be met and that the elements would work together cohesively, not just during the construction phase, but long-term as well.

To read the rest of this JLC project story, click here.