The excavation for our new backyard patio is complete.
Work began yesterday on the paver patio and stairs that my husband and I are having installed in our backyard this summer. Our permit in place, the contractor arrived today.
He removed the rickety wooden stairs that came with the house, as well as the unlevel slab of concrete that was beneath the stairs.
The unexpected always happens during home improvement projects -- to get his truck in, the contractor completely dug up one of our front yard's planting beds, including one tree and two bushes (to be replaced later). But I figure it gives me the chance to add more topsoil to what was a weedy and somewhat neglected planting bed.
The contractor also discovered that there's more slope to our backyard than he realized. (To the naked eye, the yard appears to be relatively flat.) Which means that without a fix, there would be a substantial drop from the pavers to the grass at the foot of the patio. (Even with the grading he's adding to keep the patio water free.)
To remedy it, our contractor says he'll install a base of compacted rock at the patio's edge and a layer of topsoil. I was planning to place a planting bed there anyway, so I figure that the addition of rock and topsoil will give me a head start.
Follow the blog this summer for more on my home improvement project.—Lauren Baier Kim