Moving Boulders By Hand

https://youtu.be/ZqMLccin1JQ

Asheville Landscaping: Retaining Wall Construction

We have been working on a concrete retaining wall in Asheville, Nc this week. It has been an interesting job due to the site conditions. With the temperatures ranging from 20-70 degrees, each day is very different. We build retaining walls of all sorts in the North Carolina mountains, dry stacked stone, concrete, segmented block walls and boulder walls. But the site conditions can make or break you on any job. Winter work in the mountains will always throw you a curve ball. Being prepared is the key! Prepared with the proper clothing and tools, but also prepared to face the changes on the job due to weather. 

Although this site was rather difficult, due to the fact that the wall was to be built over a culvert pipe, every job site will have its specific difficulties. Learning to foresee these issues is crucial in the development of your landscape business. We found on this job that the creek and the cold weather wasn't the biggest issue. The underground springs in the meadow above the construction site were. The footers for this wall were full of water each day and the soil was falling in. We were constantly fighting erosion. 





We approached the situation with calmness and confidence, knowing we can produce a good product no matter the conditions. So we focused on proper construction techniques, as well as staying safe and dry in such muddy conditions. We might have over built the wall a little, but better safe then sorry.

This retaining wall was built to give our clients access to their property and future home site. Raising the level of the driveway over the culvert pipe, with the construction of the concrete retaining walls, allows them to bring in heavy trucks without compromising the integrity of the pipe. 

The wall will be veneered with natural stone as a finish.

We enjoy the opportunity to build walls in Asheville, especially in the winter when other types of landscaping slows down. So no matter the weather we are thankful for the work.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding retaining walls, stone work, landscaping and, of course, water feature construction in Asheville and the surrounding area. 
We would be happy to answer any questions and we give free local estimates.

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

Asheville Landscaping: Wolf Laurel Project

Here are some pics from our project in Wolf Laurel.
This was a fun project with lots of stone and a little water. One of my favorite projects this year.

The goal of this project was to create an entertainment area in the front yard of our clients house. We started off by installing a boulder retaining wall to support a flagstone patio. 

Both the wall and the patio came out great! 

We installed the patio using dry laid stone practices. This means there is no concrete or mortar in the construction. The patio stones are set on a bed of 3/4 inch compacted gravel with a screed of 3/8 inch crushed stone for leveling. This allows the patio to move a little when the ground freezes and thaws. The gravel under the patio also allows for great drainage. 

When we were designing the yard, we talked about adding a water feature of some sort. I suggested that we put a pondless waterfall flowing right into the patio, and our clients loved the idea. Adding water into your yard is a great way to create a welcoming feel to your landscape. The pondless waterfall is easy maintenance and adds a great value to your yard.

We also installed two stone stairways to access the patio and the front entryway. Both stairways were dry laid using large stone slabs. Difficult to install but beautiful as an end result.

We also installed a full low voltage LED landscape and aquatic lighting system into this project. 
This was avery fun project to work on and we are very thankful to our clients for letting us re-work their front yard for them.

Give Us a call for a free estimate on your landscaping project!

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

Asheville Landscaping: Custom Retaining Walls and Flowers

Here is a beautiful view of some custom dry stacked retaining walls we built in Asheville, NC. Spring Tulips and a statue of Saint Francis with the walls in the background. We love building dry stone retaining walls! Call us for a free estimate. 

Jacob

828-301-8017

livingwaterslandscaping.com

Asheville Landscaping; Dry Stacked Retaining Walls

When considering a retaining wall on your property the first question you should ask yourself is what type of material do I want to use for this project. There are many options including wood, concrete and stone. 
Wood walls tend to be cheaper than concrete or stone walls. However their life span is drastically shorter.
A concrete wall is very durable and will last for decades, if done correctly. However, if there is an issue with a concrete wall and it cracks or separates, the wall will need to be removed and rebuilt. I have worked and still work with all types of retaining wall materials. Yet I will usually recommend a dry stacked stone wall as the first option for my clients. Dry stack walling is an ancient craft, possibly the first form of soil retention. When built correctly, it can withstand centuries of weather. Dry stacked stone walls have got a bad reputation in many areas, mainly due to improper construction. 

A true dry stacked wall is constructed using stone of various sizes tightly fit on the face of the wall. Theses stones are backfilled with similar sized stones and gravel to create a structural and free draining area behind the wall. Most failed walls, like this project I am featuring today, are backfilled with only native soils. This creates a devastating amount of hydrostatic pressure behind the wall that causes walls to fail. 
Our clients for this project contacted us with concerns regarding the dry stacked walls they had installed by a local builder no more than 5 years ago. They had a series of walls built in their front yard that were beginning to collapse and wanted to have all the walls built correctly before there was a major problem. We took on the job and have reworked the area giving them new walls and added a pondless waterfall as a bonus feature.

Here you can see the structural backfill we installed when we were fixing the failed walls.

Adding large, tightly fit stone to the backfill, with some gravel and filter fabric behind, will allow any surface or sub-surface water behind the wall to drain freely without any pressure on the face stones. 

We were able to reuse some of the existing stone from the old walls for this project. However, most of the original stone was rather round and not good for stacking a wall.

So we had to import approx. 10 tons of stone from a local quarry to complete this project.

  The picture to the right shows the old failing wall on the top. The lower wall in the new construction using proper backfill and structural stone

We were also able to create some fun features in the new walls, including a stone bench and some inlays that gave this wall character.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or if you would like a free consultation for your project in the Asheville area.

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

Asheville Landscaping: Landscape Design

Family Friendly Landscaping

When we are designing a landscape for our clients we always consider the wants and needs of the whole family. We try to design features and gardens that will allow our clients to relax and have a peaceful place for their families. The pondless waterfall, pictured above, was designed for our clients in Asheville, NC as a place for the kids, friends and dogs to gather and enjoy the garden together. This is the first priority in all our design ideas. Allowing a space for community and gathering together.

The pondless waterfall offers a peace of mind for our clients because it is low maintenance and easy to enjoy.

Let us know if you would like a free consultation of your yard, garden or commercial space.

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

Dry Stacked Stone Stairs Asheville

Every landscape contractor
needs a good helper to test out the
 new stone stairs you built!

Cutting Pavers and Brick

Wet or Dry Cutting?

The conversation always seems to come up when talking with other paver contractors, "Should we cut wet or dry?". 

You could ask this question for brick installation as well as natural stone patios.

Cutting stone or concrete makes a mess either way you look at it. Your choices are, working in a heavy dust cloud all day or taking extra precautions not to make a huge mess when you are wet cutting your pavers. 

The dust seems to be easier to clean up, as opposed to the mud like splatter of wet cutting residue that can quickly stain anything in comes into contact with. I still prefer to cut my stone wet, mainly because I would rather spend some extra clean up time if it means I can save my lungs.

That was until I got back from a recent Techo Block seminar. They showcased a dry cutting brick saw that was dust free! 

The IQ 360 was the saw they had on the floor and it was amazing! They were cutting pavers inside the showroom! It has a built in vacuum system that collects dust under the saw. Really a cool system.

I think I'm sold! 

Asheville Landscape Contractors

Landscaping in Asheville

The summer season is here and we are installing some fun and beautiful landscapes in Asheville.
With the economy growing, now is the time to consider adding a water feature to your home.
Professional analysts say that adding a water feature to your home can increase the property value by 20%. This is not only a benefit to a potential buyer, but can benefit you as a homeowner who is planning on sticking around.
A simple pondless waterfall, like the one pictured above, brings a new peace to your existing yard and garden area. The soothing sounds of flowing water can help decrease neighborhood and local traffic noise, a great selling point for suburban houses.  
Not planning on selling? Adding a water feature can still increase the enjoyment of your existing garden space. 



I have noticed, especially here in the Asheville area, that the addition of a  simple waterfall or fountain, can create a special place for friends and family to gather and enjoy the outside garden together. Along with inviting dragonflies and humming birds, you can invite the sounds and atmosphere of the surrounding mountain streams to your back yard!

As a landscape contractor in Asheville, I invite you to give us a call for a free consultation.

Water Features, patios, landscaping, we do it all!

Call Jacob

831-566-8346

Asheville Landscaping: Before and After

Flagstone Patio and Walkway

Before

After

We installed this patio and walkway, with some simple landscaping, to bring a gathering place to this newly constructed log home for our clients.

This landscape features an Arizona Peach Flagstone patio and walkway, local accent boulders, 5000 sq ft of sod lawn and a custom vegetable garden area. We installed irrigation and drainage for the site also.

We had a great time installing this landscape for our clients, and they were very pleased with the end result. 

Walkway and Garden

Patio 

Before

After

Please feel free to contact us for a free landscape estimate in the Asheville area. 

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

Asheville here we come!

Living Waters has officially moved to Asheville, NC!
We are still offering the same quality water features and hardscapes as we did in Santa Cruz.

If you are in the Asheville area or the greater Buncome county, give us a call for a free estimate on all your pond, waterfall, flagstone patio, retaining wall or Pondless Waterfall projects.

Feel free to browse our website for project pictures and ideas.

Thanks,

Jacob

Living Waters landscaping.com 

831-566-8346
828-633-0541

Santa Cruz Landscaping: Veneer Stone

When choosing a veneer stone for your retaining wall or other masonry work, be sure to look at your options to make sure you are geting the look and feel you desire for your landscape.


There are many types of Faux Veneer Stone products to choose from. 
ElDorado Stone and Cultured Stone make some beautiful products. 


Faux veneer stone is a lightweight concrete product that is cast into a variety of shapes and colors that mimic actual stone almost identically. Faux stone is easy to work with and can be installed much faster than natural stone veneer.


However, there is nothing that compares to the beauty and color of Natural Stone Veneer.
The project featured here was constructed using a Natural Stone Veneer.
We used Wolk Creek and Autumn Flame stones for this wall.

 Stones are carefully selected and cut into place to create a one of a kind piece of functional art. 


Natural Veneer Stone is slightly harder to work with because of its weight and its density, which makes it harder to cut. 
Natural stone can be more expensive than faux stone, depending on the stone you choose to work with.


This project called for a 'Dry Stack' look. This means there are no grout joints between the stones. The result is a more naturalistic feature.


After all the stone is mortared to the wall, we cap it with a bull-nosed cap stone and seal the entire wall with a semi-gloss laquer finish.

Award Winning Water Feature

We just found out that a project we worked on with Baxter Landscaping won a 2nd place award from the California Landscape Contractors Association.

 Our part of the project was to construct a large, natural looking Pondless Waterfall as a part of a larger project that included many contemporary and unique landscape features. With a Bocci Ball court, a Redwood Pergola, and extensive Paver pathways and patios, this project was exciting to be a part of.

I would like to thank Baxter Landscaping for letting us be a part of this awesome project.




We look forward to working on more projects with Baxter and other Landscape contractors in Santa Cruz County.