Bakersfield Home - March & April 2023

Why landscaping stone is your best choice for sustainability, low maintenance and beauty

typical varieties of mulch, making them ideal for gardens, pathways, ponds and many other applications around your yard. They’re also an easy option wherever you need ground cover to help keep weeds at bay, providing an attractive bed to showcase - and protect - your most treasured decorative plants, flowers, and shrubs. You also avoid the concern of importing termites into your yard when compared to options like untreated wood-based ground coverings. Finally, in drier climate conditions, rocks are also an ideal choice as they’re not flammable.

Discover the sustainability benefits

Especially if your lawn or garden experiences drainage issues, landscaping stones of different sizes can help control water flow and facilitate water runoff. For example, you can mix and match three different sizes - such as Pavestone’s Pea, Pond or River Pebbles - as an effective mulch alternative. They are the perfect solution to help control and maintain your landscaping grading.

In addition, Pavestone’s landscaping rocks require far less transport, as they are locally sourced from regional rivers and lakes. They are easy to spread wherever you need them, helping to control soil erosion and retain moisture.

Enjoy the beauty of landscaping stone

(BPT) - If you’ve ever struggled to maintain a beautiful garden or wondered if there were better alternatives to standard mulch options, it may be time to consider upgrading your yard by using landscaping stone instead. There are many options available, and landscaping stone provides a very low maintenance, highly sustainable, and attractive alternative to help you create your ideal garden.

Here are some of the ways landscaping stone can enhance and improve your yard.

Make maintenance easier

Most traditional types of mulch will only last three months to a year, as they may either blow or wash away (creating a mess in your yard), and then quickly decay, degrade or decompose - so you have to replenish the supply of mulch time and time again to keep weeds under control. It’s also difficult to keep mulched garden beds free from dead leaves and debris throughout the year, while using landscaping stone allows you to simply blow unwanted leaves or debris away with a leaf blower.

While requiring a bit of an increased investment up front, Pavestone Pea, Pond or River Pebbles are more cost effective over time because they are much longer lasting than

While clearly practical, landscaping stone provides unique beauty for any project. You’ll see a wide variety of earth tones in landscaping stone from Pavestone that will add nuanced color to your garden beds. They come in a variety of shades of tan, brown and gray, depending on the area of the country where they were derived. Alternatively, another option to consider is Pavestone’s Premium White Marble Chips. These beautifully shiny white stones provide high color contrast for maximum visual effect in your garden beds, or they can be used solely as a top layer on a bed Pebbles to create your desired look.

Whatever colors you choose, you can be assured that Pavestone landscaping stones will be resistant to fading, and that they will beautify and provide definition to enhance the appearance of your landscaping beds as the perfect backdrop for your yard for years to come.

You can find Pavestone Pea, Pond and River Pebbles and Marble Chips at your favorite home improvement store, or visit Pavestone to learn more.

Plan ahead for your perfect deck

(BPT) - A big part of building your dream deck is the planning. In fact, a typical deck project can take six months (or more) from inspiration to installation. To help make your dream a reality, the following are tips for keeping your deck project on track, on trend and on budget.

Visualize the Possibilities - When it comes to your deck’s design, there are countless possibilities - from simple ground-level styles to more elaborate multi-level decks. Ultimately, a deck should be designed around how you plan to use it. In addition to function, consider your views, neighbors, the prevalence of sun or shade, as well as the entrances and exits from the home and into the yard. All these factors will have an impact on your deck’s size and configuration. Once you have a general design in mind, there are great tools available to help bring your visions to life.

Consider Codes and Permits - Consult your state, county or city offices regarding building code requirements and to learn what permits are necessary for building a deck in your area. Factor permitting into your project timeline so that progress is not stalled by waiting for inspections and approvals. If your neighborhood has a homeowner association (HOA), make sure you understand any rules regarding deck size, color, product type or design. And

don’t forget to check with your local utilities to locate any underground cables, wires or pipes before construction begins. Your deck builder should be able to help with this, or you can call the North American One-Call Referral system at 888-258-0808 if you plan to DIY.

Be Mindful of Materials - When choosing materials for your deck, think long term. It’s important to choose quality materials that will withstand years of wear and tear from both weather and use. High-performance, wood-alternative composite decking is resistant to fading, staining, scratching and mold. And, unlike wood, it never has to be sanded, stripped or stained, resulting in less maintenance and more time for outdoor enjoyment.

Budgeting and Beyond - When it comes to budgeting for a new deck, keep in mind that several factors will affect costs, including the size, shape and elevation of the deck, along with labor and the materials you choose. For the latter, you can use an online cost calculator to get a rough estimate for material costs based on the size, substructure and decking products being considered. As for labor, do your research and request multiple quotes to ensure you find the best contractor for your project and budget. Keep in mind that quality deck builders book projects well in advance and often have a waiting list by spring.

Bakersfield Home Magazine

661-412-0040

P.O. Box 2406

Bakersfield, CA 93303