This beautiful property is on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. At our initial consultation with these customers, we discussed their desire to have a patio area on the lake-side of their home that maintained a very naturalized look. The grade of the land dictated the best place to put the patio, and we designed the area to incorporate natural stone in all areas: Patio, retaining walls, and steps.
DES permitting was required due to the proximity to the lake, so we needed to keep all of the work within a certain distance from the lake, and were not to exceed a certain square footage of impermeable area. The plan addressed all of the permitting requirements, and the patio complied with the lakeshore setbacks and we did not exceed any square foot limits.
Even though this project is not huge in it’s overall scope, we chose this as the featured project this year to illustrate how a simple wall, steps and patio can make a huge difference in a property. It’s looks and functionality are so much better now!
In the ‘Before’ photos, you can see that the area was pretty rough and unfinished. We located the setback limits, and planned for the new landscaping to fit the area.
Now, in the ‘After’ photos, you can see the differences! A fieldstone retaining wall was installed to make the patio area level, and also maintain a level area above for a stepping stone path. This fieldstone retaining wall is mortared on the back and inside for strength and stability while the face of the wall looks like a ‘dry-laid’ wall. The top of the wall has visible mortar in the joints to create a ‘cap’ so that water will not get into the wall and break it apart. The patio itself is made of Irregular Bluestone and has tight joints. The joints in the patio have a polymeric joint fill sand that eliminates any weeds from growing in the cracks. There are stone stairs on each end of the patio so that foot traffic has a natural flow.
Simple solutions for a naturalized look and great functionality!