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UPDATED: backyard renovation - 100% done now with before/after pics

purbeast0

purbeast0

No Lifer
they started a pretty major backyard renovation today for us. i got home and was LOL at how the backyard looks right now. pretty surprised that they can do this much in a day too.

ORIGINAL BACKYARD

http://imgur.com/nn6fDxL,SLm49wy#0

i don't have any good pics of it before, these were taken over a year ago when my bro in law came to help me cut down a tree and rid of some other crap back there, but it was the same before this work started. you can kind of get an idea of how it was before though. that concrete went all the way to the house, and you can see where it stopped in relation to how farther the new patio will be as it's out into the hill.

http://imgur.com/clK5bk8,F1ZKs4q

here are a couple more pics that the guys who did the work took when they were demo'ing it. you can get an idea of the size of the previous patio. it was all 1 level. they said there were 3 slabs of concrete in the one area, which i had no clue about.


http://imgur.com/nvlZ0Gz,8Vov4xw,Ia0Mlqh#0

there are some pics from the listing when we bought the house that shows the backyard before as well. first thing i did when i moved in was get rid of the plants on that railing.

DAY 1 PROGRESS

http://imgur.com/NtjJWBr,BNd8BwW,xhzpLgi,UOwFHd0#0

they ripped out a big concrete slab and got rid of it and we have a bunch of gravel/rocks in our driveway right now which i'm guessing will be the base for the new patio. the new patio will be basically where you see all of the dirt right now. the original patio was like 1/2 the size of what it's going to be in the end.

DAY 2 PROGRESS

http://imgur.com/0w27YBx,rcDuMBi,K0d9yRK,wSk7PMB,dHJ2SFz,lIw1Ctq,eFA5xl4

so they did some more work in the back looks like just doing more base work. they also filled in the 2 window wells that i was having them fill, which will be nice so i won't see the window wells outside, and since it's in my home theater losing the light is probably better, although hardly any light went in those wells anyways. you can also kind of see a string going across the patio - that is as far as our old patio went out, and the old patio basically stopped at the sliding door and there was a step down, so it's also going to be like 15 feet longer on the far end as well.

DAY 4 PROGRESS

http://imgur.com/GxnUkiY,a9eunpw,iqce01j,3G6QJhE

got home a little late and taken with a shitty iphone 4 so the pics aren't the best quality cause it was kinda dark, but it's starting to look like a patio actually finally as far as the base goes.

don't think these will live up to Schfifty Five's high picture standards though, sorry.

DAY 6 PROGRESS

http://imgur.com/qQ7jbtU,IIHas2a,12hIU2G

the guys worked on friday and a little bit on saturday, even through some rain, so i felt bad for them. but it's starting to come together quite a bit more now, most of the retaining wall is done. i'm actually not sure if the steps in the wall are by design or if they are putting more stones to fill them in. but i'm thinking they are by design just because of the way the grade of the patio is as well as the height of the land behind the wall. they do need to put the caps on the wall regardless though.

you can see the conduit too that is sticking up behind the columns - that runs to my garage, which may be useful for some speakers or something in the future.

DAY 7 PROGRESS

http://imgur.com/zYXPU0l,RqXfx9l,WFTGDHr,43Y9Hn5

they are almost done and he said they will be done either tomorrow or wednesday. they have just a little bit more of the wall to do and put the lights and caps on it. then they have just a little bit more of the patio to fill in, then they have to backfill all of the soil and replace all of the damaged lawn they tore up with their machines on the side of our house, and do cleaning in general. there is so much dust all over the patio right now and you can see how it just looks white. but it's coming along nicely and i'm very happy with the work they've done so far. i must say too i'm REALLY happy with what they have done with the drainage back there, it's awesome how they are running most of it under the patio and under ground.

DAY 8 PROGRESS

http://imgur.com/DO5Pq6B,FCWIGvq,2W2wqPM,8yNQWpL

So they finished up the patio today, and they still have the caps to put on the wall with the lights under them, as well as the steps. but i'm really happy with how it looks thus far! they backfilled the land behind the wall and fixed the grade on the side of the patio as well. they still have to fix the soil on the side of my house as well and then plant the grass and stuff tomorrow. but i THINK they will be wrapping it up tomorrow. they definitely weren't as close to being done today as i had anticipated considering he told me they may be done today. but it's okay because the initial estimate was for this friday.

DAY 10 PROGRESS

http://imgur.com/tnupmYJ,2WvZgoG,MPrgFtb,Rpl5sGJ

so they finished yesterday and finished installing the transformer for the lights and cleaning up today. i didn't get any pics until it was starting to get dark when we first saw the lights on, and we were very happy with the outcome! it's going to take a while for the grass to grow in, but we love how it turned out already. i'll try to get some day pics tomorrow at some point. we're very happy and pleased with the end result though!
 
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My next door neighbor had a bunch of work done in his yard. They even had to rip up the new concrete they just poured because they must have not liked it.
 
Heloperator said:
Time to build the shelter for the coming storm >_>
Click to expand...

to be honest that is one thing i'm kind of concerned about - a storm coming while it's in the middle of being done. there is no longer concrete to make the water run away from the home so i don't want it to all puddle up and slowly drain towards the house. we do have a french drain and a sump pump for our basement, and i've seen it in the works before (and actually the work we're doing is also going to fix some runoff problems that were originally there), but i don't want it to just pool up and go towards the house, so i hope we don't get any major storms (and the forecast doesn't look like it).

when i left for work this morning, there was a HUGE 18 wheeler out front with a flat bed on the back and all of our pavers on it. they were dropping it in the driveway. i couldn't believe how many pavers there were, but i guess it makes sense since it's for the patio and the wall.
 
purbeast0 said:
when i left for work this morning, there was a HUGE 18 wheeler out front with a flat bed on the back and all of our pavers on it. they were dropping it in the driveway. i couldn't believe how many pavers there were, but i guess it makes sense since it's for the patio and the wall.
Click to expand...

Pavers are awesome. I used to do landscape work & they are great to maintain - hose 'em down, spray some weed killer on 'em, no worries in rainstorms due to the built-in drainage, no cracking from frost heave like concrete, etc.

What's your final setup going to look like? Got a Sketchup pic of the layout?
 
Kaido said:
Pavers are awesome. I used to do landscape work & they are great to maintain - hose 'em down, spray some weed killer on 'em, no worries in rainstorms due to the built-in drainage, no cracking from frost heave like concrete, etc.

What's your final setup going to look like? Got a Sketchup pic of the layout?
Click to expand...

nah i don't. i have the hand drawn top plan view but that's it. i am kinda sad i forgot to take a bunch of before pics, but i do have some on my phone from just taking random pics out there, just not from all of the angles i wanted. i'll eventually post those for a before/after shot.

next step is going to be putting a privacy fence up. it just didn't make any sense to do it beforehand with them having to get all of the big ass tools back there like a bobcat.
 
purbeast0 said:
nah i don't. i have the hand drawn top plan view but that's it. i am kinda sad i forgot to take a bunch of before pics, but i do have some on my phone from just taking random pics out there, just not from all of the angles i wanted. i'll eventually post those for a before/after shot.

next step is going to be putting a privacy fence up. it just didn't make any sense to do it beforehand with them having to get all of the big tools back there like a bobcat.
Click to expand...

I'm into efficiency & longevity...if you ever want a really serious fence, check out Stonetree Fences:

http://www.stonetreefence.com/

That also reminds me of Streetprint (stamped asphalt driveways). One of the things that always annoyed me in landscaping was having weeds grow in the cracks of driveways. Looks like crap & such a hassle, but hand-laid stone is expensive & even more prone to plant growth, gravel is a hassle, dirt is messy, concrete cracks, aspalt needs patching, etc.

Streetprint basically takes an asphalt driveway, pours down a colored epoxy coating, and then stamps a design on it. It gives it some flex to deal with frost heave so that you don't have to patch your driveway every year (assuming you live in an area that gets cold winters), plus it looks really good at a (often hugely) reduced cost of doing stone, brick, or pavers in the driveway, and without the maintenance:

http://www.drivewayimpressions.com/

I also like Kwik Kerb type of curbing a lot (same idea, but stamped concrete):

http://www.kwikkerb.org/

My buddy wrapped his driveway, lawn, house, and plants with concrete curbing. Made mowing the lawn super easy since all you had to do was use the edger once in awhile to get a nice cut between the lawn & curb, then just mow. Really low-hassle. Plus it sets you up for robotic lawnmowing (like the Roomba vacuum) down the road. One of my friend's neighbors has one (Lawnbott, I think), but he put a metal wire in the ground to prevent it from running away (like one of those invisible dog fences).

So much neat stuff out there these days...
 
BikeJunkie said:
Looks like the grade on your yard was fucked. Hopefully it's better when they finish.
Click to expand...

the grade actually looks worse right now, but that's just 1 day so i'm not worried. but ... the grading was kinda jacked up in the spot that is where the muddy spot is futherst away from the camera, close to the house (where that furthest window well is). it was grass there and was sloped slightly towards the house, and there was a little concrete slab around that window well that looked to also be messed up grading. so that whole area we're just putting in another patio there so i should all be smooth and flowing away from the house when it's all said and done.

the 2 window wells are actually going to be removed today. they are removing the window and replacing it with brick, then the patio will just cover up where they are. those window wells go into my theater anyways so i don't need light down there, and hardly any light got in there anyways just because of the way the sun moves during the day. there is still 1 window well down there where 75% of the light came in anyways.

and Kaido while i thin those stone fences do look nice, that's not the style we really are going for in our backyard and that is overkill for what i want. i like the look of a traditional wooden privacy fence, although i am going to explore the options of using vinyl or some of these other materials that should last longer than wood and are easier to maintain. i just haven't looked into that yet.
 
purbeast0 said:
and Kaido while i thin those stone fences do look nice, that's not the style we really are going for in our backyard and that is overkill for what i want. i like the look of a traditional wooden privacy fence, although i am going to explore the options of using vinyl or some of these other materials that should last longer than wood and are easier to maintain. i just haven't looked into that yet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's better for bigger yards, especially if you don't have close neighbors where it ruins the aesthetic. But I grew up in Florida, so hurricane-proof everything is win 😀 :thumbsup:

Definitely look into composite fences - you can get like a 10-year warranty these days & never have to paint or stain them. However, make sure to do your research, because no product is perfect, especially the cheaper stuff - not only is it usually more expensive than wood, but it can fade, the weather can mess it up (expand or shrink), it can get moldy, etc. Some of the better stuff has stain & fade warranties, so at least you're covered if it goes bad over time. Check out stuff like Trex or Fiberon to start out with:

http://www.fiberondecking.com/products/fencing
 
Kaido said:
Yeah, it's better for bigger yards, especially if you don't have close neighbors where it ruins the aesthetic. But I grew up in Florida, so hurricane-proof everything is win 😀 :thumbsup:

Definitely look into composite fences - you can get like a 10-year warranty these days & never have to paint or stain them. However, make sure to do your research, because no product is perfect, especially the cheaper stuff - not only is it usually more expensive than wood, but it can fade, the weather can mess it up (expand or shrink), it can get moldy, etc. Some of the better stuff has stain & fade warranties, so at least you're covered if it goes bad over time. Check out stuff like Trex or Fiberon to start out with:

http://www.fiberondecking.com/products/fencing
Click to expand...

cool man thanks for the info. i do like the look of that. how much more expensive is that type of fence than good old wood? i had an estimate done for our backyard which was like 183ft, and it was a 6' tall flatboard style with a 1' lattice on it, and it was about $5k with the survey being done as well.
 
purbeast0 said:
cool man thanks for the info. i do like the look of that. how much more expensive is that type of fence than good old wood? i had an estimate done for our backyard which was like 183ft, and it was a 6' tall flatboard style with a 1' lattice on it, and it was about $5k with the survey being done as well.
Click to expand...

That can vary, especially from installer to installer (small crew or large crew, built by hand or installing prefab stuff, etc.). The major costs are:

1. Materials
2. Labor
3. Maintenance (long-term, but important)

Depending on what you get, it can be like $10 more per square foot for the composite stuff, which can raise the overall price quite a bit. But it also depends on the type of fence. If they're installing a pre-made composite sheet, then that's a lot easier (= reduced labor cost due to less installation time needed) than building a wooden one. Plus you're not paying for painting, staining, weatherproofing, etc. And down the road, you're not stuck maintaining the wooden fence (termite-proofing, water-proofing, re-painting, etc.) if you select a composite option. Be sure to read up on composite fence brands too - the quality can vary quite a bit from awesome to total garbage - you want something that is going to last a long time & be in good shape, rather than something that is going to fall apart quickly & look bad (since at least with wood, you easily re-paint it & have it look really nice).
 
updated the OP with some "original" pics which kinda sucks and don't show all of it, but you can get an idea.

here's the update for today.

http://imgur.com/0w27YBx,rcDuMBi,K0d9yRK,wSk7PMB,dHJ2SFz,lIw1Ctq,eFA5xl4

so they did some more work in the back looks like just doing more base work. they also filled in the 2 window wells that i was having them fill, which will be nice so i won't see the window wells outside, and since it's in my home theater losing the light is probably better, although hardly any light went in those wells anyways. you can also kind of see a string going across the patio - that is as far as our old patio went out, and the old patio basically stopped at the sliding door and there was a step down, so it's also going to be like 15 feet longer on the far end as well.
 
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Psst...you should probably take the pic from the same spot each day. Gives a better sense of progress.

And on real wood vs composite - there's no substitute for real wood. Maybe it's just where we live (Texas) but you almost never see composite fences around here. Decks, a few and far between, but most everyone goes for real wood due to the beauty of it. To each his own though...just think it looks like ass.
 
RagingBITCH said:
Psst...you should probably take the pic from the same spot each day. Gives a better sense of progress.

And on real wood vs composite - there's no substitute for real wood. Maybe it's just where we live (Texas) but you almost never see composite fences around here. Decks, a few and far between, but most everyone goes for real wood due to the beauty of it. To each his own though...just think it looks like ass.
Click to expand...

the pics are pretty much from the same spot for the pics covering more area. didn't take any pics last night but they started the step and laid out some of the foundation for the retaining wall and patio. i'll take some more tonight.

and i do agree about the look of wood decks and fences - i just like that look in general.
 
What's the plan for the grade running down to the patio area? Looks like a pretty decent slope. In a big rain that will turn into a pool. Are they going to build up a wall so that it's a straight up shot to the "upper" part of the yard?
 
vi edit said:
What's the plan for the grade running down to the patio area? Looks like a pretty decent slope. In a big rain that will turn into a pool. Are they going to build up a wall so that it's a straight up shot to the "upper" part of the yard?
Click to expand...

i'll try to explain this heh...

so if you are looking out the door with the steps, where the patio ends to the left (which is furthest away from you in the pics) it is going to go from the patio right to the grass. the whole patio is graded so that it slopes down that way, so the water runs off down that way. it might look more steep than that or something though from the shitty pics.

if you are now looking out the door with the steps, then the side that is infront of you and running parallel to the house, around to where the rounded section is, it's going to be a retaining wall the whole way that goes back into the hill. they are going to backfill and grade the upper part though so it is basically flush with the top of the wall.

they are also doing somenice dranage from that gutter you see there (that is far away running down) so that it drains under ground and will come up away from the house runnig the same direction as the rest of the water. they are doing the same with the other gutter on the opposite side of the patio.

i also had them run conduit under the patio from my garage to behind the 2 columns that are going to be on each side of the semi-circle in the patio, just in case i want to run some speaker wires and stuff. there's going to be lights all along the wall as well that will have dimmer controls. i'm pretty excited to see how that is going to look as well.
 
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