News & Blog
4 Benefits of Artificial Turf Compared to Grass
Many of us have seen artificial turf on sports fields, but have you ever thought about the benefits of having artificial turf in your own backyard? Artificial turf has been adopted by residents interested in drought-tolerant landscaping that offers both beautiful curb appeal and space for family, pets, and guests. Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of artificial turf and how it might impact your landscaping.
Artificial Turf Doesn’t Need Water or Maintenance
Unlike sod or natural grasses, artificial turf requires no maintenance to maintain it’s beautiful green appearance. No weekly mowing, just lay the turf in place and forget it. When the autumn leaves fall, just sweep them off.
One of the best things about artificial turf is its low-maintenance nature. The best part is artificial turf will remain the same color year around and look good no matter which season it is.
It allows you to focus more on the things you enjoy doing in your yard, like hosting parties, barbecues, and spending time with your family.
It’s Environmentally Friendly
Since the product requires no maintenance from gas or electric-powered lawn equipment, artificial turf is more eco-friendly than even natural grass. A simple sweeping with a broom will clear away most any debris or soil from the tip of the turf and have it looking great in no time.
In addition, artificial grass never needs toxic chemicals to protect its health. Not only are these chemicals dangerous for your kids and pets who often come in to direct contact when playing on the lawn, but they also contaminate runoff water systems and have a negative impact on the environment.
Artificial Landscape Will Save You Money
In addition to the expense of monthly maintenance, including mowing, fertilizers, and sod, natural grass needs water... a lot of it.
Artificial turf doesn’t require any of this, which frees you to use that chunk of your monthly budget elsewhere.
Cost Effective Replacement
When it’s time to replace artificial turf, the process is less expensive and easier than replacing a landscape with grass seeds or sod. If the turf being replaced still has some life in it, it can be recycled for other uses in the landscape, such as creating weed-free garden paths or dog runs, making the product even more cost effective to use and replace when needed.
The benefits of artificial turf outweigh those of natural grass, especially if you’re living in an area affected by the devastating water crisis. If you’re interested in saving money, conserving water, and creating a home with exceptional curb appeal, artificial turf may be the option you’re seeking. Artificial turf provides the same beautiful look a nd bounce as natural grass, without the expense. If you are considering turf give us a call to schedule a consultation at 360-580-5106 or fill out our contact form.
How Pavers Help Protect the Environment
Homeowners can not only help protect the environmen, they can improve the curb appeal of their home with interlocking concrete pavement. Interlocking concrete pavement (ICP) is not only visually appealing, it lasts longer than other conventional pavements such as poured concrete or asphalt. A study by Applied Research Associates (ARA) finds life-cycle costing for Interlocking Concrete Pavements is 29 years. This is longer than other conventional pavements.
This ability to last longer makes ICP the sustainable pavement of the future. Sustainable means using methods, systems and materials that won't deplete resources or harm natural cycles. Interlocking concrete pavement’s longer life-cycle means less of an impact on resources. Every homeowner can do their part to protect the earth with the use of sustainable products around the home. An added plus for the homeowner with ICP is less maintenance and repair and it looks great!
Interlocking concrete pavements not only look good, they last longer. This is a job where we did a permeable paver installation.
Pavers are visually appealing
Pavers can be used for walks, patios and driveways, as well as for parking lots and residential streets. Homeowners particularly like the vast array of colors, shapes, sizes and textures available. You can get rustic stone like pavers or others that look like clay brick. In the warmer months light-colored pavers can provide a cooler surface around patios and pool decks. When it gets cold these pavers are easy to snowplow and they work well in freeze-thaw environments.
You can learn more about interlocking concrete pavements and find an experienced, professional installer by visiting the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute’s Web site at www.icpi.org. Dreamscapes Landscape & Design is an ICPI Certified installer. To schedule a consultation to discuss your project give us a call at 360-580-5106 or fill out our contact form.
Top 5 Benefits of Irrigation
An automatic sprinkler system is a home improvement project worth considering. Not only will it help maintain a healthy beautiful landscape which you can enjoy with your friends and family, but it’s the most convenient and efficient way to ensure your landscape gets the water it needs without over-or under-watering. When it is properly installed and maintained an automatic sprinkler system will help conserve water too.
There are many benefits related to the installation of an irrigation system in your residential or commercial landscape. Over the last 20 years or so we have seen an increase of awareness in the importance of conserving water, for many a state across America has seen the effects of drought.
By installing an automatic irrigation system that best suits your needs, you will be saving time and money. When you water by hand more than 50 per cent of the water is wasted in runoff and evaporation.
Automatic irrigation systems can be programmed to run at night when the evaporation is low, and in times of water restrictions.
Individuals who install irrigation systems will benefits greatly, but the environment will also benefit. This is so important that everyone play their part in the conservation of this precious resource.
Benefits of Irrigation Systems
Saves Time
An automatic irrigation system will save you plenty of time that you in the past would have spent watering your lawns, gardens and flowers. You can now have your timers set, so that watering will take place at the times that best suits your land scape and the climate where you live. You can go on that holiday knowing that your lawns and flowers will be maintained and flourishingwhen you return.
Saves Money
With an automatic irrigation system there is no money or water wasted, for everything is timed, programmed and these systems all have rain sensors, so every drop of water is used only when it is needed.
Saves Water
Whatever type of irrigation system you install, there will definitely be a greater saving on water. You can help conserve water with automatic systems, for there is no wasting of water, every drop is used not wasted away. You can save between 30 and 50 percent of the water that you would normally use with other more conventional watering methods.
Improves Growth
When plants, crops, lawns or flowers are watered with smaller amounts of water over a longer period of time, they grow faster, for it is the ideal condition for growth. You will enjoy greener and more luscious gardens and lawns.
Weed Reduction
You will notice a reduction in the amount of weeds appearing, this is due to the fact that those areas that need water are the only areas receiving water, with the implementation of a specifically designed irrigation system.
Dreamscapes Landscape & Design can help you build an irrigation system that works for your home. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation at 360-580-5106 or fill out our contact form.
4 Ways to Improve the Curb Appeal of Your Home
Today, driveways are considered part of the landscaping and upgrading them can improve a home’s curb appeal.
Curb appeal. It’s that good impression that a prospective buyer receives when looking at a home for purchase. It starts at the curb before the buyer even walks into the home.
As more homeowners recognize the value of improving such first impressions, there’s a growing interest in landscaping — with plantings, stonework and the creation of points of interest, such as fountains or enclosed spaces. As some designers have said, “the garden is the new kitchen.”
Lately, the desire to improve curb appeal has also meant the creation of a distinctive driveway. Treating the driveway as part of the landscaping is one of the hottest new design trends.
An increasingly popular driveway design choice is also a practical one: concrete pavers.
Many homeowners consider concrete pavers a more attractive and permanent solution than asphalt — an important investment in improving their home’s curb appeal. Pavers are easier to maintain and last longer without needing to be repaired.
For a prospective buyer, the driveway suggests how a home is maintained. If buyers see an immaculate driveway, they assume everything they can’t see in the home might also be well maintained.
Real estate experts say it’s easy to recoup the cost of a driveway upgrade. In fact, it may be doubly recouped when you sell the house.
Pavers provide a safe, slop resistant surface in beautiful beige, coral, multi-colored or darker blended colors, as well as blends with flashed tones to harmonize with a home’s exterior cladding.
Other effective ways to enhance your home's curb appeal include:
- Patios: A well-designed patio made of interlocking concrete pavements can enhance the character of your home and provide extra entertaining space.
- Pool decks: Concrete pavers are an excellent way to integrate the pool visually into your landscaping design.
- Walkways: A properly paved walkway can frame your home. To lend more grace to an entrance, walkways should be at least three feet wide and gently curved.
- Lighting: At night, lighting can increase safety and add ambiance in patios, walkways and driveways.
For more information about concrete pavers, visit the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute website at www.icpi.org. Dreamscapes Landscape & Design is an ICPI Certified installer. To schedule a consultation to discuss your project give us a call at 360-580-5106 or fill out our contact form.
Pavers Add Style and Increase the Value of Your Home
Using interlocking concrete pavers to create an exciting, durable driveway relies on a technique that the Romans used to build their roads.They are often used in walkways, patios, driveways, plazas and downtown renovations.
Many homeowners desire the high-end look of stone on their property’s walks and driveways at more modest concrete prices.
One way to do this is with interlocking concrete pavers — a pavement type that is growing in popularity. Also called segmental paving, the basic technique is as classic as the roads of the Roman empire. Interlocking concrete pavers use high-strength, durable concrete units that interlock together to form a patterned surface which can be put into service immediately.
Pavers are manufactured in various shapes, textures and colors. A big benefit of pavers is that they can be removed and reinstalled, which reduces future service interruptions.
Concrete pavers are available in a wide range of styles. For instance, one is crafted to resemble roman paving stones.
Paver units are often used in historic restoration projects, such as streets in historic areas. Since paver units are uniform in size, they offer a smoother ride and are easier to repair than their historic cobblestone counterpart.
The popularity of pavers is expanding rapidly in the United States and Canada. There is plenty of growth to go; in Europe there are 10 square feet of pavers installed per person annually, however, in North America it is just under two square feet per person. In the Netherlands, most of the streets and sidewalks are pavers.
Dayton, Ohio and Toronto, Ontario are two of many cities that have used concrete pavers in historic neighborhoods to enhance the area’s image and support the investment by residents in their homes.
The ability to produce pavers in a wide variety of shapes and colors makes it possible to use them in colorful, attention-grabbing ways that can add to the character of the home. For example, Overtown, Florida created an urban park that used pavers in patterns and colors taken from Kente Cloth, a non-repetitive weave from North Africa.
To learn more about using concrete pavers in a patio or driveway, visit the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute website at www.icpi.org. Dreamscapes Landscape & Design is an ICPI Certified installer. To schedule a consultation to discuss your project give us a call at 360-580-5106 or fill out our contact form.
