As the weather gets a bit colder and more bearable, the needs of your lawn and landscaping are going to change. In fact, the time you spend on your knees in the dirt is going to slowly decrease, until your gardening is done until spring. To make your spring more successful, here are a few things you should do to prep your lawn this fall.
Of all of the spaces in your backyard, your patio is probably the place that gets the most wear and tear. Children or grandkids playing with chalk, riding their bikes and throwing things, as well as the normal wear and tear from adults. Patio furniture causing scuffs, dropping heavy things and causing cracks, and a lot of use, can easily make your patio look dingy. If your patio is in need of a little makeover, here are a few easy ways to transform your patio!
One of our favorite ways to spend our summer evenings is to spend that time in the garden. It’s a great chance to watch the sunset, feel the air get cool around you, and make something beautiful. Gardening isn’t too hard to get into, so even if this is your first year and you don’t know what you’re doing, you still can! Here are our easy summer gardening tips for beginners.
Playgrounds are designed to be both safe and fun for children to play on, and a significant factor into how safe a playground is depends on the ground upon which you build it. While you need to make sure that you have a stable foundation to build the playground upon to make it sturdy, you can’t have kids playing above hard concrete or asphalt, especially when they will be higher up. For this reason, it’s important to use a cover material to help create a safe environment for play. Here are some of the best materials for playgrounds…
An outdoor kitchen is one of the best ways to make your property into a luxurious hangout spot. Being able to engage in multiple types of cooking on a warm summer night with your friends and family makes you feel like you’re living the high life. However, building an outdoor kitchen isn’t cheap, and there are lots of decisions to make on the way to create one that is going to fulfill your particular needs. Here are some tips for building an outdoor kitchen at your home!
Now that the snow is clearing away and we’re saying goodbye to colder temperatures, many of us are finding unwelcome potholes in our driveways and private streets. Those potholes can cause a lot of damage to our vehicles, and the rocky roads that they create are unpleasant to drive on.
When we are looking for neighborhoods to live in, one trait that draws us immediately into an area is how many trees it has. Trees create an immediately welcoming aesthetic that makes it easier to imagine starting a life and raising a family in an area. For this reason, urban development plans often specify ways to increase the amount of “green space” that is able to fit within an area. Here are a few effects that putting trees in a neighborhood has…
There are few things as companionable as gathering around a fire. The dancing flames excite and entrance while friends huddle around the warmth and share stories and jokes.
Most of us consider these fireside moments exclusive to camping trips and bonfire nights, but it doesn’t have to be that way. When you install a fire pit in your backyard, any night can feel like a holiday. Here are 5 major reasons that you should have a fire pit at home:
Let’s get one of the biggest draws on the table right from the get-go. Why wait until the height of summer to enjoy some delicious s’mores? You can cook them right in your backyard over an open flame. A proper s’more must have a marshmallow roasted over an open flame, or it’s just not the same thing!
S’mores aren’t the only snacks that you’ll enjoy with your new fire pit. Banana boats, hot dogs, melted Starburst, and all your old camping favorites will make an appearance and turn any evening with friends into a major event!
Speaking of friends, have you ever wanted an excuse to gather together friends, family, and loved ones at your home? A fire pit will provide the extra draw you need. It’s the perfect way to finish up a dinner party, or a fun night out. Friends will linger to tell stories and laugh around the circle. These are the moments that will turn into cherished memories.
Most of the time, people relate an at-home firepit to a level of luxury that they just can’t afford. But here at Asphalt Materials, we offer fire pit kits that are affordable and easy to install in your own yard, all by yourself. They’re lightweight enough that you won’t break your back during setup, with individual bricks that can be reused later if needed.
Do-it-yourself fire pit kits can easily be hooked up to your home’s natural gas so that a fire is always ready to go. On the other hand, you can set it up to be compatible with propane instead, so you don’t have to worry about utility lines. Of course, there’s always the old-school approach of a good wood-burning fire, which some people like best. Whatever your form of fuel, we have a pit that will work for you and we can help you understand exactly what you need to do to set it up.
A beautiful hardscaping element like a fire pit will provide a lot of visual interest in what could otherwise be a bare, lifeless area of your yard. As an added bonus, a fire pit is a relatively low-maintenance feature that will greatly increase the appeal of your home. We offer a variety of fire pit kits suited to every yard.
Click here to learn more about our fire pits.
We’ve had a relatively mild winter so far, but the weather is finally starting to get cold and frigid. With the cold weather, comes snow. And with snow, comes slippery sidewalks and snow banks. Some love the white blanket covering their property. Others see the snow, and only see the chore of shoveling the snow out of the driveway so they can get to work. Whichever category you fall into, you should know the safest and most efficient ways to remove the snow obstructing your driveway and sidewalks.
Shoveling
Hand shoveling the snow away can be the fastest and safest snow removal method. A snow shovel works best when you have less than 3 inches of freshly fallen, non-compacted snow. The more hard compacted, thick, and heavy the snow gets, the harder the snow shoveling job becomes. You can still remove your snow this way, it will just become a more strenuous and time consuming job.
Rock Salt
There are a few pros and cons to salt. It is most effective on melting ice. If you were to sprinkle rock salt over thick snow, it will seep through the snow and get to work on the ice beneath it. So unless the snow is in a very thin layer, you may not get the results you’re hoping for. Rock salt, or sodium chloride, is completely safe to use on asphalt. However, when used on concrete, it can break down the concrete. The salt seeps into the concrete, corroding the rebar and other reinforcements. The salt can also runoff into soil surrounding the area, which can cause damage to plants. So while rock salt is fine for asphalt, you may want to look for a non-chloride deicer for your concrete areas.
The most effective way to remove snow and ice, is to first shovel the snow away, and then sprinkle the area with rock salt or any other deicer. The salt will help melt the snow as it falls, meaning you won’t have to shovel the snow for a little while longer.
Leaving the snow alone
You can choose to leave the snow, which will save you lots of time in labor. This isn’t recommended for driveways, though, if you’ll be needing to leave your home. This is also a bad idea for places with heavy traffic, such as apartment complexes and business complexes. To make the snow less of a slip hazard, sprinkle cat litter or sand over the surface, to provide additional traction.
We love decorating for Christmas. When the days are short and we’re hosting get-togethers with family and friends, we can get the most out of thoughtful lighting decor around our yard and house. Here are some ideas so that you can make your own yard festive and bright during Utah’s cold winter months.
