Hardscapes Enhance a New Home’s Architectural Style

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Effective hardscapes enhance a home’s architectural style. This stone pathway, for example, accents the rustics aesthetics of an Addison-built mountain retreat that’s beautifully situated amidst a Certified Wildlife Habitat®.

Hardscapes used to be simple – and, simply put, a little bit boring. It wasn’t so long ago that the only option offered by most new home builders was a white slab of concrete approaching the garage and the front door. With any luck, there’d be another slab in the backyard to function as a small patio.

Thankfully, those days are over.

Today’s best builders understand that attractive hardscape areas are essential to curb appeal. What used to be, at best, a neutral feature, now delivers distinctive style and boosts the overall beauty of a new home. Builders in Greenville SC have a variety of options to bring a little zing to their hardscapes, including:

STAMPED CONCRETE.  Just as it sounds, the masonry or concrete contractor places textured panels of various sizes over an area of newly poured concrete and applies a slight bit of pressure to make an impression. Once the concrete sets, the panels are removed to reveal a permanent pattern.

Stamped concrete is an excellent, cost-effective way to add the three-dimensional look of a custom-etched or troweled concrete surface, hand-laid bricks or stone pavers. Several patterns – from uniform bricks to more abstract textures – allow builders and homebuyers to satisfy their personal tastes and complement the style of their new home. Stamped concrete can be used to highlight the walkway to the front door or create a consistent, dimensional look for all of the home’s hardscape areas.

COLORED CONCRETE.  To create colored concrete, pigment is added as the concrete is being mixed – what’s known as an “integral” coloring process. This means that the color is mixed through the depth of the hardscape area, not just painted on the surface. Colored concrete is often used to highlight a hardscape feature, such as a walkway. Used in conjunction with stamped concrete technique, the integral coloring process can enhance the authenticity of a pattern, such as red bricks or dark stone pavers.

AGGREGATE.  Another option that adds dimension to a standard concrete surface is exposed aggregate. Small rounded stones are added to the concrete mix. Then the concrete surface is brushed before the concrete sets, exposing the texture and slight color variations of the authentic pebbles. Exposed aggregate can add interest to an otherwise featureless expanse for a relatively low cost.

BRICKS & PAVERS.  There’s no substitute for the “real thing” if it fits the budget. Laying individual bricks or stones – available in various sizes, shapes and colors – is a labor-intensive (and thus more costly) endeavor. The preparation for a brick or stone path, patio or driveway is much the same as that for a poured concrete hardscape.

However, laying each brick (and sometimes cutting it to fit), maintaining a pattern and straight lines, and securing the pieces in place with either mortar or sand takes much more time and skill. That said, the greatest advantage to hand-laid bricks and pavers is aesthetic. The natural materials show slight undulations and variations in color and texture that are unmistakable.

Thin (or veneer) bricks and stones can help lower the cost of the hand-laid approach, but these are most suitable as accents, such as lining a concrete driveway or walk. They are less suited to high-traffic areas that must carry greater weight.

Used in creative combinations, the options available for hardscapes offer homeowners and builders in Greenville SC unlimited ways to achieve unique surfaces. Effective hardscapes enhance a new home’s architectural style, increase its value and bring long-term satisfaction to the owner.