These Long Island, NY, clients wanted to upgrade their backyard with lots of outdoor living amenities. But space was at a premium. There wasn’t room, for example, for a pond with waterfalls. Also, designing/adding a waterfall area to their new pool (something Deck and Patio is known for) would have reduced the desired patio space.
Sheer Descent Waterfalls
“So our design team came up with the idea of having two sheer descent waterfalls flowing out of the stone outdoor bar they wanted,” says our own Dave Stockwell.
“We designed the waterfalls be be ‘pondless’ — so the spill is captured below ground without the usual above-ground presence of a pond.”
(Sheer descents are also known as sheet falling or water curtain waterfalls.
‘Pondless’ Waterfalls
The best part of these waterfalls is their ability to offer the audio and visual enjoyments of continuous flowing water while using only a minimum of water flow. The Aquascape underground “pondless waterfall” system stores and recirculates the captured water through an underneath pump that sends the water up through a filter.
Note: The charming block of plantings in front of the bar provides a natural softscape that breaks up the surrounding hardscapes with bursts of color and softness.
Custom Wood Trellis/Pergola
Custom Trellis
The addition of a custom wood trellis over the bar helped create an “outdoor great room” effect through the use of this attractive piece of architecture.
It also adds to the private escape feeling which is desirable anytime, but which is particularly valuable these days when travel is so unappealing to many.
Homeowners can add climbing roses or other climbing plants to such a trellis for additional natural beauty. And the shade from the pergola will increase over the years as the vines continue to grow.
Custom Bar with Trellis
The custom bar with trellis was set across from a slightly raised patio lounge area furnished with circular wicker seating and a shade umbrella.
The bar’s stone mimics the lovely patio paving stones; it is topped by a counter made from composite decking material that gives the appearance of wood, but without the cracking, rotting, or splitting. This countertop also requires no sealants because the composite materials are already protected from UV rays, and is very resistant to damage from insects, water or sun.
A note about the Cambridge Random Pavers used in this project.
Cambridge Pavingstones
To create the patio pool surround and other patio areas, we compacted the soil back around the pool to allow for the immediate installation of the new pavers around the pool.
This compacting process is not done by many contractors. We, however, have been doing it successfully for over 15 years with little or no soil movement.
The idea is that, using compacted soil, the base will not settle so you don’t have to wait to install a patio around a new pool. Many contractors still install concrete slabs under their patio. In our experience we find this does not work well. Settling still occurs under the slab allowing the patio to crack or settle.
After the base materials were finished, we installed chestnut-hued durable pavers. The pavers’ protective coating means these clients will have a clean-lined modern look. Even after being subjected to snow plowing, de-icing salts and normal wear, they will keep their color and beautiful appearance.
Vinyl Pool
This project also included a vinyl-pool with automated cover and additional patio lounging areas.
