design/build experts – The Deck and Patio Company

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Backyard Pond: A Place of Reflection

Water Gardens in Giverny, France

The famed impressionist, Claude Monet, loved painting the water gardens in his home in Giverny, France. His paintings capture the trees, clouds, and sky reflected in the lily ponds at various times of day, in very different light — in the pre-dawn, the brightness of noonday, at sunset.

Each example allows the viewer to reflect on the differing views of beauty created by the pond’s stillness.

We may not all be painters. But we all love to stop and reflect when we see the sky and other objects captured in still waters.

Consider the happy owners of the following Deck and Patio vanishing edge (infinity) swimming pond. Our own Dave Stockwell explains that water features such as this project’s two man-made ponds, when correctly designed, positioned, and constructed, can provide a transforming experience in one’s life.

Deck and Patio Vanishing edge swimming pond capturing a pink sunset

The same swimming pond at 4 a.m.

The vanishing edge pond in fall

Catching the reflections of twisted trees

“As you can see from the next photo of this pond, sunset is a magnificent time to mediate on the illusions created by the reflecting pond’s placid water,” says Dave. “The water mirrors its surroundings so perfectly, it can be a challenge to tell the real sky, ocean, and landscape from their images on the water.”

Vanishing Edge Pond at Sunset

The entire project was actually two ponds. The first larger pond shown in the above photos is the vanishing edge swimming pond. The smaller of the two ponds, below, is just steps outside the homeowners’ back door. Note how beautiful the back of the house is captured in the pond and reflected back.

Smaller of Two Backyard Ponds

Landscape design is an essential element in bringing about beautiful reflections and peaceful scenes. “Our designers used Mother Nature’s own creations — plants, moss rocks, and the water itself, to design a true mystical experience,” adds Dave.

To learn more about these two ponds and their natural biological filtration systems, read here.

By June Sullivan|2019-10-17T13:29:17-05:00October 17th, 2019|Backyard Escapes, Backyard Resorts, Backyard Upgrades, Creative Design, Design and Build Experts, Infinity Pools, Koi Ponds, Living Landscapes, Moss Rock and Stones, Outdoor Living, Plantings/Pondscapes, Ponds & Water Features, Seasonal Landscapes, Serenity Escapes, Sustainable Water Features, Unique Ideas|Comments Off

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Happiness Is Having a Pond To Come Home To

A little while back, we posted on Facebook two ‘before and after’ photos of this special Deck and Patio pond project.

Apparently they were so appealing, even Facebook’s change in algorithms (ahem) couldn’t limit post viewers and responses. Indeed, these pics were so well received, we thought we’d revisit the pond project in today’s blog. Enjoy!

Background

‘Before’ Pond Project Photo

Shortly after the homeowner purchased his property, he contacted us.

An entrance he had to drive over each day, on his way to and from work, had not been kept up for many years.

He asked us to accentuate a beautiful 1880 bridge structure with a man-made reflecting pond.

Pond Project

“I have, as it were, my own sun and moon and stars, and a little world all to myself.”

–Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Reflecting Koi Pond (Long Island/NY):

Our design allowed the pre-existing bridge’s entire stone gazebo to be reflected in the pond water. This water feature is more than 240 feet long and 60 feet wide so it also captures the surrounding landscape. Plus, such a wonderful expanse of water made the perfect habitat for koi.

Ideal Pond Design for Koi (Long Island/NY):

Deck and Patio’s team ensured the pond design included lots of flowing water, with rock overhangs, and plenty of space for pond fish to hide and thrive. Such a design makes it difficult for natural predators to reach the fish.

Pond Waterfall (Long island/NY):

Our designers incorporated a 12’ waterfall with a 20,000 gallon-per-hour water flow. This helps keep the pond fresh and aerated with oxygen.

Large Reflecting Pond with Stone Bridge (Long Island/NY):

The stone bridge with turret creates a stunning pond reflection in its crystal clear water. The water stays this way because we used a natural ecosystem to keep it clean. There is a large bog filter at the waterfall on one end, with a 3,000 gallon pondless reservoir with two 20,000 GPH pumps feeding the waterfall.

Award-Winning Reflecting Pond (Long Island/NY):

This pond, we’re proud to add, won a God medal award from the Association of Pool and Spa professionals (APSP) for “Residential Water Feature” as part of their “International Awards of Excellence.”

By June Sullivan|2018-06-07T13:39:05-05:00June 7th, 2018|Aquascape Biofalls, Backyard Escapes, Backyard Refurbishments, Backyard Upgrades, Creative Design, Design and Build Experts, Koi Ponds, Landscaping, Living Landscapes, Moss Rock and Stones, outdoor maintenance, Plantings/Pondscapes, Pondless Waterfalls, Ponds & Water Features|Comments Off

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Small Sloped Yard: Creating An Oasis That Wows!

Deck and Patio and True Blue Swimming Pools Create Natural-Looking Oasis that Wows!

Update 5-18-23

Very recently, Pinterest has been loaded with photos and ideas for making the most of sloped yards. Plus, Youtube Videos on this subject also abound. Even Bob Vila’s website has a recent — and extensive — post on how to make the most of this landscaping challenge.

Since many elements in the Vila blog also happen to be included in many of our own projects, we thought we’d update one of our blogs that highlights these.

Elevated Backyard Terrain/Swimming Pool:

One of the first elements recommended on Bob Vila’s page for a sloping property is using natural materials like stone to create “a stepped pathway.”

As you will see in the left corner of this photo (left and below) we designed/built a stone pathway that connects the lower patio level up to the pool area. Indeed, such stone pathways are a signature feature of such Deck and Patio projects.

Other elements on Vila’s post include a waterfall and flat stepping stone path, which you’ll also find in our earlier blog below.

However! Where Bob Vila’s page showcased a heavy looking retaining wall, for this project, we conceived, along with True Blue Swimming Pools, a pool with an exposed wall as a fun and beautiful way to hold back the grade. On the other side of that exposed pool wall, inside the pool, are in-pool bar stools and a swim-up bar. (See earlier blog below.)

“Even small yards with sloping problems can be transformed into something very special,” says our own Dave Stockwell.

Our January 2018 blog continues below:

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When the owners of this Long Island, NY, small sloped property first contacted the president of True Blue Swimming Pools, Michael Truehart, they expected that, since most of their small backyard had a sloping terrain, the pool company would design/build a pool on the only small patch of flat land available.

“But Michael felt it was a pity to use up that flat piece of lawn, where their children loved to play,” says Deck and Patio owner Dave Stockwell. In addition, the clients had revealed they hoped for more than a pool. There were several other outdoor living amenities they wanted.

Michael explained they were all possible, but it would require a lot of creative landscaping. A quality design/build landscaping firm could sculpt the seemingly unusable elevated terrain.

Needless to say, we were delighted that Michael recommended Deck and Patio as the landscaping firm to help them achieve their dream: a “natural-looking oasis that wows.”

“It can be daunting to create a backyard paradise in a small yard with a sloping terrain,” adds Michael. “To fit the size of pool they wanted, we also had to deal with stringent Town setback codes.”

True Blue and Deck and Patio worked closely to design and build all the following amenities:

— full-sized 24’ x 40’ vinyl swimming pool

— Wild Ride slide

— granite swim-up bar with 3 vinyl-covered in-pool stills

— diving rock

— Cambridge XL paver patio

— pool waterfall feature

— Tiki (Hula) patio umbrellas

— Outdoor shower

— lush plantings.

“Michael and his team, along with everyone at Deck and patio, were thrilled when this project won a local Bronze Medal as well as an international Gold medal from APSP (Association of Pool and Spa Professionals),” says Dave. “Working with companies of great integrity and ability — like True Blue Swimming Pools — makes all the difference.”

Small Sloping Backyard Fits Beautiful Oasis:

Despite the small and challenging terrain, this backyard upgrade included a pool and a Wild Ride slide, granite swim-up bar with 3 vinyl-covered in-pool stools, pool waterfalls (that help form part of a natural-looking retaining wall), diving rock, Tiki (Hula) patio umbrellas, outdoor shower, and lush plantings.

Room for Lagoon-style Swimming Pool In Small Sloping Yard:

Along with designing a freeform shape, True Blue Swimming Pools chose a Loop-Loc “Sea Blue”vinyl liner to give the pool an enticing South Seas’ lagoon appeal. Deck and Patio’s fullnose coping also offers a harmonizing curved form.

Pool Built in Sloping Terrain:

This pool was designed one one side with an exposed wall in order to address the problems of the sloping terrain. Deck and Patio veneered the wall in Cambridge Ledgestone.

Elevated Backyard Terrain/Swimming Pool:

One way the teams added drama to the lower patio area was to veneer the pool’s exposed side in Cambridge Ledgestone. It’s the backyard’s main lounging area and the perfect spot to relax while listening to the gentle sounds of the waterfalls running over moss rock.

Small Yard Goes Big with Amenities:

An impressive granite swim-up bar with 3 vinyl-covered in-pool stools, all shaded by Tiki patio umbrellas are just some of the wonderful amenities contributing to the “wow” factor these clients were looking for. Also note the charming stone step area leading to the diving rock — still leaving intact the lawn space where the children to play.

By June Sullivan|2023-05-18T12:33:15-05:00January 18th, 2018|Awards, Backyard Escapes, Creative Design, Deck and Patios, Design and Build Experts, Landscaping, Moss Rock and Stones, Outdoor Bars, Outdoor Living, Patios & Decks, Ponds & Water Features, Pool Amenities, Pool Waterfalls, Pools & Spas, Retaining Walls, Swim Up Bars, Vinyl-lined Pools|Comments Off

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10 Ways to Enhance Outdoor Living This Season

Camping trips and the rugged outdoor experiences they provide are fine in short bursts. But a full 5 or 6 month outdoor season spent enjoyed in one’s backyard cries out for comfortable and superbly functional amenities.

Today’s blog, however, will not focus so much on the key foundations of outdoor living — patios, decks, and large water features such as swimming pools — as the delightful amenities that enhance them.

Here’s Our 9 Ways!

This first photo from Fiberon Decking, for example, highlights two opposite outdoor living enhancements — an attractive fire table that adds warmth on cool evenings and a shade umbrella that reduces the heat of the day.

In addition, note how an awning provides even more relief from the sun on the upper deck level. And very comfortable outdoor furniture means no sense at all of ‘camping out’ when sitting on this deck. Plus a highly functional outdoor kitchen means no need to limit the dining experience — although marshmallows roasted over the fire table is one camping treat worth bringing home.

A garden gazebo is another wonderful amenity for providing shade and comfort. As architectural statements, gazebos are beautiful to the eye while providing shade, protection from rain, as well as comfortable seating.

But a gazebo can be used in many more ways: as a meditation center; a spot for exercising; the ideal location for a hot tub; a venue for special celebrations like a wedding ceremony. Indeed, we believe this gazebo, built at the edge of a new deck by Deck and Patio, would be a gorgeous location for a wedding. A reception held on this poolside deck would truly be memorable.

Trellises and pergolas also make dramatic architectural statements. They require less materials than a gazebo (or 4-season room) to construct, and provide limited shade with just support beams and rafters.

Taking the time to grow vines on a trellis/pergola, however, will eventually increase the amount of shade. In the meantime, one can always add a canopy overhead — a good idea if the space underneath is used frequently when the sun is high.

Swim-up bars turn a regular backyard pool into a full-blown resort. Looking at these two Deck and Patio projects, one can almost hear steel drums in the background, can’t you? Whenever a a swim-up bar is added to the pool, all that’s needed to complete a vacation-resort feeling are small drink umbrellas in the Mojitos and Piña Coladas.

Deck and Patio not only designs in-pool submerged bar stools for swim-up bars, but we can design it all so this amenity can also be used as a dry bar, enjoyed on the other side.

In-pool amenities that make a splash include waterfalls and jet sprays like those shown here. When either of these are added to a pool, their gentle sounds screen out in a delightful way any noise from the pool’s high-tech equipment and even nearby traffic.

This Deck and Patio project also includes another outdoor living enhancement — an outdoor shower (not shown). It is located at the base of a stepping stone path that leads up to the hidden pool equipment.

Information about tanning shelves (a.k.a. Baja shelves, tanning ledges) seen above in this blog’s feature photo can be seen here.

By June Sullivan|2017-05-04T13:56:29-05:00May 4th, 2017|Backyard Escapes, Backyard Refurbishments, Backyard Upgrades, Concrete (Gunite) Pools, Creative Design, Design and Build Experts, Fire Pits, Outdoor Bars, Outdoor Furniture, Outdoor Kitchens, Outdoor Living, Pergola, Pool Upgrades, Pools & Spas, Swim Up Bars, Trellises, Vinyl-lined Pools|0 Comments

Property Upgrades: Time To See Under the Snow…to Spring
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Property Upgrades: Time To See Under the Snow…to Spring

Attention fellow snow-bound Northerners: Now this may be difficult. But, if you are thinking of any upgrades to your property, it is best — despite all the white stuff — to look under the snow and see Spring.

“Everyone thinks because there’s so much snow on the ground, they can’t plan or figure out what can be done,” says Deck and Patio’s Outdoor Living Expert, Bill Renter. “But, all of a sudden, the snow melts, and our phones ring off the hook.”

Although Deck and Patio has several designers on staff, Renter says that because so many wait until Spring to contact us, it can take weeks for someone to get out to see them.

“What potential clients don’t realize is, we don’t have to see the ground to plan,” says Renter. “If there’s an existing patio or pool, that’s one thing. It’s helpful to see those. But for the most part, we can work through surveys and Google Earth.”

That’s fine you might be thinking. But you don’t want to just begin blind. Well, consider this. Deck and Patio will work up a plan and also provide a 3-D rendering, or video so clients won’t have to rely on their imagination.

Landscape Planning

Believe it or not, good design/build firms can “see underneath the snow” by using surveys and Google Earth, etc. to come up with a property upgrade plan for spring: be it adding a pool, spa, pond, waterfalls, or just lush plantings.

“Pool Studio” 3-D Animations

Our team worked with this homeowner (see photo above) through the use of a computer software program called “Pool Studio,” which is a 3-D animation program that allows viewers to literally fly over and walk through a project as it is developing.

All aspects of this project’s design — from the existing house to the proposed patio, pool, waterfalls, outdoor kitchen, and expanded pond – could be experienced in motion — even the gas campfires. This was particularly helpful, in order to fully appreciate the water-to-water views of the proposed vanishing edge pool.

Winter Landscape Planning

These clients (photo above) say that when work began, the initial piles of dirt and stone panicked them. “I soon learned everything Bill

[Renter] did had a purpose and I came to enjoy watching each stage unfold,” said the client. Because the property was flat, our 3-D renditions showed how different patio levels would make the yard appear bigger — even what the views would look like from various parts of the house.

AutoCAD 3-D Animation

Again, we used AutoCAD and 3-D animation to show how this multilevel pool area would change. We showed how we would turn what the client described as a problem area into a feature, by enlarging the upper area, where the client liked to sit in the shade and enjoy the view. The lower area was expanded for sunning; an outdoor kitchen was added for entertaining.

Backyard Upgrades

It’s okay if you look outside and have no idea how to plan for Spring. The key is: design/build experts do know, and those such as The Deck and Patio Company have the ability to show you what to expect during, and after, the work takes place.

By June Sullivan|2017-01-21T16:34:39-05:00February 19th, 2015|Backyard Escapes, Backyard Refurbishments, Backyard Upgrades, Creative Design, Design and Build Experts, Landscaping|0 Comments

Awe-Inspiring Reflections From Man-Made Ponds
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Awe-Inspiring Reflections From Man-Made Ponds

“I have, as it were, my own sun and moon and stars, and a little world all to myself.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

At one time, enjoying something as relaxing and restful as reflections in a pond was occasioned by a lake-side holiday or visit to the mountains. However, with the growth in popularity of backyard escapes/oases, homeowners, in increasing numbers, are bringing that experience home.

Indeed, there is something mystical and restive in pausing alongside pristine still water. It is especially restorative to study the reflections of the surroundings that such water throws back — including distant delights like the clouds and the moon.

As a student of nature and avid outdoor enthusiast, Deck and Patio’s Outdoor Living Expert, Bill Renter, believes that water features such as man-made ponds, when correctly designed, positioned, and constructed, can provide a transforming experience in one’s life: a ‘little world all to oneself’ to paraphrase Thoreau.

The following two projects are such examples.

Reflecting Pond:

This vanishing edge pond, like this project’s second smaller pond, is more than a reflecting pond; it’s also a swimming pond — part of a pristine Deck and Patio backyard oasis that includes the two ponds, a stream, and waterfalls. (See also next 3 photos).

Vanishing Edge Pond:

Sunset is a magnificent time to mediate on the illusions created by the reflecting pond’s placid water. The water mirrors its surroundings so perfectly, it can be a challenge to tell the real sky, ocean, and landscape from their reflections.

Reflecting Pond:

The smaller of the two ponds is just steps outside the homeowners’ back door. Note how beautiful the back of the house is captured in the pond and reflected back.

Pond Stepping Stones:

During the day, stepping stones across vanishing edge pond bring you up close to the images created in the water. Bend down, gently pass your hand through its stillness, and watch the reflections ripple. If there’s a better pastime, we’ve never come across it.

Man-Made Ponds:

Landscape design is an essential element in bringing about beautiful reflections and peaceful scenes. Deck and Patio’s Bill Renter used Mother Nature’s own creations — plants, moss rocks, and the water itself, to design a true mystical experience for this project.