Remodeling your landscape can be an exciting time as a homeowner. The feeling of renewal can be a powerful confidence boost, and who doesn’t love a landscape tailored to their needs and aesthetics? While some projects can be relatively simple, sometimes the process needs some major work like excavation. There are several projects that have a workload beyond the scope of typical landscape work and require an excavation team. Knowing when to excavate can help reduce time and costs while making the whole process easier. Here are some of the more common backyard remodels that require excavation in Bedford and Milford, NH areas.
Proper Drainage
Rain runoff is a simple fact of life for homeowners. Only with the slightest of rains will water simply sink into the ground instead of collect or flow away. One of the biggest hazards to a landscape is the trapping of standing water. It can literally drown a lawn, propagate disease and pests like mosquitoes, and even erode the foundation of a nearby structure. A landscaper using excavation to provide proper drainage will mitigate any potential disaster by digging ditches or installing culverts.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are often the unsung heroes of a landscape. When properly built, they help hold a hillside back from sliding down a slope. They can be part of a terrace system that holds higher slopes back and create more usable areas for an outdoor living space. They even can act as a long-lasting decorative feature that can add a striking view to any landscape. Proper engineering is the first step for a proper retaining wall. A foundation trench must be dug and the area behind the wall must be excavated to ensure the wall is built correctly before it can be backfilled. A structural retaining wall needs proper excavation to stand the test of time and do its job.
Electricity, Gas, and Water
For a truly integrated outdoor living area, there will need to be some utilities. In fact, any sort of excavation needs to begin with a mandatory call to the utility companies to ensure that safe digging can proceed. Electricity is the most common utility to add to an outdoor living space, but water and gas may be needed as well, for fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, water features, and outdoor kitchens. The labor of digging deep trenches for utility lines - especially those that need to get below the frost line in rocky soil - is back-breaking work and needs the expertise of a professional excavation team.
Foundation Work
All structures that are permanently fixed to an outdoor living space require a foundation for structural security. Heavy machinery is far more efficient and effective, especially in New Hampshire’s rocky soil. Building a solid foundation, grading an area to achieve the perfect level, and laying layers of sand and gravel are the only ways to ensure the longevity and structural soundness of a new landscaping structure such as a patio or a pool deck.
Driveways
Oftentimes, a landscape and path approaching a garage or parking area may be far too steep or rugged to build a paved surface and heavy machinery needs to be brought in. Altering the land so that vehicles may safely connect from the road to the home is a common use of excavation in New Hampshire properties. Even more, winter and the freeze-and-thaw cycles can take a toll on the surface of the driveway itself, necessitating the removal of damage and replacement via excavation.
