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Benefits of Fall Clean Up

Fall is officially here!

The weather is cooler, leaves are starting to fall, beautiful shades of red and orange are taking over. There are many benefits of a fall clean up. It’s the perfect time to benefit from a fall clean up, and prepare your landscape.

Fall clean ups are very helpful in maintaining and keeping a healthy landscape. One of the most tedious tasks of clean ups is the leaf and pine needle removal. Removing leaves that have fallen from trees is recommended because lots of diseases and insects grow throughout the debris which can infect your landscaping in the long run. After the leaf removal, pruning your perennials, shrubs, and trees is the next step to your clean up.

Whether you are trimming for health and stability or appearance pruning prompts new growth in the spring. Many shrubs and trees can only be pruned in the fall. Many shrubs bloom on new growth so it is very important to trim your plants in the fall. Grasses and perennials can be cut back a few inches above the ground, can provide insulation to the roots in the winter and create a clear space in the spring for new growth.

Without the summer warmth you need to prepare your planting beds for the harsh winter weather by installing a layer of mulch. It can insulate the plant’s roots, retaining moisture and heat providing a winter cover. The mulch retains moisture and heat allowing for the microbes in the soil to live longer throughout the winter improving the soil conditions. As the mulch breaks down it releases many minerals and nitrogen that enrich the area providing healthier blooms in the spring. In the spring as you see everything start to turn green and beautiful you’ll be glad that all your hard work in the fall paid off!

Winter is the best time to plan your landscaping projects

885 Piper Way

Sandwich, IL 60548

815.786.7647 Office

815.786.6654 Fax

Office Hours:

M-F 8 am - 4 pm

Sat 8 am - 1 pm

Spring & Fall Cleanup

© 2023 Aztech Landscaping of Sandwich, IL provides landscaping services and decorative stone patios.
Popular service areas include: Lake Holiday, Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove, and Yorkville. (see more areas)

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Advantages of Using Pavers for Your Driveway

Many homeowners are looking for ways to either increase the value of their home or increase the beauty and functionality of their forever home. In either case, improving curb appeal is the main goal. Whether your home’s driveway is cracked, dull and crumbly, or is simply looking dated, the driveway is the perfect place to start.

Strength

Concrete paving stones are carefully manufactured to make them incredibly strong. In fact, paving stones are typically two to three times stronger than poured-in-place concrete. The combination of higher concrete loading per piece, and the quality control that goes into a manufactured stone means a paver is likely to have increased strength consistently throughout, whereas large, poured slabs could have inconsistencies throughout, leading to long term issues with durability.

Flexibility

The method by which concrete pavers are installed leads to a natural flexibility of the surface. This flexibility allows the pavers to adjust with the freeze/thaw shift, virtually eliminating cracking, found more typically with pour-in-place concrete or asphalt.

Easy to maintain

Maintaining driveway pavers is far easier and more affordable than with standard asphalt driveways. Stains and cracks that occur on asphalt can lead to costly and time-consuming restoration. These types of repairs will, more than likely, have to be done several times throughout the lifetime of the driveway. In contrast, if a paver does become damaged or stained, that paving stone would simply be removed and replaced with a new one.

Easy to replace

When an asphalt or concrete driveway fails, typically the entire driveway will need to be removed and replaced. While patch work is possible, it is evident there have been patches due to color differences, leading many homeowners to replace the whole driveway. However, with paving stones, you can replace only the area that needs replacing. Replacing a paver is straightforward, does not require large, specialized equipment, can be done in a day and can even be done yourself.

Style versatility

With paving stones, your design is limited only by imagination. Mixing colors and textures and laying patterns can create magnificent designs, making your driveway the talk of the neighborhood. You can select pavers to match your home’s character and color, giving your driveway a modern flair or old-world charm.

Environmental benefits

Stormwater management is quickly becoming a major environmental issue affecting municipalities. In some cities, permeable paving solutions are required by law, which quickly eliminates most traditional driveway paving options. Unilock offers the widest selection of permeable paving options on the market, meaning you can meet local requirements without sacrificing your aesthetic. Learn more about the advantages of permeable paver.

Quick installation

With paving stones, there is no waiting period to drive on the installed product. With asphalt and concrete, there is a waiting period before it is safe to drive on the surface. This is typically a bigger issue in urban areas where street parking is limited, or even disallowed.

If you are considering having a new concrete paver driveway installed give Aztech Landscaping & Paving a call at 815-786-7647

Source: Unilock

Information provided by: Source

885 Piper Way

Sandwich, IL 60548

815.786.7647 Office

815.786.6654 Fax

Office Hours:

M-F 8 am - 4 pm

Sat 8 am - 1 pm

Spring & Fall Cleanup

website design by Willow Marketing Solutions

Tips for Firepit in your back yard

Things to consider when installing a fire pit in your back yard

Few things in life can match the cozy feeling you get from the mesmerizing flames of an outdoor fire on a cool evening. Think about roasting marshmallows and warming your hands around mugs of hot cocoa. You can create that inviting experience by adding a fire pit to your back yard. Then, simply set the scene with comfy chairs, soft music and a few close friends sprinkled around.

If you are thinking about adding a fire pit to your backyard escape, there are a few things to consider before you get started.

Is it OK to have a fire pit in my backyard?

It is OK to have a fire pit in your backyard as long as you are aware of safe practices and local bylaws regarding recreational fires. In general, keep these guidelines in mind:

The fire must be a safe distance from any combustible surface. Usually, this means that the fire must be twenty-five feet from any structures such as your house, shed, vehicles or decks.
If your backyard is heavily treed, make sure there are no branches extending over the fire.
Consider how the fire affects your neighbors. Will smoke or sparks make their way into their yard or open windows? Your fire should be at least 10 feet from the property line.
Check the wind conditions. If it’s a windy evening, don’t build a fire. It simply isn’t safe for you or your neighbors.
Keep the size of your fire manageable. Fires should be no taller than three feet high and three feet wide. Anything larger poses a significant fire threat.
Make sure your fire is tended to and supervised by an adult for the entire time that it is burning.
Check the local bylaws for having outdoor fires in your community.

What is the best fire pit

The best stone for fire pits is any concrete stone paver and wall products. Definitely avoid sandstone, limestone, pumice, and river rocks because of their porous nature and tendency to hold water. When wet rocks heat up, the trapped air and water expand very quickly and force the rock apart, sometimes causing it to explode.

How much does a stone fire pit cost?

The cost of a stone fire pit depends on a lot of different factors such as the size of your fire pit, and the products used to construct it.

Do you need special stones for a fire pit?

No, you don’t need special stones for a fire pit – but you do need a metal insert to protect the shape and structural integrity of the exterior walls.

What should I put under my fire pit?

The only thing you need under your fire pit is a level base that has approximately 8 inches of gravel.

Visit information / source provided by Unilock

885 Piper Way

Sandwich, IL 60548

815.786.7647 Office

815.786.6654 Fax

Office Hours:

M-F 8 am - 4 pm

Sat 8 am - 1 pm

Spring & Fall Cleanup

website design by Willow Marketing Solutions

What’s in a Zone?

What’s in a Zone? A landscape Zone that is … Understanding what zoning when it comes to choosing plants or trees for your landscaping can be key. The USDA divided North America into areas, or zones, where specific plants would most likely thrive. The idea was to help gardeners compare the climate of their garden with climates where a plant grows well. The map is based on the average minimum temperature, divided into 10°F zones. Hardiness zones are particularly informative about the extremes of winter cold. We (Northern Illinois) are in Zone 5.

Other things to consider.

Planting based on the USDA’s hardiness map isn’t enough for a thriving garden. You must also think about things like having the right amount of sunlight or shade for a certain plant to grow, maintaining the moisture level of soil without overwatering it, giving it the right nutrients, and pruning when necessary.

If you want your plantings to flourish every year, they must be able to tolerate year-round conditions in your area, whether they’re high or low temperatures.

Working with a professional landscaper can be helpful when devising a plan that meets your needs for your home or business landscape.