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AG VanGundy Landscape, Inc. & AG Landscape Materials, Inc. |
Posts Tagged ‘Drainage’
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Different projects require different types of stone/gravel. Here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. we are often asked “What type of gravel should I use for this?” and “What’s the difference between this gravel and that stone?” Hopefully I can shed some light on this subject.
For construction projects, like patios, a good base is CA6—Grade 8, sometimes called driveway stone or crushed limestone. Grade 8 is a fractured stone with fine particles that lock together. After slightly moistening this gravel, it compacts tightly together making it a perfect choice for a base for concrete patios, driveways and walkways, for brick paving and retaining wall base. The particles are approx. ¾” in size down to dust. This is also helpful in laboring because the shovels go into the piles or can move the Grade 8 relatively easily.
At the quarry, this material is also screening separately into Limestone Screenings (Fines) and ¾” Washed or CA-7. The CA-7 is ¾ of an inch in size and is a good gravel to use in drainage or wet situations as water can pass through it and the fractured edges can lock together and still provide support for structures or vehicles. CA-7 is a good choice for under a shed in wetter areas or as a base when vehicles will be driving on it or parked on it.
Limestone Screenings make great pathways and bike trails. If you travel down the Illinois Prairie path, you’ve traveled on Limestone Screenings. The finer size is easy to smooth out. In wet areas; however, this material can change into ether a wet cement-like or a mashed potato-like consistency and may need heavier or larger rock added. In the past, many people and contractors alike used Limestone Screenings as a base for brick patios or walkways. Personally, I don’t suggest that application. My recommendation is to use 4” – 6” of compacted Grade 8 for pedestrian areas and 6” – 12” of compacted Grade 8 for vehicular areas with a 1” layer of bedding Torpedo Sand atop the compacted gravel.
There are several styles of Drainage Rock which often double as Decorative Stone. 1.5” Washed Rounds, ¾” Washed Rounds, and Pea Gravel are the most common of this type of stone. All of these stones have several uses, in addition to their outstanding drainage use; these types make excellent dog runs. Pea gravel can be used for pathways and like the ¾” Washed Rounds make an excellent ground cover below decks. This is also the very best stone to use in French Drains. The 1.5” Washed Rounds is an excellent alternative to Decorative Stone.
There are so many sizes, styles, and colors of Decorative Stone that it would be impossible to list them all or even cover the stone we sell here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. in this blog. Our personal favorites here; however, are American Heritage, Meremac, Lava Stone, White Marble, Western Sunset, and Tiffany Pink. Each of these stones has a uniqueness that helps solve most landscape situations in their own right. Some stone, like American Heritage, are heavy and round which works well during fall leaf removals where strong blowers are used to remove leaves and the stone stays because it is heavy. Where color is the determining factor, Lava, Western Sunset, or Marble are popular choices. We highly recommend that you view the Decorative Stone in person, prior to purchasing it.
We also recommend that if you have any doubts about what type of stone or gravel to use in your project, talk to a professional. Here at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. we love to talk to our customers. We want to ensure that you get the right stone that you can drain through, build on, or highlight your landscape, to give you that unique look that sets your property apart from everyone else’s.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Dog Runs, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Hardscaping, Landscape Planning, Patio, Retaining Wall Construction, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General, Hardscaping, Landscape Planning | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Here at A.G. Landscape Materials we are often asked by some of customers “which dirt should I use?” or they ask about bringing in a large quantity of soil, like 15 – 20 yards. When time allows, we try to find out what the soil is being used for or if our customer is seeding, grading… We hear all kinds of answers. For example, we have removed our pool, we have drainage issues and/or we are trying to create flower beds. Hopefully this blog will address your project and assist you in deciding which material to use.
When trying to fill a deep void (over 10”) i.e. a swimming pool or larger build ups, fill dirt may be used. The “fill dirt” from A.G. Landscape Materials is a product developed from the removals of soil, sod, and land from our customers’ projects. There can be almost anything in it (including, but not limited to, soil, clay, decomposed sod, and some stone), but it is predominately soil. This material usually needs a top covering of pulverized topsoil to first be able to smooth out the top layer and then to have something better to grow into. A real plus for using fill dirt in these applications is that it is inexpensive and a heavier soil. The drawbacks are that it can be difficult with machinery to place and work with.
Rough vs. Pulverized Topsoil: First off, we at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. do not carry rough or un-pulverized topsoil. We can have it direct shipped, but like fill dirt you may need a machine or Bobcat to spread it. We prefer to sell pulverized topsoil. Pulverized topsoil is mainly a soil that is removed from farm fields and brought by truck to our location and then reloaded on trucks and sent to homes throughout the Chicago- land area. I discussed “What is Topsoil?” in a blog back on April 1st, 2010. Pulverized topsoil is relatively easy to work with and rake out since most particles are less than ¾” to 1” at most. It is also easy to plant grass seed or other plants into and can be used in either deep applications or thin applications. A con to topsoil may be that the particles can “melt” together and in deeper applications settling may occur if it was not compacted.
Garden Mix is a blend of pulverized topsoil, compost and sand. It is best to use when establishing a new garden or when adding to a garden. I have seen people use this material for lawn seeding application due to its finer granulars, drainage capabilities and being more fertile due to its compost. Although it costs more, since it is premixed, it simplifies the process. You can also plant right into it.
The compost sold at A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. is developed from a mix of organic materials and turned over and over until it becomes compost. It does not contain manure, and I feel it is easier to work with. It is best when tilled into the soil and can be used with new or existing gardens and flower beds. It also helps loosen clayish soils. Ground covers love this product. I suggest compost on most of our landscape planting projects. A con to this product is that it is light and thus has no weight carrying capabilities and may be more susceptible to wash out in extreme conditions. You should also not plant directly into only compost. It can dry out faster and the solidity of topsoil is helpful.
Most of these materials have other uses than those we discussed here. For your needs, you can e-mail or call us at (630) 295-8190 and we’ll be happy to assist you and hopefully get the right material to you so you can do your job right.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, Do It Youself Projects, Drainage, Landscape Installations, Landscape Planning, landscaping, Lawn Care, Lawn Renovation, Plant Maintenance, topsoil
Posted in General, Landscape Planning, Plant Maintenance, topsoil | 2 Comments »
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Here at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. we hear questions nearly everyday about topsoil. The most common questions are:
Is it pulverized?
Is it or does it have clay in it?
What about “clumps”?
Well, today I’m going to try and clear up some things about topsoil.
At A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. we sell pulverized topsoil that has predominately been stacked in a farm field or development. This topsoil is the excess that is not needed for the development. Weather it is our topsoil or another company’s; it is always sold from the excess. The soil is usually taken from a huge pile that was made when large earth moving scrapers skimmed the top 6” – 1’ of soil off and deposited it out of the way. Engineers calculate how much is in the pile and how much is needed to cover the areas for the development and the excess is sold off. Some is sold as pulverized topsoil, soil that is lifted into a hopper, then lead into a shredder and separator where particles/stone larger than 1” go to the side and the rest goes down a long conveyer to either a waiting dump truck or to again be stacked for later loading into trucks. For our purposes, it is loaded onto a semi-truck, shipped to our location in Roselle and deposited into our topsoil bin for distribution. That is the easy part.
The quality of topsoil depends first on the location the soil is removed from and then how deep the scrapers go into the surface. There is always a layer between the “subclay” and the top layer. This is usually entered into and some usually goes into the original pile. This year will be challenging to first find the best soil and a site that is not too far away as construction and the creation of large developments has really slowed down due to the economy. We are fortunate to be associated with suppliers that bring the best soil possible. That’s a key phrase – “The best soil possible”, because as I mentioned above, the scrapers sometimes enter a heavier soil.
Most of the state of Illinois has mineral based soil. Peat is not topsoil. It is broken down vegetation and moss, giving the soil a compost-like texture. It is considered to be an additive to topsoil not the base of it.
The consistency of the particles can have many variables. Moisture can have a lot to do with marbling that occurs when the soil travels down the conveyers. Clumping can happen when the that soil is moist is placed on a truck, dumped here and then re-handled by the tractor, placed again on a truck and then deposited on your driveway. This is what generally causes clumping. Any gardener will tell you that handling moist/wet soil will cause clumping and should be refrained from excessive handling. However, this may be impossible. We tarp our soil, but that does not guarantee the soil will remain perfectly pulverized, but it does keep clumping to a minimum.
Have you ever had topsoil brought in only to find out that after a rain or two and baking in the sun that it becomes hard? This is not an uncommon occurrence. It does not mean that the soil is clay. Since the first settlers came to this area our soils have been a challenge. Fertile but hard, that is why special plows were developed to break up the soil to farm it. Today is no different. Pulverized topsoil is great for lawns, gardens, and planting beds. For vegetable gardens it is great to mix in compost to keep the soil looser and make it more fertile. Pulverized topsoil is also easier to handle as compared to raw or rough topsoil which could have 1’ – 2’ clumps that even the best shovelers have a hard time breaking.
All in all the topsoil from A.G. Landscape, Materials, Inc. is a great product for all of your landscaping needs.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Landscape Installations, Roselle, Schaumburg, topsoil
Posted in General, topsoil | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
The temperatures are rising and the snow is melting, these are sure signs that spring is almost here. However, the arrival of spring and the rains that are inevitable on top of the wet ground from the melting snow may create drainage issues for some of you. The ground becomes saturated and water may end up just sitting in the low spots in your yard. This can create a slew of problems, i.e. mowing your yard may become difficult, standing water breeds mosquitoes, and the pets and kids come back to the house wet and muddy. So, instead of enjoying spring, it becomes a hassle.
Why not fix the problem? It can be as simple as hiring a landscape contractor, such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. to fix it or you can do it yourself. If you choose the latter, you will need to assess the problem and decide whether or not installing a drain tile system is the way to go. You may decide that re-grading your yard is the option for you. However, if you decide to go the drain tile route, the first thing you’ll need to determine is where the water is coming from and where you want it to go. Once that is figured out, you’re on your way to a drier yard.
The first step will be to decide how you want to install the drain tile and where you want it to exit on your property and if you are connecting to the sump pump exit or downspout exits. One thing you will need to consider before making this determination is the freeze/thaw cycles. It may not be beneficial to hook up directly to the exits. You may want to have a 3” – 4” space between the exits and drainage system to “free fall” the water into the drainage system. When it comes to the actual installation, I would highly recommend using a non-perforated type of tile for the first 10 feet after passing the house and then connect a socked perforated tile for the remainder. We’ll discuss the actual installation a little later.
O.K. now you’ve made the decisions you need, the next step is to check with your village/town to find out if a Permit is required for this type of work. Although I’m not sure of all towns, I do know that Schaumburg does require one. If your town does require one, apply for it as soon as possible. They will probably require a plat of survey with any/all additions and/or outbuildings located on it, where the proposed drain system is going to be installed, the type and amount of materials you will be using and a small fee.
Once you receive your permit, be sure to contact JULIE to mark your property at least 2 business days prior to beginning your digging. You might want to check out my blog on Locate Utilities Prior to Digging. After your property is marked you’ll be ready to go once you have the materials you need.
Here’s a quick checklist of the recommended materials:
1. Drain Tile (both Socked Perforated & Non-Perforated may be needed)
2. Any connections you may need
3. Landscape Fabric
4. Grates for exits
5. Topsoil for repairing the yard from trench work
6. Sod and/or seed
Contact a company such as A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. @ www.agvangundy.com or at (630) 295-8190 and we can deliver the materials to your driveway or you can pick them up at our yard.
Now that you have your permit, your property is marked, and you have the materials, you’re ready to start the trench work.
The trench you need should be a minimum of 12” wide and 18” in depth. Your pitch within the trench may vary depending on your specific needs. Once the trench is dug and you’re ready to install the drain tile.
As I mentioned earlier, I would recommend using a non-perforated drain tile for the first 10 feet after passing the house when you’re connecting to the sump pump and/or downspout exits. This will usually allow for the water to sufficiently pass the home and not find its way back toward the house. This type of drain tile can be installed directly into the trench with no additional gravel or fabric.
For the socked perforated drain tile, you will need to install landscape fabric in the trench to wrap the gravel and the tile within it. Be sure to leave enough fabric on the sides to accommodate this.
Once you have the trench lined with the fabric, you need to install drainage rock (usually ¾” washed round gravel). You will need to install this gravel at an approximate depth of 4” around the circumference of the socked perforated drain tile.
Now that you have the fabric liner, and the first 4” of ¾” washed round gravel installed, you can lay the socked perforated drain tile. Finish installing the rest of the gravel and then fold over the landscape fabric. This will inhibit the topsoil from leaching into the gravel and the drain tile.
To finish off the trench in the yard, you will want to install approximately 4” of topsoil atop the non-perforated drain tile and atop the fabric around the socked perforated drain tile. Then install sod or seed to repair the grass in the yard.
At the exit end of the drain tile, I would suggest a minimum 3’ deep by 2’ wide exit pit. This pit should be lined with fabric and the same gravel you used in the trench.
Normally, we at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. place an elbow from the socked perforated tube to the top of the pit with a perforated grate sealing the top to allow water to exit and keep gravel out.
As you can see, installing drain tile isn’t necessarily a difficult job to perform and is a job that is absolutely a do it yourself type project, if you’re at all on the handy side. But, as I’ve mentioned earlier, hiring a Landscape Contractor such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. is another option for you. Contact us at www.agvangundy.com or call us at (630) 295-8190 and we’ll try to help you decide the best way to alleviate your drainage problem so that you can enjoy your spring in a dry yard.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Drain Tile, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Lawn Care, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in Drain Tile Installation | No Comments »
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Landscaping your yard can be a fun and exciting do-it-yourself project; however, some of you may feel overwhelmed by the possibilities, or you may not feel confident in your choices, or you may decide that your time is best spend doing something else, whatever the reason, you may choose to hire a landscape contractor to install your project. Choosing a contractor can itself be a daunting task; there are so many contractors around, so where do you start? I would recommend getting the answers to these general questions before narrowing your choices:
1. Is the contractor insured?
2. How long has the contractor been in business?
3. Are their crews someone you can communicate with?
4. Will they supply you with references?
5. What type of warranty do they offer?
Once you’ve narrowed your choices to 2 or 3 (I wouldn’t recommend more than that, it starts getting confusing), you will want them to come to your residence/project site to go over the project you’re contemplating. Hopefully, you have chosen A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. to be one of those two or three. Each company has their own sales process, but this is ours (and it seems to have worked fairly well for nearly 30 years).
First you need to call or e-mail the office to schedule an appointment. If a sales representative is not readily available at the time of your call, our efficient office staff will get some general information from you and pass it along to the sales rep. The rep should call you back within a day or so to schedule the appointment.
Before he/she comes to your site, you will want to consider a few things, like budget. You will want to convey to our rep what you are comfortable spending. You may want a $50,000.00 landscape, but you have $10,000.00 available. Keep in mind that this is not a huge problem. You may need to install your project in stages. We’ll discuss this a little later in this blog. You may also want to look around your neighborhood or at other homes; do you see any plantings that you absolutely love or hate? Our rep will want to know that also. Do you have a preference of colors? Do you love pink? Do you have reds? Finally, think about how much time you want to spend maintaining the newly installed landscape. Do you want it installed and virtually forget about it? Do you like tweaking things throughout the season? You may also need a copy of your plat of survey for the initial meeting.
Once our rep arrives, he/she will want to look at the area(s) to be landscaped. They’ll want to know the answers to the above questions and probably other information to help them customize the design to your taste/personality/lifestyle. Sometimes, especially if the project is not complicated, the rep will be able to sketch something on site and present you with the estimate. Other times, the rep will bring back the dimensions and notes and prepare a scaled design. There is usually a fee involved with the preparation of a design; however, the rep will certainly go over this with you at the meeting. Once the design is completed, the rep will contact you for a 2nd meeting to go over the details of the design. This meeting usually takes place at our office although not always. The rep will go over the overall concept of the design, basic colors included and bloom time. The rep will also go over the cost and our contract terms. If you love the design and the price is right, you’ll be asked to sign a contract and for a deposit to hold your price and get you on the schedule board. If you love the design, but the price is a little of your budget for now, the rep will be more than happy to discuss with you the options that would be available. For instance, you may decide to do the project in stages, our rep can help you prioritize which should be done first, or you may decide to install portions of the landscape yourself. Whatever you decide, we want to make sure that you’re happy and comfortable with the decisions.
Once your deposit is received and the contract is signed, your job goes on the schedule board for installation. We will give you an estimated date for installation. Your actual installation date is not something that can always be guaranteed because our work is very dependent on weather conditions and jobs that are being installed in front of yours.
If a permit is required, we can take care of that for you in most cases. We may need additional information from you and you will be responsible to pay the permit fees and/or bonds that may be required by the village and/or county. But, we’ll be happy to submit the paperwork, pick up the permit and be the liaison to the governing bodies.
Once your installation date is near, we will contact JULIE to mark the underground utilities at your site. Please note, that JULIE does not mark wiring that you have installed, i.e. invisible dog fence lines, low voltage lighting wiring… In these cases, you may want to mark them yourself or at the very least make sure that your sales rep is aware of these.
We will usually call you a day or two prior to the day we will be at your site to start your job. Your “start up” payment is usually due once our crews arrive to begin work.
When the work is completed, the sales rep or the crew foreman will walk you through the job, go over the watering instructions, the warranty again and answer any questions you may have. It is then that the final payment is due. But, don’t think that just because you make your final payment our relationship has to be over. We’re here to answer questions that may come up or assist you with other projects you may want to install.
Finally, deciding to do any home improvement with a contractor can be nerve racking, but at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. we try to take some of the nerves and turn them into excitement.
Tags: AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Dog Runs, Drain Tile Work, Drainage, Landscape Design, Landscape Installations, Landscape Planning, landscaping, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in AGVanGundy.com, General, Landscape Designing, Landscape Planning | No Comments »
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