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AG VanGundy Landscape, Inc. & AG Landscape Materials, Inc. |
Posts Tagged ‘Landscape Planning’
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 »
Saturday, May 8th, 2010
We are near the time that here in the Chicago area, people will be planting their Annuals. Today is May 7th and we are still going to experience some 31-32 degree nights this spring. So, hold off planting a little longer.
To prepare for planting the Annuals, I suggest tilling in an inch or two of compost into the planting bed to create a planting soil depth a minimum of about 4 inches. If the existing topsoil in your planting area is a very thin layer, then be careful not to till the compost in too deep as you don’t want to mix in or bring up the clay soil just beneath the topsoil. A good idea, if you have little topsoil and if time allows, is to scrape any available topsoil off and remove some of the clay soil and add a good Garden Mix to the bed and then till in your topsoil. Here at A.G. Landscape Materials, we sell a pre-mixed (at the pulverizer) Garden Mix which consists of 1 part Topsoil, 1 part Compost, 1 part Torpedo Sand. In our experience this combination has worked really well; however there are many different schools of thought as to just the right combination, all of which have there good points. So, we also have the capability of customizing the mix that you believe will work for you. As a matter of fact, we just delivered to one of the local Minor League Baseball teams in the Chicago area a mix that they felt would work for them.
I wish you good luck with your Annuals and hope you have a colorful spring!!
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Landscape Installations, Landscape Planning, landscaping, Plant Maintenance, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General, Landscape Planning, Plant Maintenance, Uncategorized | 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 »
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Spring is just around the corner, I can feel it. Have you noticed that there are some days you can almost smell spring in the air? It’s getting exciting!
Over the past few weeks, I have posted blogs on topics from Firewood Purchasing to Marking the Utilities on your Property. I hope that you have found them informative and helpful and that you use them as a point of reference when it comes to your landscaping.
The next few months will be very interesting as I plan on posting blogs relevant to specific projects you may be considering to do on your own. For instance, if your lawn really needs a make-over, look for my 5 part blog on lawn renovations; it will take you step by step on how to achieve a great looking yard. If gardening is something you’re looking forward to, make sure you check out my future blogs on planting Annuals, Fill Dirt vs. Topsoil vs. Compost, Mulching, and General Plantings. I know a lot of you will be interested in Do-It-Yourself Hardscaping Projects, so I plan on publishing blogs regarding Brick Paving, Retaining Walls and Firepits. I’ll also include blogs on Polymeric Sand vs. Jointing Sand for those installations as well as a blog discussing the maintenance of the brick work once it’s installed, specifically cleaning and sealing of the brick. There are also some misconceptions out there regarding Mulches (Hardwood, Premium Hardwood Bark, Dyed…). Hopefully, I’ll be able to clear up some of those when my Mulch blog gets posted. Many of you will experience drainage problems with the arrival of spring. Don’t get too worked up about it. One of my next blogs will take you through the process of how to solve this issue.
These are just a few of the blogs scheduled to be published during the next few weeks/months. Of course, if you have any ideas, I’d love to hear from you. You can forward the contact form found on our website at www.agvangundy.com with your ideas.
Finally, although the next few blogs will be geared toward doing it yourself, hiring a contractor such as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. is always an option. Go to our website at www.agvangundy.com and forward a quote request to us and we’ll be happy to start working with you.
Here’s hoping for a great spring!!
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Do It Youself Projects, Dormant Pruning, Drain Tile, Drain Tile Work, Hardscaping, Landcape Construction, Landscape Installations, Landscape Planning, Lawn Care, Patio, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in General | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Have you been thinking about adding to your outdoor living space? How’s the access to your front door or back yard? Are you in need of a new service walk? Does your driveway need updating? If you have been contemplating any of these types of projects, hiring a landscape contractor may be the right decision for you. A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. has been an authorized Unilock contractor for over 18 years and A.G. Landscape Materials, Inc. has been an authorized Unilock dealer for over 11 years. As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, the decision to hire a contractor can be a challenging one. There are a lot of different companies, each with their own area of expertise. So, how do you go about choosing the right one & what should happen once that decision is made? There are several basic issues I feel should be addressed before deciding on a contractor:
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?
Getting the answers to these questions should help you narrow your choices to 2 or 3. Hopefully, A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. is one of those companies. Each company has its own sales process, especially when it comes to construction sales. The following is our process:
You should first call our office at (630) 295-8190 or complete a quote form that can be found on our website at www.agvangundy.com to schedule an appointment with one of our sales representatives. If one of the reps is not available at the time of your call, our office staff will get some general information from you and pass it along to the rep. The sales rep should call you back within a day or so to schedule an appointment.
Before he/she comes to your site, you will need to consider a few things. You will need to decide what you are comfortable spending on this project (a budget) and convey that to the sales rep. You may want to take a look at the photo gallery at www.agvangundy.com for some ideas. The sales rep will also have ideas for you. It would also be beneficial to have your plat of survey available. This will assist in the design process as it pertains to the permit application process.
Once the sales rep arrives at your site, he/she will want to talk with you about the goals of your project, a little bit about your lifestyle, and any ideas you may have. He/she will also want to look at the area so that they can begin forming ideas. He/she will probably take some measurements & in some cases some pictures of the area. The sales rep may give you a very rough estimate at that time.
Back at the office a design/sketch will be created and a materials list put together. Once this is completed, the rep will contact you for a 2nd meeting to go over the details of the design and in most cases show you the samples of the material to be used on your project. If you love the design and the price is right you will be asked to sign a contract and for a deposit to hold your price and get you on the schedule board. If the concept is not as you envisioned or you’re not quite sure of the materials suggested, now would be the time to discuss that. Your rep will be more than happy to discuss changes and other options. If the price is not one you are comfortable with, the rep will try to help you figure out a way to achieve your project. One option may be doing the project in phases; another option may be using a less expensive material, yet another may be changing the pattern. One option that should never be considered is compromising the quality of the actual construction process.
Once your deposit is received and a contract signed, your job goes on the schedule board for installation. We will give you an estimated date for installation. Unfortunately, an exact date cannot be given because so much of our work is dependent upon weather conditions and jobs being installed in front of yours.
Next on the agenda would be applying for and procuring the permit. Permits for construction projects, i.e. patios, driveways… are usually required by the town/village/county in which the job is being performed. Because of the technical knowledge that may be needed, this is something that we here at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. will be happy to take care of for you. Most towns/villages/counties do require a plat of survey with any outbuildings and/or improvements located on the plat. Once we receive your plat of survey from you, we’ll submit the paperwork and continue to be the liaison between you and the governing bodies. The permit fee and any necessary bonds will be your responsibility to pay. That fee will usually be added to either your start up payment or your final payment.
Once your installation date is near, we’ll contact JULIE to mark the underground utilities on your property. You should note that JULIE does not mark any wiring that you have installed, i.e. invisible dog fence lines, low voltage wiring, gas lines to swimming pools or grills… In theses cases you will want to mark them yourself or at the very least, make sure that your sales rep is aware of these, as A.G. VanGundy Landscape, Inc. cannot be responsible for these lines.
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.
Any inspections due, per your permit, will be arranged by us.
When the work is completed, the sales rep or the crew foreman will walk you through your job and go over the warranty again and answer any questions you may have. Your final payment will be due at that time. But, please don’t think that this should end our business relationship. We are here to answer any questions that may come up or assist you with any other projects you may want to install.
Finally, any home improvement project can be a daunting experience, but at A.G. VanGundy Landscape, we try to take some of the nerves and turn them into excitement.
Tags: AG Landscape Materials, AG VanGundy Landscape, AGVanGundy.com, Hardscaping, Landcape Construction, Landscape Designing, Landscape Installations, Landscape Planning, Patio, Roselle, Schaumburg
Posted in AGVanGundy.com, General, Landscape Planning | 1 Comment »
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