Pavers

[turftechs]

I own a landscaping company in south jersey. Anyone have any tips on paver stones or garden walls?

Thanks, Turf Techs Lawn Care

[Bill]

Yhea, it's called a sub-contractor..

[Timothy]

Good day. I'm Timothy of Yard Works Gardening Co. of Bellingham Wa. For pavers and walls you must have a good base with proper drainage. Remember the brick layers law, one over two and two over one. To be quite honest, you need to go the book store and invest in in some good books. Tips just won't hack it if your trying to be professional.

I looked at your web site and I have a word of caution for you about your "playground service".

manage a playground (private school) and there are lots of regulations about them. I'm unsure what New Jersey has as far as playground regulations, but I would suggest that you look into them. The materials that you use, rubber mulch and railroad ties are toxic and not rated for playground use in Washington state. Diamond edging is dangerous as is all cement edging. Treated lumber is also not rated for playground use. This is ofcourse for Washington state commercial/public playgrounds. Your advertising a safe playground, I would suggest that you go with the state aproved materials. If you built a playground and someone go hurt, you would be sued.

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[Mary Beth]

"Timothy" wrote : I would suggest that you go with the state

If you built a playground and someone go hurt, you

Big time!!! My g/f's daughter fell off her 'schoolyard' ladder at the playground, they had macadam! Big no-no. This little gal wound up with seizures for many years, and wound up going from honor student to special classes. BUT, she now has plenty of money to buy her own home, car and go to college, AND just play the rest of her life, with no job!

Be *very* careful, there, wether it's public or private.

MaryBeth Kansas

[ed]

I second that; good base & proper drainage.

I recently did a driveway addition with 'turfstone' pavers. This shows the overall job:

details:

[Gary Newman]

turftechs:

cutting grass does not equal landscaping

a real landscaper wouldn't be asking on usenet how to lay paver stones, hire a professional or get training

[Winston Smith]

I agree that anything worth doing is worth doing well, but this isn't rocket science. I was able to build a very substantial retaining wall consisting of 65,000 lbs of material with the information found on of few websites and direct consultation with the interlocking block manufacturer's technical support staff.

My friends and neighbors told me that I was "going overboard" and that I "didn't need all of that drainage, backfill, geo-grid and other fancy stuff". Thankfully, I didn't listen to them and my wall has stood the test of time. In fact, I'm confident that it will most likely outlast me. IMO, the average builder, armed with the proper information along with, perhaps, attendance at a weekend workshop, is capable of this. In most cases, it doesn't require a degree in civil engineering.

As for the liability issue, anyone can be sued at anytime for just about anything in our society. It's just the way things are these days. Before starting a business of any kind, it would be wise to consult with a good lawyer and a reputable insurance company to be certain that you are properly licensed and protected. All of that being said, if you're going to perform a service for someone, and charge them money for it, you should be fully trained and competent in your work.

I'm not certain what constitutes a "real landscaper" but everyone has to start out somewhere. I admire anyone who has the guts to strike out on their own in a culture of corporate dominance. It's the David and Goliath saga of our generation and I tend to root for the little guy, providing that he has his act together.

Good luck!