Taking Steps Towards a Beautiful Yard: Why You Should Consider Landscape Stairs
Spring is turning into summer, and we’ve enjoyed some relaxing days outdoors in our backyard. During this time, we’ve been considering DIY projects that we can manage before the hotter months of July and August. While there are many great yard additions to consider, concrete landscape steps are often the first choice for homeowners. This is because they add both style and utility to the outdoor space.
Below are a few tips and reasons to help you decide if landscape stairs are right for your yard.
Make the Most of Your Yard
In last month’s blog post, we discussed how block retaining walls can enhance your home’s appearance. Similarly, installing landscape stone steps can boost your yard’s usability. It can also add an attractive element to your outdoor space.
Just like block retaining walls, these stairs can serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. There are so many reasons to consider installing landscape stairs into your yard space, including:
Unlocking additional yard space.
Chances are, your yard is bigger than you think it is. So much yard space is often written off due to slopes and grades in the land. Landscape stairs are often just what’s needed to start making full use of your yard.
Simple installation.
On top of creating more yard access, landscape stairs make for a great weekend DIY project. Just take a look at our installation guides and see for yourself how easy retaining wall blocks are to work with! If you’d rather spend your weekends enjoying the warm weather, or you’re just not a DIY person, consider working with a contractor. They can help you with the design process, color selections, and installation.
The best solution.
There are other ways to install stairs in your yard. But CornerStone landscape stairs offer the most attractive alternative to get the results you’re after. Precast stairs look plain, require excessive labour to install, and generally only come in set styles. Wooden stairs are simple and inexpensive but require constant maintenance and don’t stand up to the elements. Landscape stairs built with CornerStone retaining blocks are essentially big Lego blocks. They’re easy to install, long-lasting, and can even be fitted with lighting to fulfil your creative whims!
There’s nothing quite like the prospect of being able to easily access the entirety of your yard space. And it can be made possible by the simple installation of a beautiful new set of landscape stairs. Summer’s never been so exciting!
Before You Build
You might be eager to order materials and build your new landscape stairs. However, we have some advice to help you get started:
Underground lines.
Nothing puts a damper on a DIY project quite like striking an underground water main. Before you start any landscaping work, be sure all utility lines are marked and accounted for.
Do you need a handrail?
Depending on the height of your staircase, you may need to consider including a handrail in your project plans. Check with your city or local municipality – they’ll have all the details on what the building codes call for in your area.
Don’t forget about water.
Ensure that you’ve accounted for water runoff and drainage in your plans. Otherwise, you could end up with constant puddling on your new stairs that will dramatically decrease their longevity.
Be creative!
Landscape stairs afford you the ability to express your artistic, creative side. You can experiment with different landscape designs and include natural stones or other materials to make it more unique. Consider adding long and sweeping curves for added interest, and just have some fun with it!
Landscape stairs are a simple and attractive solution to enhance your outdoor space. If you plan to tackle this project in the upcoming summer, reach out to one of our re-sellers or manufacturing partners. Start beautifying your backyard today!
