Hardscape that still looks new in ten years.

Every failed paver patio on Long Island traces back to one of three things: not enough base, no edge restraint, or no drainage pitch. The pavers themselves almost never fail — they’re fired or cast to handle vehicles and a century of weather. What heaves them is freeze-thaw acting on a base that wasn’t compacted in lifts, or water that pooled where the grade pitched the wrong way.

We over-excavate every job, lay woven geotextile fabric to separate base from subsoil, and bring in 3/4" minus crushed stone compacted in 2-inch lifts with a plate compactor sized to the job. Patios get a minimum 6" compacted base; walkways 4–6"; driveways 10–12" with the heavier-duty stone. Bedding sand is screeded to 1", never thicker — thick sand is the second most common failure point.

Most projects aren’t a single element. A real backyard hardscape pulls together a patio, the steps off the back door, a retaining wall holding the grade, a walkway connecting to the driveway, and sometimes a fire pit or seat wall. We design and price all of it together so dimensions, elevations and material choices line up — paver color carries across surfaces, wall caps match step treads, joint patterns transition cleanly.

Materials we install regularly: Cambridge, Techo-Bloc and Unilock paver lines; bluestone (thermal and natural cleft); Belgian block borders and aprons; segmental retaining wall systems from Versa-Lok and Cambridge; natural fieldstone and boulder accents.

Polymeric sand is swept dry into the joints, then misted and activated so it sets like a flexible mortar — locking joints against weeds and ant tunneling while still allowing the slight movement that prevents cracking. PVC or aluminum edge restraint is spiked every foot around the perimeter so edge pavers can’t roll out when frost lifts them.

Drainage pitch is non-negotiable: 1/8" to 1/4" per foot away from the house, with surface water directed toward a lawn area, drywell, or channel drain — never trapped against a foundation or pooled at a step base.