Holiday Escapes: Beautiful Driveway and Backyard Designs

Estate style driveway with matching pilasters by Genesis Stoneworks.

Long weekends like the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday take people outside. I like to think of them as an exodus from office chairs and television screens, to sunshine and BBQ chicken with friends.

However, the view may be startling for some.  Un-kept lawns, cracking driveways, and cluttered patios can easily put a damper on high spirits.  Rather than spend yet another long weekend watching home remodeling shows, why not take action!?

Consider a change.  Winter is an excellent time for remodeling.  Social events gravitate towards warmer months of the year, and Southern California winters are dry.  These factors make for great opportunities to make big changes during these “slow” months.

With start to finish times as fast as two days, Genesis could transform your home into an enviable paradise faster than your Amazon book arrives.  Let Genesis turn a cluttered patio into a resort style escape! How about transforming that embarrassing driveway into an elegant approach!?

New research in permeable paving stones and heat island effects show that interlocking paving can even benefit Mother Earth.  Excess run-off from landscape irrigation or seasonal rain storms can cause erosion and water contamination. Permeable paving counteracts this by filtering excess water through sand and gravel sub-grade, which removes contaminants and limits run-off volume.  Choosing light colored stone helps to battle the heat island effect on a micro scale.  By choosing interlocking paving over asphalt, the property stays cooler.  This is because dark-colored materials absorb more solar energy, getting hot, and stay hot long into the evening.  Light colored interlocking paving reflects that solar energy and keeps the property cooler.

Genesis Stoneworks specializes in outdoor remodels for driveways, patios, and even landscaping.  With 10,000 satisfied clients and counting, you’ll be working with someone who knows how to create the most beautiful version of your home.

To schedule a free estimate, call Genesis toll free at 888.389.5533, or visit our free estimate page.  Don’t settle for another weekend inside, make the exodus into a more beautiful life today.

Natural Stone Patios and Driveways: Thoughts on Design and Installation for Homeowners

As a design and installation company, Genesis sees a lot of driveways. We recently just hit our 10,000th job! Most of those hardscape projects incorporate manufactured concrete pavers, but every once in a while we meet a customer who wants something different, natural stone paving.

Man-made concrete paving stones offer thousands of color combinations, 8000 psi pressure ratings, and nearly a dozen local manufacturers. However, natural stone can offer a different aesthetic than man-made stone, to dramatically change the feel of a property.

Here are several factors to consider when choosing natural stone for outdoor use:

Load Strength

Depending on the type of traffic in the paved area, different kinds of base must be used to protect the stone from cracking in the future. High load areas, such as a front driveway where cars are frequently parked, should be installed with a concrete slab under the natural stone. This slab protects the brittle natural stone from pressure by vehicle tires. Light load areas like a back walkway can be sand-set. The time saved in sand-setting shows up in the final cost of the project. Continue reading “Natural Stone Patios and Driveways: Thoughts on Design and Installation for Homeowners”

Outdoor Patio Designs: The Devil is in the Details

Looking to create a beautiful outdoor space for your home and family? Don’t want to settle for a simple potted plant? Great! Genesis is here to help. We’ve been designing outdoor spaces since 1993, and we love creating outdoor patios.

Patio Design by Genesis Ref# PT0020

A back patio carries a huge amount of potential for a home. This space can be accessorized to become an extension of the home as an “outdoor room”, or a stand-alone space with specific uses. To achieve the “outdoor room” consider a design which links the visual style and space with the adjoining rooms inside the house. A simple solution is a ‘glass wall’ without curtains or blinds and a large sliding glass door. A pergola can be constructed around the patio to guard against sun in the Summer and rain in the Winter season. It’s also important to match color, texture, and architecture style; varnished wood to varnished wood, blue accents, and even furniture styles can connect two spaces. Continue reading “Outdoor Patio Designs: The Devil is in the Details”

Driveway Pavers Installation

The difference between a professional construction team, and an amateur ‘weekend warrior’ is obvious. Detail.

Consider the photo depicted in figure 1. When there’s limited access to install a back patio or walkway, sometimes the only solution is a straight line. The straight line can lead right through the front and rear exits of the home.

When Genesis consults on a project, access represents a key concern. Pricing and the time-table of the project depend heavily on the distance between crew vehicles and supplies and the paved area. Our goal is to get your home back to 110% as soon as possible, and sometimes this means unconventional measures.

Special Access Project
[Figure 1] This project required special access through the home to reach a back patio.

In figure 1 left, the crew’s only access leads right through the home. To protect against damage and dirt, Genesis developed a specific technique for through-the-home access. In figure 1, notice the tarp covering the floor, nearby cabinets, and furniture. This ensures not dirt, dust, or pebbles touch the residence. Temporary plywood flooring above the tarp further protects from grime and scratches.

Upon project completion, the crew rolls up the tarp and reveals the spotless condition of the pathway. It’s like Genesis was never even there, except for the beautiful new outdoor feature that neighbors will envy for years to come. This writer recommends inviting the neighbors over to gloat, I mean dinner.

For all your outdoor remodeling visions, contact Genesis today. Many members of our design team have been with us for 15 years or more, so we have the experience needed to raise your expectations of your property. Allow us to surprise you. For a free estimate, call toll free 888.389.5533 or visit our free estimate page.

5 Concrete Patio Designs that Rock (Literally)

We searched our image database to bring you some of the most interesting patio designs that incorporate natural stone designs. Natural stone, while very beautiful, can also be more expensive than manufactured stone. To provide the best service to our customers, we often suggest natural appearing stone or using natural stone as an accent to concrete pavers.

Take a look at these photos and let us know what you think in the comments section below. Hope you enjoy!

Patio #2
Patio #2, river stone wall-bench combo with grey bull-nose wall cap.
Patio #1
Patio #1, incorporates natural stone in garden retaining wall.
Patio #4
Patio #4, rustic pavers framed by natural field stone and green shrubs. A stack stone water fall finishes the ensemble.
Patio #3
Patio #3, this flagstone patio looks warm and inviting, makes a great evening getaway!
Patio #5
Patio #5, neutral hue pavers accented with split face fire-pit. The stone cap of the fire-pit adds a sharp finish!

Genesis is a home remodeling specialist serving Southern California since 1993. For a free in-home consultation call us at 888.389.5533, or visit our free estimate page.