Patios, walkways, steps, driveways, pool decks, fire pits and retaining walls across Oshawa, Whitby, Bowmanville and Durham Region. Laid on a base built for Ontario freeze and thaw, so the surface is still flat in year ten.
Hardscaping is everything built outdoors out of stone, pavers and concrete: back patios and front walkways, entrance steps and landings, driveways, pool decks, fire pits, and the retaining walls that hold a yard in place.
It is for homeowners who want to use their yard more, fix a walkway that has heaved, or give the front of the house a proper entrance. Most of the outdoor work people regret was laid on a base that was too thin. It looked fine the first summer, then lifted, sank or cracked after a few winters.
So the part we care most about is the part you will never see. We dig out to the right depth, build up compacted granular base in layers, slope everything so water runs off, and set edges so the surface cannot creep. Then we lay the stone, pavers or slabs, with borders and inlays where they add something.
The base decides how long the surface lasts.
We walk the yard with you, talk through how you will use it, pick materials together and mark out the shapes and levels on the ground.
We excavate to depth, lay and compact granular base in layers, and set the slope so water drains away from the house and off the surface.
Pavers, stone or slabs are laid to pattern, with borders, inlays, steps and armour stone set where the design calls for them. Edges are locked in.
Joints are filled and the surface compacted and cleaned. We walk it with you and back it with a written warranty.
Each surface looks and wears differently. Here is the honest version.
Manufactured units in a huge range of shapes and colours.
Flagstone, cut stone and armour stone, each piece different.
Large, dense, low-maintenance tiles made for outdoor use.
Armour stone, segmental block or natural stone holding back a grade change.
Outdoor work is priced after a site visit and written down before we start. Small jobs get a free visit. Larger ones carry a small consultation fee that comes off the final bill.
Patios, walkways, pool decks and entrances from Whitby, Toronto and Pickering.
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We are based in Oshawa and build outdoor spaces across Durham Region.
Our outdoor work in Whitby includes back patios and round patios with armour stone steps, curved walkways, front entrances in natural stone with a circular inlay, a large porcelain slab driveway, and a stone pool deck. Many Whitby homes have big back yards and wide front entrances, which leaves room for borders, curves and inlays.
Masonry contractor in Whitby
In Oshawa we have laid curved paver walkways with a contrasting border through the garden, and rebuilt front steps and landings in solid stone. Older front walks and steps that have shifted over the years are worth replacing on a proper base, so they stay level. The shop is in Oshawa, so we are close by.
Masonry contractor in Oshawa
Bowmanville's newer subdivisions often come with a builder's basic walkway and a bare back yard, while the older streets have front steps and walks that have moved with decades of frost. Both are good candidates for a new patio, walkway or entrance built on a proper base. We drive out from Oshawa for Bowmanville outdoor projects of every size.
Masonry contractor in BowmanvilleAlso serving:Toronto, Pickering, Ajax, Courtice, Scarborough, Newcastle and Newtonville.
Almost always because of the base. In Ontario the ground freezes and thaws every winter, and a thin or poorly compacted base lets water collect, freeze and lift the surface, then drop it again in the spring. Pavers sink into soft spots and slabs crack. A proper base is dug out deep enough, filled with compacted granular in layers, and sloped so water drains off instead of sitting under the stone.
It depends on the look and the use. Concrete pavers are the most affordable and easy to repair one piece at a time. Natural stone like flagstone has colour and texture no product copies, but costs more and varies piece to piece. Porcelain slabs are dense, stain resistant and very consistent, which suits modern driveways and pool decks, but they need a well-built base and careful cutting. We will show you samples of each in your space.
Yes. Pool decks need a non-slip surface, good drainage away from the pool, and a base that will not move next to the pool wall. Natural stone and porcelain both work well around pools. We lay out the deck around the coping, slope it away from the water and pick a finish that stays safe underfoot when wet.
Small landscape walls usually do not, but taller retaining walls can. Many Ontario municipalities require a permit, and often an engineer's design, once a retaining wall passes a certain height, commonly around one metre, or when it holds back a slope near a property line or a structure. Check with your municipality, and we will tell you what your wall needs before we build it.
Most residential patios and walkways take a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on size, the material, how much has to be dug out, and the weather. Natural stone and porcelain take longer to cut and fit than standard pavers. We give you a schedule with the written price, before we start.
Tell us what you have in mind. We will come out, walk the yard with you, and give you a straight answer and a written price.
