About Delaware Hardscape Supply

Salt on your Landscapes

Salt is not good for your plants or concrete.  When salt dissolves into the water after it melts the snow the run off gets into your soils and seeps into your plants root system.  When your plants take in the salt it stops the plant from getting the proper nutrients for it to grow.  Your soils are also in danger of salt.  The salt alters the ph balance of your soil.  The change is negative and the nutrients of your soil becomes poor.  Concrete and salt, is another thing that just does not go well together.  The chloride in the salt attacks the concrete bond.  When the bond is weak water will get into the enlarged pours.  The water once frozen will cause the concrete to expand and crack.  The acid in the salt will eat at your concrete over time as well.

Best Practices

• Build a trench between asphalt and plants to stop grab the run off
• Put in plants near the asphalt that are more salt tolerant
• Don't place plants directly next to asphalt
• Run fresh water over your soils that have come in contact with salt
• Mix Gypsum in the top 6" of soil after a salting
• Use smaller amounts of salt
• Remove snow immediately to stop from icing
• Seal concrete to protect it from salt

Announcement

Winter Company Announcement

• Saturday hours will end for the season on 12/17/2016.
• We will be closed from 12/24/2016 - 01/01/2017.
• Website is going to be updated over the winter featuring all of our special product lines.
• New pricing will be available March of 2017.

Products that you may have missed in 2016, don't miss them in 2017.  Special order product lines could make your home or project stand out from the rest! 

• Patio Packs
• Natural Stone Circle Kits
• Natural Stone Wall Caps
• Ledger Panel Veneers
• Fireplaces and Fire Pits to be Customized
• Outdoor Kitchens to be Customized
• Boulders

Prepare Your Beds for Winter

Winter is Coming....

We are now entering the final month of the year and the beginning of three months of cold weather.  There are ways to protect your plants and give back to your soil for the upcoming spring season, that right now seems so far away.

1) Rake your leaves - the leaves that have fallen can cause your healthy plants to grow disease.
2) Dig up any dead plants & weeds.
3) After your perennials have gone dormant for the winter cut them down to about 6" above the ground.
4)  Great time to plant your bulbs, plant 3" below ground.
5)  Place leaf mold/compost/mulch or regular compost over the beds.  This will protect your plants and give needed nutrients to your soil.  **Note** Do not do this until it has gotten cold and stayed cold for a period of time.  Rodents will build a home in your garden bed and dine on your plants.
6)  New trees need their bark wrapped.  You can use tree wrap, burlap or left over weed barrier.
7)  Screen your evergreens with burlap or weed barrier.

Premium Compost Supplied by DHS

Leaf Mulch/Compost

Prepare Your Patio for Winter

If you live here on the north east coast of the US you know that winter is knocking at our door.  Before the snow comes and actually before the leaves started falling you should of prepared your paver patio.

1.  Take your patio furniture off of the patio as well as your grill.  Now depending on if you have a fireplace or fire pit you may want to put your furniture back out to enjoy your out door living a little longer.  If you are not going to be using your patio any longer either put your furniture away or get out your covers.

2.  Blow all the leaves off of your patio and purchase some paver general cleaner.  At DHS we carry SEK-Surebond line. Click on the You Tube video to learn more.

Paver Restoration How To

Tips:  When the snow finally comes avoid using salt on your paver patio.  The salts will erode the concrete.  Instead use an eco-friendly ice melt product.

If you have already missed the temperature window for sealing your pavers you may want to consider sealing your pavers in the spring.  When purchasing a penetrating sealer it helps protect your pavers from stains, water and other outdoor elements.  Doing this will help your pavers look new for longer.

Note:  If you are planning on sealing your paver patio the ground temperature must be 45 degrees or warmer for a 24 hour period.  Do not use sealer if your pavers are wet or damp either.

Learn More About Sealers

Help with Dry Laid Flagstone Patio

Pa Pattern Flagstone can be installed by wet lay or dry lay.  Dry lay is easier for a DIYer to do themselves as long as the base is properly done.  

1)  Start out by drawing and measuring your planned area.

2)  Purchase your flagstone, make sure to purchase extra for areas that may need to be cut or for ones that you may not like.

3)  Dig out your area about 9" deep and about 12" beyond your ending area.

4)  Make sure your slope going away from your home is 1/4" per foot.  Example a 12' patio there would be a 3" difference from top to bottom.

5)  Place stabilization fabric directly on the dirt and 4" - 6" of 2a Modified (crusher run) above that.  You will need to run a compactor over the gravel.

6)  Install 1" of stone dust to be used as a leveling agent for the flagstone.  Screened the fines with a pipe.  If it is going to rain make sure to cover the fines with a tarp.  

7)  Hammer spikes across from each other and attach a string line this will help keep your lines straight as your installing the stone.

8)  Start against the house laying the flagstone using the stone dust to help level out each one.  Make sure you have your rubber mallet in hand.  You will use it to bang on the stone to help place it.

9)  Once you have your flagstone installed you will want to install paver edge restraints and polysand.

Adding Stone Veneer Inside Your Home

This project is set for an intermediate DIYer.

One of the big new things in interior home designs are accent walls.  Accent walls can be made out of recycle wood pallets, veneer thin stone, tile and or just paint.  The wall gives your home depth and character and it is generally a trend that will last.

USING STONE VENEER

MSI Stone Ledger

Tools:  
             Tile Saw
             Cement Board Score Tool
             Diamond Wheel Tool
             Notch Trowel
             Drill
             Mixing Paddle
             Chalk Line
             Level

Materials:
             1/2" Thick Cement Board
             2-1/4" Cement Board Screws
             Thin Set
             Mesh Cement Board Tape

How To:

             Place cement board directly on dry wall.  If you have outlets along the wall you will need to purchase outlet extenders so that once you have a finished product the outlets are not effected.  After the cement board has been screwed into the studs apply mesh tape.  Apply thin set and then apply the stone veneer.  You will use a tile saw to cut the ends of the veneer to fit into your wall.  The diamond blade is used to cut your veneer around your outlets.  Note one box of screws will do about 40 square foot of wall and one 50lbs bag of thin set will cover 70 square foot of wall.  The are some great You Tube Video's you can find online for more precise guidance.

Cost:
   
        If the wall you are trying to cover is 10' x 8' = 80 square feet

Cement board needed 6 pieces at $11.50 each = $69.00
Cement board screws 2 boxes at $8.50 each = $17.00
Thin Set Cement 2 bags at $15.00 each = $30.00
Thin Veneer Stone average $10 per square foot = $800.00
Electrical Outlet Extenders (if needed) $3.50 each

Your looking at an estimate of $920.00 for a 10' x 8' accent wall.