A well landscaped home allows you to fully enjoy your property throughout the warm season. It is also a good investment for resell: a well-maintained property that is pleasing to the eye will sell much faster than a yellowed lawn filled with weeds! Landscaping is, after all, one of the most visible aspects of your home!
A landscape must be esthetic and functional. A good plan must take into account your present and evolving needs, soil composition, and the maintenance required. World champion garden beds aren?t exactly the prescription for someone who hates gardening!
According to Marc Tassé, a landscaping specialist and member of the ?Réno-Maître? banner of Quebec?s home builders association, landscaping represents 20 to 30% of the value of a home. ?It is not an expense,? he says, ?it?s an investment.?
The Far West of landscaping
However, our expert deplores the fact that the consumer is on his own in the landscaping sector. ?Unlike the commercial sector, there is no licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec; anyone can buy a truck, wheelbarrow and shovel and fancy himself a landscaper.?
It?s better, then, to get references and ask for a certificate or a recommendation from a reputable organization before signing a contract. The contractor with the best price might not be around in a couple of years when his work needs to be redone, or he might not even finish the work for lack of money!
A general lack of skills, experience and supervision on worksites often mean that Marc Tassé has to redo or even finish the work of others.
When you invest thousands of dollars into landscaping and it all has to be started over again, the bill can get out of hand if you have to take down walls, walkways or poolside. It is unfortunately the customer who pays for their contractor?s mistakes.
As in any industry, there are standards, codes and manufacturer?s guidelines to heed: the rules of the trade, so to speak. Our expert gives the example of interlocking pavers that come apart within a few short years.
In many cases, manufacturer-recommended edge restraints weren?t installed on the sides. Nothing holds the pavers in place and the job collapses.
Another common problem is a down-slope toward the house, which means water builds up there, potentially causing costly damage.
Water can seep in, especially with the torrential rains we?ve received in recent years.
It is much easier to remedy such a situation before the patio, shed and pool are installed. Very few people know that some municipalities require a pre-construction drainage plan and a post-construction report to ensure proper water management.
This step is sometimes skipped, resulting in very costly problems a few years later.
Source: The garden-home manual, ?L'aménagement paysager : un bon investissement? (?Landscaping: a good investment?), published March 31, 2014.