05 Apr Edina Patio, Gas Fireplace, and Sitting Wall with No Sod Damage!
Is it possible to install a big Edina patio project in your back yard with no sod damage at all? It is! How do we do it? Check out this video to see!
For many years we used plywood and other materials to drive our equipment on to prevent damaging lawns. It’s not easy to move tons of materials in and out without hurting your grass, but in many cases, we can do it. Or at least we’ll greatly reduce the amount of sod damage that occurs, which is still worthwhile. Sod damage can get expensive to repair.
A few years we decided to buy 26 composite 4×8′ ground protection mats. They are translucent so U/V light can get through to help your grass tolerate being covered. They work extremely well, and they don’t soak up water and mud like plywood did so they’re much friendlier to use. But they were expensive! $245 each sheet. I’ll let you do the math. It was a lot of money, but they are worth it for the damage we’re able to avoid by using them.
Save your sod, and your budget
Save your sod, and your budget You often won’t have to pay us to fix much (or any) sod, which means you can save your budget for new items you actually want, like adding a sitting wall or making the new patio a bit bigger. We’d rather build you new fun things than fix messy sod, so it works out for us, too!
All the landscaping design for this Edina patio project was by my wife, Jodi Axel. She was able to plan a 650 s.f. patio, sitting wall, and gas fireplace hearth which fit right in to their existing landscape. The patio has plenty of space for a large eating table, couches by the fireplace, and a spot for a future hot tub. It was an amazing three day transformation, and when it was done, that’s right, there was no sod damage. We were able to cut out and reuse their own sod to patch back around the edge of the patio.
Edina Landscaping
Edina is a great city for landscape design and installation. We’ve installed many, many projects over the years. We’ve got a great relationship with the zoning department, so we can always get questions answered and be sure that what we design for you will meet current code. Much code is changing with all the construction in Edina lately and it’s important that we comply with what the city allows. Legal setbacks for patios and other hardscape items are typically five feet from your property line, but there are exceptions such as sidewalks and retaining walls. We’re experienced with all this so we know what we can and can’t do in Edina.
The vast majority of Edina landscaping like patios, sidewalks, and plantings, does not require permits. Gas firepits, or permanent gas lines for an outdoor grill, will require a plumbing permit, and we have a licensed plumber we work with to install the lines and get the permits. Occasionally we have had Edina retaining walls over four feet, which do require a building permit, but the inspectors have always been fine to work with.
Our office and storage yard is located in Hopkins just across 169 from Edina, so it’s very convenient for us to get there, and it’s easy for our Edina landscape clients to come to our office to see material samples. We also have some smaller sized Bobcat equipment which comes in very handy to gain access to back yards where a full sized machine won’t fit.
We love designing and installing landscaping in Edina! If you have a project in mind, please drop us an email or phone call whenever you like.
For those of you living in all the other fabulous Minneapolis suburbs, or in Minneapolis-proper, fear not… we love working in your cities too! And we know the nuances of your codes as well. Have a look around our website and enjoy a bunch of photos. If you see something you want, let us know! Thanks for reading and watching.
More Examples of Edina Landscaping:
