Outdoor Construction

We specialize in brick, block, paver, culture or stone veneer, natural stone, and concrete installation, repair, renovation, restoration, cleaning and waterproofing.  Our paver and stone work is installed by former union bricklayers who went through 4 years of apprenticeships, not a weekend class for certification.  We offer outside home or building remodeling and renovation to increase the properties curb appeal and value.  We also offer basement waterproofing and drain tile repair.  Other outdoor services we provide are step and chimney tuck pointing and rebuilds.  Tuck-pointing is the removal of bad mortar between the bricks and replaced with new mortar so the chimney and steps are sealed up.  We also install outdoor wood decks, pergolas, gazebos, and privacy fences.


Our outdoor fireplaces add elegance and convenience to any patio.  All of our fireplaces are custom built to the homeowners desires.  They are made of concrete block and can be wrapped with brick or stone veneer.  The pictures above show before during and after of a custom fireplace we installed.  We always build our outdoor fire[laces with a concrete footer/pad.  Our fireplaces are perfect for those cool spring and autumn nights and helps extend the use of your entertainment area during the year.  Fireplaces are ideal for kids who are playing outside during the winter and can warm up without coming inside.


   

This is a custom built outdoor fireplace.  We started with a base kit then add concrete block to customize the fireplace to the customer’s needs.  We installed electrical outlet and a cable outlet above the mantle for an outdoor tv.  We also installed the tv wall mount.  We incorporated two wood bays on each side of the fireplace which is a convenient  feature.


 

 

 

Here is a driveway make off pavers.  when doing a paver driveway it is very important to have a solid foundation due to the weight of the vehicles that will be parked on it.  we always use a 4 inch concrete base with a thin layer of sand to provide a cushion between the concrete and the concrete paver.  As with out patios, we use a polymeric sand between the paver joints so it prevents weed growth and washout of the joint sand.


A customer outdoor fireplace with wood storage bays on each side of the burn chamber.  the inside lining of the burn chamber is made of fire brick, the same kind used in steel mills.  The mortar is a fire clay specifically made for fire places and to withstand high temperatures.  Outdoor fireplaces are perfect for those early spring or fall evenings.  They’re also great to make s"mores with also.


This is an outdoor kitchen with a grill, two burner stove, sink, fridge, hidden garbage can, and stainless steel cabinets.  All the plumbing and electric was run under the patio and is hidden within stone base.  The granite came in three pieces and one of the seams is behind the sink in a picture above.  We were able to hide it using a black caulk so the granite looks like its one whole piece.


 

Before and after pictures of a concrete parking pad we installed at an apartment complex.  the apartment complex needed to add extra parking spaces and this was the perfect solution.  The concrete was poured at a six inch thickness.


here’s a typical relay of pavers that settled along the house.  Thats why pavers are great because if they settle you can pull them up, put in some base material, sand the joints then tamp the pavers so they are locked into the base.


We did a complete rip out of the pavers, natural stone retaining wall and steps.  We used an Allen Block retaining wall block for the wall and also for the steps.  They customers wanted a more modern and updated landscaping and hardscaping in their front yard.  We reused the paver that led to the front door.

We installed this retaining wall to keep the yard from caving in on the patio and it make it much easier on the home owner to mow and take care of their lawn.



Two set of semi circular steps added on to the back of a house.  We included low voltage lighting within the steps to add safety and beauty to the custom add on.


Before, during and after pictures of a grill island.  We had to cut out part of the patio so the island would look like it was part of the original patio.  We then ran a gas line from the house then poured a reinforced concrete pad 6 inches thick to hold the weight.  We always build our grill islands out of cinder block and stone veneer for durability and withstand the harsh Northeast Ohio climate.  The homeowner went with granite for the two side countertops.


Heres a 40 inch stainless steel grill built within a custom grill island with dual lower door for storage.  As you can see there is plenty of counter space on both sides of the grill.  We build all of our grill islands out of concrete block then wrapped with a stone veneer while on top of a sturdy concrete pad.

 

  

                                                    

Block mailboxes are the perfect answer to the harsh elements dished out by old man winter.  They are capable of withstanding the punishing effects of city and county plow trucks and the snow they throw off from their plows.  Never lose a piece of mail an have a peace of mind that your mailbox won’t be taken out during the winter.  Plus these mailboxes look so much better than this wood and metal mailboxes.


Fire pits come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types.  We offer both word burning and gas fire pits.  The round fire pits are typically 36 inch or 42 inch openings and 60 inch and 66 inch wide.  All of our round fire pits come with a steel ring to refract the heat away from the fire pit block .  We also line our square or rectangle fire pits with a fire brick and fire clay mortar to protect the fire pit block.  One of the pictures above shows a fire pit without a protective steel ring and the affects it has on a fire pit,  All of our fire pits have a stone base at the bottom with a layer of lava rock on top so water can drain away.  We glue all block and cap stones.


We fix front walkways that have settled.  This is common with newer homes bc the builder never tamps the front walkway prior to pouring the concrete and several years later your front step is over 12 inches hight.


A 3 course retaining wall made out of versa lock block in a storm blend color with a storm blend cap.  As you can see there is drainage behind the wall to alleviate and hydrostatic pressure.


The above pictures are before and after of a retaining wall rebuild job.  We removed the bad section of the wall, removed dirt, installed a drainage pipe behind the wall that was rebuilt and back filled with washed stone for proper drainage. 


Here are before and after pictures of a retaining wall rebuild which the retaining wall is used to hold the area around the driveway.  This was a partial wall rebuild and all the stones from the wall were cleaned and reused.  As always we fix all the areas we disturb during our restoration and installation work.


  

Our outdoor fireplaces are custom built and designed.  As with our kitchens and bars, we build our outdoor fireplaces with cinder block and fire brick which is wrapped with a stone of the customers choice.  Outdoor fireplaces are great when it is cold outside and the kids are playing and they're able to warm up without coming inside, then going right back out again.


The pictures shows the relaying of outdoor step treads.  We first removed the treads, then chipped away the old mortar, relayed any brick that came loose then relayed the treads on a new bed or mortar.  The bottom picture are all new treads and are a grey limestone.


Here is an example of pavers around a mailbox which means no weed whacking or damage around the post.  There is also space for a garbage can so it’s off the driveway and out of the way.


Not only are pavers used for patios and walkways, they can be used for driveways also.  Here are before and after pictures of a paver approach apron to a garage rebuild job.  We always us a polymer sand in the joints of the pavers so it won’t was away in rainstorms or when they are being rinsed off.


Here is a job that shows the before and after partial patio rebuild and a complete grill island replacement.  We reused the stainless steel grill but replaced the retaining wall block grill island since it was falling apart because of faulty workmanship.  As always our grill islands are built out of concrete block on a reinforced concrete path that is wrapped with a stone veneer for a lifetime of use.  We added on two stainless steel doors for storage space. 


This retaining wall goes the entire length of the front of the home.  The wall is about 5 feet high at its highest point.


A partial retaining wall rebuild.  No matter how big or small a job, we can fix other contractors mistakes.  We had to rebuild part of the wall and install drainage pipe behind the wall to relieve the water pressure behind it.


Here are two different natural stone retaining walls made out of over sized rocks and boulders.


Here are two retaining walls that were rebuilt by us.  The top two  pictures show the before and the bottom pictures show the after.  We reused the retaining wall blocks and caps.  We also installed drainage pipe behind the wall to relieve the hydrostatic pressure.


The first picture shows what the wall looked like prior to use starting work.  As seen in the second picture you can see how our rebuilds turn out.  The homeowner said they were able to sell the house within two weeks of the wall being rebuilt and the yard landscaped, and they claimed we were the reason why it sold so fast.


We install pergolas over patios and walkways.  Wisteria vines can be planted at the posts so there is a natural shade under it and beautifies with bright and fragrant flowers.


 

Here are a before and after pictures of a retaining wall rebuild.  We straightened up the wall and fixed the corners.  We also leveled the wall to bring it back to its' original state.


 

Here is a retaining wall built around the base of a deck we installed.  This wall hides the ugly space under the deck and the wall adds seating area around the deck and functions as a planter too.


We even install paver walks in parking lots and also pedestrian crossing areas across roads.


This chimney and steps were tuck-pointed by us 10 years prior to these pictures.


Here's a set of step that were partially rebuilt and tuck pointed.  The first pictures shows the process and the second is the final product.  We are able to fix and correct city violations for steps and sidewalks.


  

Culture stone fell of the base of the house.  We rehung the culture stone with a stone thin set then used mortar to fill in the joints.  We use thin set because it holds the stones on the wall the best.


    

Before and after pictures of culture stone wrapping the cinder block on the raised patio.  The second picture is a column finished with its' limestone cap.  The third picture is a custom built door that covers up the storage space under the patio.


Here are examples of of our pressure washing of concrete and sided by side comparison in the top row pictures.  The bottom two show before and after of the entire patio.  We used no cleaners for this cleaning, but all the cleaning products we use are green and bio-degradable.  We pressure wash and clean, decks, houses, driveways, building, and much more.

© Herb Adkins 2015