July 19, 2013 By Eitan Abu

Why should you choose M.E Landscaping for your Toronto landscaping project

There are many things that contribute to a home’s value, including those that you can and cannot control. You cannot control the walk-ability to nearby businesses, your neighbors, or how other people in the community maintain their properties or their style of Toronto landscaping. However, you can control the location in which you purchase, the interior features and upkeep of your own home, and any upgrades you choose to make to increase your home’s value. Another factor that has an effect on home values is the exterior presentation – or curb appeal, if you will.
Curb appeal refers to the exterior appearance of your home – how appealing it is to a passerby. If you’re looking to improve or retain your home’s value, consider making an investment in your home and property by enlisting the help of M.E Landscaping.

Landscaping is not a one size fits all term – each structure has its own look and feel, so you’ll want to include materials that complement the existing infrastructure. There are various components and options for landscaping and landscaping structures – while M.E Landscaping typically does include a selection of greenery and florals, custom landscaping is much more than popping some plants in the ground and calling it a day. Decks, arbors, trellises, driveway paving, and outdoor cooking stations are just some of the options you might consider as you investigate the various options that we offer. There are many items to consider and many choices to make to beautify your home’s exterior and increase your property value.

Deck Design

As you consider Toronto landscaping components to implement in your space, consider adding a deck to your backyard. Decks are a great way to extend your living area for socializing, grill outs, and relaxation.
Decks are traditionally built from treated wood that can stand up against the elements and harsh rays of the sun, but there are more options available today than ever before, such as IPE wood, recycled plastic and composite material. You’ll need to decide which material you prefer based on appearance, your preference for sustainable materials, upkeep and cost.
You must also choose the location and size for your deck structure. Most commonly, decks are built off of an area of the house with a door to easily access the deck or the house. One popular option is to build a deck directly off of the kitchen to easily move food and beverages back and forth between indoors and out. As for size, you likely want a larger structure, but need to keep in mind your overall property size as well. You don’t want a gulf that takes up your entire yard; make sure to leave space for grass or other elements, such as stone walking paths, pools, or planting beds.

Landscaping Design

When it comes to Toronto landscaping, we offer plenty of design options to choose from. M.E Landscaping typically includes plants, shrubs and greenery, but extends far beyond this to things such as fire pits, exterior lighting, water features, patios, sprinkler systems and more.
Outdoor fire pits are a great feature to add to your backyard or as part of a larger patio feature. This feature is an easy way to make great relaxing evenings at home all year round. Portable fire pits make an affordable, movable option for small spaces while built-in fire pits are an attractive selling feature for any home.
If working with a particularly large space, you might consider building an outdoor living room of sorts. There is a variety of patio furniture available on the market today including many pieces that are built for comfort and beauty – it isn’t simply metal frames any more. Accessorize furniture with smartly planned outdoor fabrics and throw pillows and then consider placing them around an outdoor focal point, such as a built-in fireplace. Typically made from stone, outdoor fireplaces are a great way to add beauty and a luxurious touch to your home.

Lighting truly finishes a space. As you consider your Toronto landscaping design, consider what type of environment you want your final space to become. If you will use it primarily during the daytime, then you likely need very little in the way of lighting design. However, outdoor living in the evenings is great for long conversations, parties, and relaxation. There are a variety of options, from paper lanterns to low garden-path accents to built-in spotlights. Lighting can transform any space and instantly set the mood – do not forget this important piece.
You might also consider water features, such as a built-in waterfall cascading over expertly arranged stones or flowing into a built-in pool, Water features provide ambient, calming noises and go a long way towards turning your back yard into a private oasis.
Of course, no Toronto landscaping design would be complete without greenery. A quality landscape designer will be able to recommend trees, shrubs, florals and more to bring in color, shape, and texture to your outdoor space.

Outdoor Kitchens

Outdoor kitchens are the ultimate in outdoor landscaping, providing function, beauty and a feeling of luxury. Outdoor kitchens continue to grow to new heights and can contain any appliance you can think of, from grills and cook-tops to sinks, full refrigerators and even ice makers.

Interlock Driveway Paving

Stonework is a beautiful way to greet someone coming onto your property. Interlocking designs add style and are often the first thing your guests will notice when arriving to your home. There are many design options to choose from and can either be custom laid in individual pieces or by precut stones or fabricated blocks. Adding limestone between the interlocking pieces will prevent weeds or grass from growing through, keeping your beautiful design effortlessly flawless. Beyond the benefit of beauty, interlocking designs require minimal maintenance and will last for at least 15-20 years.
As you investigate your options for Toronto landscaping, consider the full array of options and materials available to you. The team of highly experienced and professional contractors M.E Landscaping possesses the necessary skills to add beauty to your home and property for years to come.

Choose M.E Landscaping for all your Toronto landscaping needs and you won’t regret it!

May 20, 2013 By Eitan Abu

Use Armor stone landscaping to protect your home

If your home or business features waterfront access, then you know how important it is to protect your property from the potentially extreme, damaging power that water creates. From waves that pummel the shoreline to sitting water that may be a breeding ground for bacteria or haven for mosquitoes, the ideal solution is a retaining wall made from armor stone landscaping.

Armor stone is a type of limestone blasted out of the earth in quarries and is used on shorelines and banks to prevent erosion and other damage caused by the natural back-and-forth action of large waves. These stones are key features seen on jetties – structures used to direct the flow of water — in large rivers, coastal shorelines and parallel to the downwind shores of major lakes leading to lighthouses and other structures close to water.

Because armor stone landscaping is derived from quarries, the stones themselves can be cut to different sizes, normally between one and three feet tall and weighing two tons or more. Each stone comes in different colours, ranging from grey to brown to yellow to shades of blue.

In most cases, building a retaining wall requires an experienced company with the proper equipment, particularly when large armor stones are being used. Remember, armor stones can weigh several tons each and must be moved with caution. If you’ve decided to build a retaining wall using armor stone landscaping or other types of rocks, here are some tips to follow to make the project a success.

Decide how much stone you’ll need, which is derived by calculating the cubic area of the wall itself. To do this, multiply the length of the wall by the desired height, which allows you to determine the square footage. Next, take the square footage and multiply it by how thick you want the wall to be, resulting in the cubic footage.
A retaining wall can never be created by laying the stones on the grass or other flat surface. You must first dig a trench, which must hold at least six to 10 inches of firmly compacted gravel – or enough so that half the height of the first layer of stone is below ground level.
Always use the biggest stones for the base of the retaining wall. It’s a good idea to sort the stones by size, grading into large, medium and small, with the smallest stones ending up as the top layer of the wall. These keep the wall balanced.
When building a retaining wall, make sure the stones lean very slightly toward the slope.
The final step is to cap the top of the stone wall with mortar, then put down another layer of thinner, flat stones on top. This should occur for the entire length of the wall, and the top stones should be tapped in place with a rubber mallet.

For more information on building a retaining wall with armor stone landscaping, call the experts at ME Contracting today.

May 18, 2013 By Eitan Abu

Inexpensive landscaping improvements for your home

Home improvements, whether they’re inside or outside, don’t have to be expensive to be stylish or functional. Nothing adds new life to a bedroom or bathroom quite like a fresh coat of paint or window treatments. When it comes to outdoors, the front of a home can be spruced up with potted flowers on the front porch, solar lights along a flower bed, or even a new paver patio in the backyard or alongside the residence.

ME Contracting has designed and installed hundreds of patios and other paved surfaces in the Greater Toronto Area, and has been the interlocking contractor of choice for home and business owners across the region for more than a decade.

Unlike a concrete surface or wood deck, interlocking pavers come in a wide range of colours, textures, shapes, and sizes to choose from, each one adding beauty to an already attractive backyard or other green space. As an interlocking contractor with years of experience and hundreds of satisfied customers to call on, we pride ourselves not only on delivering a specific project, but also consulting on other exterior improvements a home or business owner can make which are relatively inexpensive but nonetheless add value and style.

Top five suggestions for inexpensive landscaping improvements:

A flower bed along the back of a house or bordering a deck or patio can add colour and beauty, especially with a mixture of flowers, shrubs, bushes, and small flowering trees. A variety of perennials and bulbs are essentially maintenance free, blooming each year. Planting flowers that seed themselves is another option.
Depending on where you live, there may be certain flowering plants, shrubs, and trees native to your area that may grow better given the weather and other environmental conditions. If you have specific questions, contact your local nursery or university’s horticultural department for expert advice.
As the preferred interlocking contractor in the area, we’ve installed hundreds of affordable and stylish paver patios and walkways over the years, each one tailored to a customer’s existing landscaping and architecture. Many of our most memorable projects have been integrating small paver patios in areas near trees or rock gardens – both ideal locations for outdoor furniture or even a hammock.
In our experience, many landscaping design features can be inexpensive and simple, yet offer the most “bang for the buck.” One such improvement are stones and boulders laid out along a walkway, flower bed, or even serving as a walkway themselves. This is especially true in the case of River Rock landscaping, which is extremely affordable and can blend in with a wide range of landscaping and architectural styles.

One final improvement that can never be underestimated is simply keeping your yard or other area well groomed. This means regularly mowing the lawn, trimming shrubs, and weeding in flower beds and along any brick paver or other solid surfaces where vegetation may pop up from time to time.

Call M.E Landscaping today for your Toronto landscaping design projects

May 18, 2013 By Eitan Abu

How to repair driveway cracks

Let’s face it. Cracks happen. In your driveway, that is. There are few landscape features outside your home that draw negative attention to it more than a cracked or damaged driveway. If you’re trying to sell your home, your realtor will tell you in between sips of her $5 double Mochachino that it hurts your “curb appeal” thanks to the weeds growing through the cracks. When your beer-bellied neighbor loses a flip flop and stubs his big toe on a slab of uneven concrete at the end of your driveway when cutting across to his car parked out front, he’ll angrily tell you it’s a tripping hazard – and threaten to call a city inspector unless you fix it.

In some cases, the obvious solution is driveway paving from the experts at ME Landscaping; in others, it may be possible to temporarily repair driveway cracks in a few simple steps until you can afford a permanent fix. For more than a decade, we’ve been the leading custom landscaping contractor in the Greater Toronto Area and have paved or repaired thousands of driveways, walkways, and other paved surfaces in a manner best suited to our customer’s needs.

For the average homeowner, it’s possible to repair small cracks or potholes in a concrete driveway with a combination of basic skills, tools, materials, and time. None of these are insurmountable; it’s really just a matter of how badly you want to do the work yourself, and how confident you are to get the job done.

What materials are needed for driveway repair?

For a few quick questions, call the driveway paving experts at ME Landscaping or check in at the contractor’s desk at your local home improvement warehouse. Once you describe the nature of the crack or the pothole, you’ll be directed to a ready-made or ready-to-apply product you can buy and take home for immediate use.
Make sure you have the right tools
Despite your best efforts, you’re not Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid and you can’t trim your front lawn with scissors used for an origami display. You need patience for that, or better yet – a lawn mower. To repair cracks or patch a pothole in your driveway, you need the right tools and materials for the job:

Concrete
Concrete float
Concrete patch mix
Cement
Cold chisel
Hammer
Finishing trowel
Garden hose
Work gloves
Wire brush
Pointing trowel

Is it a hairline crack, or something larger?

In most cases, hairline cracks can be fixed with the right mix of Portland cement and water, or even a polymer based product under the right conditions. Repairing larger cracks or holes takes more time and effort, but nonetheless can be accomplished if you’re careful and thorough. One of the biggest steps is first clearing out the crack or pothole so the damaged area is free of small stones or other debris.

Got questions about repairing cracks or other damage to your paved surface?