Create a Backyard Barefoot Oasis With a Las Vegas Landscaper
Summer is usually a time for barbecues and pool parties. Many families enjoy spending time with their friends in their backyard. Some of that time is spent barefoot, especially for children. Not to mention, walking barefoot comes with a host of health benefits. When reviewing landscape designs in Las Vegas, it is important to find hardscaping material that will be comfortable for bare feet. A Las Vegas landscaper can help you come up with a barefoot-friendly design.
Hardscaping and Its Benefits
Your yard is a combination of softscapes and hardscapes. Softscapes include living elements of your yard. These living elements are your lawn, trees, flowers, and other plants. The hardscapes are nonliving elements like your patio and gazebo. Water can also be considered a hardscape material.
Hardscaping is a great way to add functionality to your yard. You can choose a style that best suits you, whether that is rustic or modern. You also so create boundaries and areas in your yard with wood, metal, concrete, and stone.
Water Hardscapes
Water hardscapes come with their own advantages. Not only does it add beauty to your yard, but it is a great way to block out noise from car traffic. The lack of outside noise adds to the feeling of privacy in your outdoor space. Running water also sounds therapeutic and relaxing for most people.
Water hardscapes features include ponds, waterfalls, and fountains. Mixing dry with water hardscapes adds beauty to the yard. You may be familiar with a patio and pool pairing. The two complement each other.
Choose Materials That Are Barefoot-Friendly With a Las Vegas Landscaper
When trying to make your yard barefoot-friendly, think of your feet when deciding on materials. Lawns are great for walking on. You also want to pick plants that can handle foot traffic. Irish moss is a great example of this. You can use these types of plants to encompass steppingstones. Plants like creeping perennials are not only durable, but they also need less water than grass. These plants are also known as stepables.
You also want to avoid materials that are going to hurt your feet like sharp gravel or mulch that is prone to splintering. Sand and pea gravel are great options because they can feel nice to walk on.
The Use of Pea Gravel
Pea gravel is very budget-friendly. It also comes in many colors and sizes. Pea gravel is comfortable because it is rounded. Your pets will also enjoy waking on these pebbles. However, for some people, it may be difficult to walk on if it is not laid down properly. Pea gravel is usually the size of a pea which where it gets its name from.
Due to the fact that pea gravel can’t be trodden, the pebbles will move against each other. As a result, it needs quite a bit of maintenance when incorporated into pathways. You may have to take some time at the end of the day to smooth and clean up the pea gravel. It may not be the best material for patios or courtyards.
When putting down pea gravel, you first want to build a barrier. The barrier is to prevent pea gravel from flying everywhere. When you have a barrier in place, you will spend less time on maintenance.
When you regularly rake your pea gravel pathways and patios, it will preserve an even surface to walk on. Of course, use barriers to keep the stones in their proper place. You may find you enjoy the sound of the pea gravel crunching under your foot as you walk on it. You may feel you are walking on a beach.
Pavers That Are Barefoot-Friendly
The summer sun can make many surfaces hot. When deciding on the right pavers for your barefoot-friendly yard, there are a few things to keep in mind. Although all pavers absorb heat, the factor for the level of heat a paver absorbs is its color.
No doubt in school, you learned that the color white is from total light reflection. While black is from total light absorption. This basically means that pavers of a lighter shade will absorb less heat.
Another factor to think about when choosing an appropriate hardscape is how the material will use the heat that is absorbed. Some materials will release it while others will stay hot for a longer period of time.
Brick pavers, as well as clay hardscapes, are great for making ovens. Their dark color allows them to absorb a lot of heat. They will also hold the heat for a long time. When the weather hits 100 degrees, the brick and clay materials can be over 150 degrees. Eggs will fry at 158 degrees. No doubt, you have seen videos of eggs frying on a sidewalk. Therefore, these materials are not appropriate for a barefoot-friendly yard.
When choosing a paver, you will want to choose something light in shade. You will also want to pick a material that won’t hold heat. Travertine is a popular choice for pool decks.
When the weather hits 90 degrees, the travertine will warm up to 108, a comfortable temperature to walk on. You can find the material in yellow, white, and gray. Travertine releases heat to the ground underneath. It is also not that expensive, provided you don’t choose a color that is hard to find.
Marble pavers don’t release heat as well as travertine. However, if you choose a light color, most of the sunlight will be reflected. If you want to save money, using concrete pavers that are light in color can be a good choice. When the weather is 90 degrees, the concrete pavers will get to 120 degrees. It is cooler than concrete slabs because there is space for heat to be released.
Adding Kool Deck to concrete surfaces can be another option for keeping your barefoot oasis cool. You will have to replace the coatings every five years. Travertine pavers can last decades. So, although Kool Deck may seem like a cheaper option, you should ask yourself if it really is worth it.
The Wrap Up
Vegas landscaping involves a lot of thought for a barefoot-friendly yard. Las Vegas is in the desert which means the summer months can get very hot. When you landscape in Las Vegas, it is important to find hardscape materials that are comfortable to walk on. The materials also should not hold onto heat for an extended period. A Las Vegas landscaper will help you keep these things in mind and will make your yard easy to walk on with bare feet.
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