Carlsbad Patio Retreat

The contractor installed "Unique Guardian" copper spot lights on the trees, "Unique Vanguard" recessed wall lights on the fireplace and under the wall caps, and "FX Luminaire LS" down lights on the patio cover and arbors. The patio cover was accented by a string of holiday lights from Lightcraft. The contractor laid direct burial wire in the planters and installed flex conduits under all of the hardscape, pulling 12-2 direct-bury low-voltage lighting wire powered by a "FX PX600" 12-volt transformer. The fixtures and wiring were installed after the hardscape construction was completed.

The seat wall seat, backrest and cap were augmented with "Cameron" flagstone. The planting palate includes ornamental plum, Wilsoneii olive, white Iceberg roses, Japanese Boxwood, and "Tuscan Blue" Rosmary. The contractor constructed the fireplace using CMU blocks, with an interior lined with firebricks. The veneer on the Fireplace is "El Dorado" Stone 'Padova' field ledge. The fireplace and seat wall construction took a two-worker masonry team four weeks to complete.

 

The hardscape crew poured more than 19 cubic yards of concrete to create the 1,789 square feet of patio; they then added 230 square feet of flagstone accents. The plants shown are olive trees and white roses; all of the project's plants are irrigated with a drip system using Rainbird "MB" Micro Bubblers.

The lighting fixtures and wiring were installed after the hardscape construction was completed. They ran a ???(R)???AE????-inch gas line from the meter to the fireplace and teed off to a ???(R)???AE?-inch gas line to the barbecue. In-house electricians ran electrical line to the fireplace providing for an outlet and ran electrical to the barbecue area for the rotisserie and refrigerator and for extra outlets for utility use.

The owners of this Carlsbad, California home offered AAA Landscape Specialists, Inc., the chance to completely remake their backyard. The design goal, according to the contractor, "was to create a family-oriented backyard with room to entertain. The client needed more space and wanted a fireplace, a cover-ed patio area, a place to barbecue and room for a Ping-Pong table and darts."

AAA Landscape Specialists, Inc. began by designing a new layout using the Vizterra 3D modeling software system by Structure Studios. Once the client approved the designs, the contractor demolished the entire backyard, including the hardscapes and existing landscape. In total, the company employed three crew members for the initial demo work.

Next, workers excavated extensively for the perimeter wall footings. They trenched main lines and drain lines, forming for the concrete, and installed steel reinforcement for the walls and fireplace. A pair of two-man mason crews constructed the CMU block fireplace, seat walls and outdoor living kitchen bar. Eight concrete finishing experts poured more than 19 cubic yards of concrete for the patio and poured-in-place bar countertop.

The construction team poured footings, flat work and other hardscaped surfaces, including building walls, fireplace block work and stonework. They installed lighting, a barbecue counter, finished irrigation and drainage, and installed arbors and a patio cover. Overall, the project took 10 weeks to complete.

Lighting
The company used Unique Vanguard recessed wall lights on the fireplace and under the wall caps. All the lighting wire was direct burial, and was pulled through flex conduits under the hardscape.

Workers ran a ???(R)???AE????-inch gas line from the gas meter to the fireplace, which teed off to a ???(R)???AE?-inch gas line for the barbecue. They also pulled electrical line to the fireplace for an outlet and ran electrical to the barbecue area for the rotisserie and refrigerator and extra outlets for appliances.

Total Manpower
All the workers were AAA employees and consisted of a three-man irrigation/drainage crew, eight concrete finishers, three carpenters, one painter, and a three-man planting crew. They used hand tools, jack hammers, masonry saws, and shovels to install more than six tons of Cameron flagstone, 19 cubic yards of concrete, one ton of steel re-bar, 16 cubic yards of decomposed granite, eight pallets of CMU block, and 2,000 pounds of amended soil.

The bar was constructed using CMU block with a poured-in-place concrete counter. The counter was finished using "Giallo Fiorito" granite tile. The entire project took 10 weeks to complete.

The patio is 3,000-PSI concrete with Davis 'Sequoia Sand' integral color. The company accented it using "Cameron" flagstone. The stucco on the barbecue is "La Habra" 'Viejo' 475 stucco.

The company installed a "Grand Turbo" barbecue unit grill, as well as a BBQ Galore stainless steel refrigerator and stainless steel access doors.