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LASN April 2013 Hardscape: Treehouse Transplant04-09-13 | News

Treehouse Transplant

Project by Belgard Hardscapes






After three years in the Midwest, the Brown family returned to their Atlanta home having promised their three daughters a new tree house and zip line in their wooded backyard. After some DIY trial and error, the parents were able to keep their promise – with a little help from an HGTV reality show and Belgard Hardscapes.
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When Todd and Amy Brown purchased a home in Atlanta, they expected to plant roots and grow their family in the South. When a job opportunity took Todd and his family to Chicago, however, his three young daughters grew to know the Midwest as home. After more than three years in the Windy City, Todd's job once again had the family packing their bags, this time back to Atlanta and their former home, which the Browns still owned. With active school schedules and social lives, the girls were hesitant to move again, and were only convinced when Todd promised to build them a treehouse and zip line in the backyard.

Unfortunately, their dad wasn't quite a professional when it came to building the much-anticipated tree house. His first attempt fell flat – literally – when several storms hit the area. To fulfill his promise, Todd sought out professional help.

"I knew I couldn't do this project alone," he said. "Luckily, a new home improvement show was filming in the area and looking for projects to feature."

 




Fifteen hundred square feet of Lafitt field and edge pavers were laid on site, in Brasstown and Belgian Stone color blends. Another 1,500 square feet of Bergerac wall blocks in the Carriage House color blend formed the retaining walls.



Finding Elbow Room
Todd responded to an online posting seeking families with remodeling projects for a new HGTV show called Elbow Room. The show features expert craftsman Chip Wade coming to the rescue of families who love where they live, but whose houses no longer suit them.

In addition to the treehouse and zip line, Todd and Amy wanted to create a space that the whole family could enjoy. Embarking on this project, Chip enlisted the help of local contractors Sugar Hill Outdoors.

The first step was to decide how the new outdoor living space and treehouse would be laid out in relation to the house. Prior to construction, the outdoor space consisted only of a deck off of the second level, overlooking a backyard with substantial grade changes, trees and overgrown ivy.

"We agreed that the best course of action would be to design a long walkway with steps to lead from the bottom of the deck's stairs down to what would become a large patio at the base of the treehouse," said Clint Tucker, manager of Sugar Hill Outdoors.

 




The home was situated on a plot of land with significant grade changes, containing a wooded, hilly backyard full of trees and overgrown ivy. Sugar Hill used a Tacheuchi track loader and a Toro "Dingo" Compact Utility Loader on site to complete the project, which took a total of 30 tradesmen and workers roughly three weeks to finish.



With a wide variety of outdoor renovations under his belt, Chip specified Belgard Hardscapes pavers to create the perfect patio for Todd and Amy's lifestyle. The Browns wanted the new patio to accommodate both intimate evenings and large get-togethers.

"To create a centerpiece to the large space, Chip's design included a paver fire pit," said Ken O'Neill, vice president of marketing for Belgard Hardscapes. "The fire pit not only looks beautiful, but extends the outdoor season and allows the Browns to enjoy the outdoors well into the evening."

 




The design for the property included a fire pit, which was created with Bergerac pavers similar to the rest of the backyard. Sugar Hill Outdoors removed several trees and enough ivy to create an area for the patio and tree house.



Installation
Due to the hilly landscape of the backyard, a retaining wall was designed using Weston Wall in a Saddle Creek color blend to separate the downward slope from the flat patio area. The wall served double duty as a seating wall to accommodate large get-togethers.

After selecting Lafitt pavers in both Brasstown and Belgian Stone color blends for the patio and walkways, Bergerac pavers in the Carriage House blend for the fire feature and Weston Wall block in a Saddle Creek blend, it was time to get to work.

After about three weeks of work, the Browns' new outdoor retreat was finished. The girls' new two-story treehouse came complete with a trampoline station, tire swing, zip line, rope ladder and more. Todd and Amy also got the outdoor space of their dreams, with a patio perfect for relaxing and watching the girls play.

"We couldn't be more excited about our new outdoor living space, and neither could our girls," Todd said. "They will definitely be putting the treehouse and zip line to good use, and you can bet that there will be many evenings spent around the fire pit roasting marshmallows!"

A clip from the Elbow Room episode featuring this project can be seen at: www.hgtv.com/video/the-worlds-best-treehouse-video/index.html.







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