Lakeside Outdoor Living

By Michelle Medaris, LC/DBM

The project took four workers three weeks to complete. Overall, the contractor installed more than 22 tons of Unilock Brussels Dimensional brick pavers over a 500 square-foot area.

Esch Landscaping, LLC turned a barren Port Austin, Michigan lakeside yard into a functional outdoor living space. The homeowners wish list included a fireplace/living room area, barbeque/counter-top cook center and a pergola covered dining room.

The original vinyl pergola was removed during the initial construction process, and then re-anchored to the new hardscape.

The first thing the contractor did was rip out a dilapidated wood deck, after which they laid in one hundred feet of gas line, which runs to the fireplace and barbeque. Due to the steep slope they had to level the area using 40 tons of gravel. Next, 22 tons of Unilock Brussels Dimensional pavers were laid down to complete the 500 square foot patio area.

Fireplace/ Barbeque Area
The hardscape crew built the custom gas log fireplace over a 12-day period; this area also includes a 20-inch seating wall that surrounds the 200 square-foot living room. Unilock Brussels Dimensional brick pavers were used in the construction, along with a bull-nose coping unit, copthorne pavers and a concrete footing under the fireplace. In addition, Unilock Brussels Sandstone and Unilock Brussels Cedar Wood pavers were used to add color dimension. Adjacent to the fireplace, is a built-in gas grill with a granite counter-top cook center.

Dining Room
The 300 square-foot dining room area is made from the same paving materials as those used throughout the project. Pillars that surround the dining room area have 110-volt lighting lamps; other lighting in the area comes from the fireplace and house.

Project Challenges
The project took four workers three weeks to complete. Many challenges came with this project, including a tight time limit, steep grade, bad weather and making a hardscape-heavy area look and feel cozy.