Total Backyard Conversion

By Bruce Fordyce

Once the client approved the design, Milliken contacted local utility companies to mark lines, after which Milliken removed the existing 8 by 10 brick patio/landing off of the home's back steps. They also removed all the backyard irrigation zones, and then brought in the excavator to start digging.

Here is the project area before work began. There was no outdoor living space, and the homeowners wanted to use the yard area for entertaining. The clients were open to Milliken Horticulture Services' design suggestions, with the caveat that the area be as maintenance-free as possible.

Milliken Horticulture Services turns a standard yard into a the ultimate outdoor living environment for this Columbia, South Carolina home. The completed 30 by 30-foot outdoor living area includes a complement of coveted outdoor living features, including a 60 by 36 by 94-inch fireplace, a 60 by 20-inch hearth and a tumbled seat wall.

Milliken built the Rockwood Fireplace in Bluestone without using Superstik glue so that the client could approve the design before the fireplace was to be made permanent. The client approved the fireplace, and the contractor took it back down and built it again permanently with glue. It took three workers three hours to build it without glue and eight hours to build it properly with glue.

The contractor excavated the area for the 30 by 30 patio with a 1-foot base. Using a Toro Dingo 323 with 4-in-1 bucket, leveler, forks, tree boom, and 302.5 Caterpillar Excavator with 20-inch bucket, Milliken hauled off the dirt and kept it at their shop, then brought it back as needed. During the excavation, they ran conduit to run underground gas lines for the five gaslights, electricity for each of the lights, and electricity for seven outlets placed throughout the patio. They ran a designated gas-line for the gas grill with manual shut-off and quick couplings. They installed three new zones for irrigation: One zone for drip for the pots on the front, back porch and patio; a second zone for existing shrubs; and, the final zone for the grass. They ran speaker wires for future outdoor speakers, and also added landscape lighting wire. For a future outdoor kitchen, Milliken also ran water.

After running the utilities, they dug a substantial fireplace footing and the seat wall footings. They added Portland cement to the concrete to strengthen it and poured their 2-foot base. They placed in 25 sticks of rebar both horizontally and vertically to stabilize the footing.

The Project

Using three full-time employees in addition to owner Walks Milliken, this project took six weeks to complete. (Had it not been for had weather and product delivery delays, it would have been completed in four weeks, predicted Milliken.)

Milliken doubled the recommendations on the depth and width of the footing, to make sure the fireplace was secure. They did this to compensate for the unstable sandy soil conditions.

After the fireplace, walls and piers were complete, Milliken re-shot the grade before bringing back the dirt, filling and sloping it towards the creek behind the patio. Milliken tamped to prepare for the six inches of granite screenings. They re-shot the grade to make sure it was at proper slope. They then installed the washed granite screenings with a Dingo. Milliken tamped every 1-inch as they installed the granite screenings. Once the base was completely tamped they started in the corner of the patio by the fireplace by installing their one-inch of granite screenings for the bed material.

Milliken used Silvercreek slate in Bluestone. They employed a random pattern throughout the patio. As they reached the edges, they had to make a lot of cuts. For cutting the slate, they used a Partner-brand 14-inch concrete saw.

Light it up

Among the interesting features presented, are five 25-inch London Street-style gas lanterns (New Orleans gaslights) using 4-inch custom column mounts atop five piers.

Electrical for the gas lanterns was run to the kitchen so the homeowner can flip a switch and turn on the gaslights. The gas-lamps themselves fire up through the use of individual self-contained Flo Glo Surface Gas Light Igniters. Each lantern has its own individual shut-off at the junction box hidden behind the patio seat walls. The low-voltage lighting complement consists of six FX mm patio lights, 14 FX RS up-lights and two FX 300-watt transformers with timers.

To ''soften'' the hardscape, Milliken added one Palmetto tree to compliment two existing ones, as well as adding confederate jasmine to grow along the fence by the patio, and big blue liriope between the driveway and the seat wall.

For the walls, they applied Seal-N-lock SuperWet sealant, which is specifically designed to penetrate the porous materials. The first two coats were absorbed as fast as they could apply it. Then they applied three additional coats over the course of one week.

Once the slate was laid Milliken swept in Techniseal polymeric joint sand (southern gray color) and tamped it. Milliken wet the joints three times throughout the day in order to activate the product. They then washed the entire hardscape, including the seat walls, fireplace and patio with Techniseal efflorescence cleaner to prepare for the sealant.

The Challenges

Milliken was presented with challenges, including freezing temperatures that caused equipment starting issues. ''As the client saw the progress of the project, they requested additional seat walls and two additional piers,'' explained Milliken. ''We started the project with four seat walls and three piers and ended the project with five seat walls and five piers.''

But with more than 18 years of experience, the Milliken crew delivered exactly what the client was looking for. The client wanted a dark ''wet look'' just like the catalog! And that is what they got.