Hardscaping

Hardscaping is the part of Landscaping that deals with the elements that do not include plants. Many times the materials include stone, brick, and other hard things, and that is where the name Hardscaping comes from. I used to do larger hardscape projects, but currently I am trying to stick with medium and smaller sized projects.

See examples of my work below or follow the links to the type of Hardscaping that you require.

• Ponds, and water features – that look great with lights.
• Low voltage LED Landscape Lighting, so I can make your house and all the beautiful things that I plant in your landscape look good for hours longer every day, so you get more for your hard earned dollars.
• Patios  made of Flagstone & Bluestone, E.P. Henry and other brands of interlocking concrete pavers, and Brick,
• Walks (Walkways) also made of Flagstone & Bluestone, E.P. Henry and other brands of interlocking concrete pavers, and Brick
• Paver Driveways, including those made of Permeable Paving
• Steps & Landings, made of Bricks and flagstone, sometimes with  segmental retaining wall risers, and sometimes with tie risers
• Walls  including man made Segmental Retaining Wall stones, natural stone and Ties walls
• Edging and borders constructed with river rock, cobblestones – real and man made- or many different types of brick or pavers.
• I specialize in jobs that fit what I can do. I know my limits; some jobs are too big, and some jobs are too small.

Also see my Landscaping page for additional services and ways we can improve your property.

• Robert Kleinberg is a Horticulturist with degrees from The University of Delaware and Villanova University.
• He is a Horticulturist, an ICPI Certified Concrete Paver Installer and a NCMA Certified Segmental Retaining Wall Installer.
• He is also an EP Henry Authorized Hardscaping Contractor.
• He has been designing and constructing patios and gardens as a Landscape and Hardscaping contractor since 1986.
• Working in Philadelphia, Delaware County ( Newtown Square, Havertown, Marple, Broomall, Drexel Hill, Lansdowne, Springfield, Swarthmore, Ridley, Media, Upper Darby, Middletown, Radnor, Lima ), Chester County (Edgemont, Paoli, Goshen, Tredyffrin, Westtown, Willistown, Berwyn, Malvern, West Chester), Montgomery County and the Main Line ( Lower Merion, Bala Cynwyd, Ardmore, Narberth, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Wayne, Devon, Gladwyne, Wynnewood ) PA.
• We are fully insured, licensed with the state of Pennsylvania (PA HIC License #: PA29966), and a BBB Accredited Business.

See examples of our work below and on the many other pages on this site.

Low Voltage LED Landscape Lighting

• Now designing and installing LED low voltage landscape lighting to highlight plantings and architectural features of your home.
• We can set up a free, no obligation, demonstration so you can see exactly what we can do for your property and house.
• For more information see our Lighting Page

Ponds & Water Features

Water features introduce many interesting elements to your garden including the sound of running water, and different habitats in and around the water for many different types of plants, fish and frogs. A small pond can add another element to your enjoyment of your outdoor living space. If low maintenance is your main goal a pondless waterfall might be just the thing. A small stream of water is like a magnet to the birds on a hot summers day and the sound of a small waterfall or fountain can be very relaxing.

Pond with Waterfalls and Stream- Newtown Square, Delaware County, PA 19073

This pond was constructed at our office here in Newtown Square in April of 2011; the wall and patio in the fall of 2010. These photos show many facets of our work besides the pond including the patio, walls, steps, landscaping and landscape design, landscape lighting, and also the importance of the view from inside. You are welcome to make an appointment to see it and other features in our Display Garden. There are many more photos of the pond construction on the Ponds & Water Features page of this website, and on the Pond Construction Album of our Facebook Page

PATIOS & WALKS

• A patio, if done right, can be an extension of the house.
• Another room to use and give many people a good reason to get out into the yard; especially with the addition of a water feature.
• A place for the kids to hang out outside in the fresh air, and for the adults to entertain or just relax and unwind after work.
• Night lighting around a patio is especially rewarding. The landscape lit up at night adds a whole new dimension to your yard. It is framed by the darkness, so you only see the view that you want seen.
• Plantings around the patio can help bring color and beauty to your yard most months of the year.
• Specializing in small to medium sized patios constructed with Flagstone , E.P. Henry and other brands of interlocking concrete pavers, and Brick

Construction of patios and walks to help you enjoy your yard.

Driveways

• The Driveway is the first thing you see when arriving home, and along with the landscaping, forms the first impression of your home. See our Paver Driveway Page for more information.
• Pavers come in a large range of colors and styles. With so much variety, they can give your property a look unmatched by other materials.
• In many areas (many Jersey Shore towns) and other parts of the world, paver driveways are more common than asphalt.
• Because of their long life, and ease of repair, Paver driveways can have a lower cost over the lifetime of the project, even with higher initial costs.
• In some cases permeable paver driveways can be constructed where local zoning will not allow regular types of driveways. See our Permeable Paver Page for more information.

Permeable Paving

As more and more open space is covered with paving, areas that use to soak up rain water are now imperviousto water. More water is put into the streets, storm sewers, and waterways immediately during, and after a storm and can cause flooding, instead of soaking into the ground and slowly working it way back into the water system. This is why environmentally friendly permeable paving is gaining in popularity. Most municipalities – but not all – will allow Permeable Pavers for Driveways, Patios and Walks when a property is at its limit for Impervious area. More information can be found on our Permeable Paver Page
Some additional benefits:

• Environmentally friendly. Fits in nicely with a responsible, sustainable lifestyle.
• Qualifies as a Best Management Practice and can help earn credit towards LEED certification.
• Snow and ice that melts in Winter will disappear below the paving surface, lessen the need for salt and make for a safer surface. This could have many commercial applications in business districts.
• Can eliminate the need for a drainage pond or collection basin in a parking lot. This can make additional space available for parking.

Walls

Walls have been used since the beginning of history to hold a level of soil or other property up, or to protect lower areas by holding soil back. The walls we construct are made out of one of three materials: Man made Segmental Retaining Wall stones, which have been engineered for retaining wall, and work well if constructed properly, Natural stone, which has been uses for millennium by man for this purpose, can make strong and beautiful walls, but is harder to work with properly; while pressure treated softwood ties are used to construct Tie Walls, which are a more recent material, are a nice effective and inexpensive solution for many problems, but they probably won’t last much longer than 40 years.

Specializing in small to medium sized walls (under 4 foot). Walls are constructed with the proper batter and engineering for the material used.

Steps & Landings

We can construct steps and landings with many different materials. The height and length of the hill is measured to determine the number of steps, the height of each riser, and the length of each tread. Steps can be constructed with brick or flagstone on a concrete and cinder block foundation for steps that should last for generations. Bricks and flagstone as well as various colored bullnose pavers and different textured concrete wall caps could be used as treads on segmental retaining wall risers. These steps are constructed on a 6-inch base of compacted crushed stone, and at least 8-inches of wall stones below grade, but they do not require a concrete foundation so they are more economical than masonry steps. Examples of this type of step construction can be seen on our Step Construction page. More economically still are steps with tie risers; these could also have a tread of brick, flagstone, or concrete pavers inside and behind the tie risers.

Cobblestones & Other Edging

Cobblestones, Belgium Block, River Rock, Brick, EP Henry Curbstone, and other brands of man-made edging are commonly used to provide a border and separate different features in the landscape such as driveways, patios, walks, and lawn areas from plant beds and lawns. Border and edging stones work well in more level areas where you want a structural divider, but do not need the extra elevation of a wall. They also work well on slopes where a wall would require many level steps up or down. We often use cobblestones to dress up the look of metal window wells; the metal provides the support for the window well, and the cobblestones improve the appearance. They can also be used as a low step up to a patio or walkway. Border stones are often installed in soil when just separating beds from lawns, but sometimes should be installed with concrete at the base when used as an edging along walks, patios, or driveways, and when used as a step. See our Edging Page for more information.