New back steps

[kyrielle]

The steps to the lower back yard are finally done. (For those who remember, yes, the original plan was to finish by mid-May, "weather permitting". Yes, this is the first time the freaking weather has permitted. It's been insane. But they did very quick, efficient, attractive work once mother nature actually let them have at it.)

Here are photos of it, first day one (all the framing done, but the gravel not in yet) and then the final product. I think they look pretty nice but I'll be happier when the yard around them is more finished also! Click through for larger views.

Comments

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Might I ask why you opted for gravel rather than something more stable? I'm tripping over my feet just looking at that!

(Never said I was coordinated, though!)

[kyrielle]

Because that's all that would work there, unless we wanted a crane, a bridge, access across our neighbor's pasture (if he'd grant it) and a bill of $11,000 or more. The only alternative with the lay and angle of the ground to a box-step approach was to border it in with a retaining wall that couldn't be placed from our side without tearing out structures.

Dirt in the boxes wouldn't be as stable and safe as gravel, and the gravel will give us some traction. (I'm actually surprised you think of gravel as a tripping thing, though! I think of it as better traction than paving or even dirt.)

[tollermom]

Oooh... those are very cool! How much gravel did it take to fill them all? I wouldn't look forward to having to get a wheelbarrow full of gravel down that slope! :-)

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

Did they already do the impact stuff, or are they going to have to come back and top it off once the weather causes settling? *is not up on modern step-building technologies*

[kyrielle]

Weather actually shouldn't cause settling - another plus for gravel. The steps are dug in slightly and anchored deeply, and anchored to each other, and the gravel is compacted in and the water should, I believe, run through it. We'll see when it actually gets wet, I'm sure, but in theory they should just be usable.

[kyrielle]

No clue! To be honest, I wasn't paying attention while they were filling them. I'll bet they did not use a wheelbarrow, though. I wouldn't, for that slope (and it would leave wheelbarrow tracks on the upper yard, forcing them to repair that damage, but that's minor). Frankly I do not think you COULD for that slope. It's so steep you had to be careful to scramble down it by yourself. My guess would be there were buckets involved, but I really don't know.

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

That's really nice looking. And that slope makes my mover's heart leap to my throat.

[kyrielle]

Aren't they great? Fortunately there's nothing down there but the yard - we are going to have a little paver circle and probably a table and chairs, but trust me, they'll be lightweight plastic. Probably rig some way to anchor them at the bottom, but I'm not taking anything heavy down there.

I pity the folks doing this work, though, and the landscaper who has plants (including some trees) to move in. (They won't be full-grown - we said place 'em juvenile and let them grow into the space. Partially 'cause it's cheaper, but partially because it's also logistically possible!)

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

Very nice. think you will be walking down them very much? Too steep for me, but I am old.

[kyrielle]

There will be a little patio area down there with seating. The slope was too steep but the stairs should make it doable for us. I'm going to try them later today or tomorrow. We have to decide whether to put a handrail on it. I am almost certain we will put a handrail on, but the landscaper did not think it would be needed and wanted us to consider that separately.

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

It really looks nice, and if you want it to be safe, I would put a hand rail up, for sure.

[tigerchild.livejournal.com]

They look great!

I like gravel a lot. I'd never thought about doing it for stairs though. It's really easy to maintain, and much cheaper to 'fix', and much more safe when wet, isn't going to have slimy moss on it, ect.

A friend of mine is looking to put in stairs in a similar location, I think I might tell her about this!

[kyrielle]

No handrail, I think. They're as easy as any set of stairs, and a handrail would look pretty awkward. If I thought it was needed I'd do it, but - I'm very comfortable with these, now that we've tried them.

[kyrielle]

Just tried a walk down them too, they were GREAT. Very level, easy - the gravel was compacted down hard, I think, judging from how it didn't shift. Very, very nice. And they look good from all angles. So, so very pleased with them. They were a great solution to a space it was going to be really hard to get most other things (retaining walls) into, or where a composite decking set would look awkward.

Edit: One note for your friend, that's pre-treated, ground-contact wood, and they're anchored deeply at the bottom and at the corners that aren't attached to the next lower step (which are obviously just anchored to that step), to make sure they hold where they're meant to be. I was really pleased with the design, but even moreso with the end result!

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'd have to see in in RL to really get a grasp of it not being something I would fall down, then. I definitely wouldn't be putting dirt in the boxes, but I'm used to dirt simply eroding away when rain so much as thinks of coming down somewhere in the state. I guess I see the gravel and think that it's going to shift when you step on it, rather than something like concrete that doesn't move.

And $11K for a walkway???? I don't think so! *grin*

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

A handrail might be a good idea once baby gets old enough to try walking up and down these stairs.

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

And, BTW, since I haven't said it yet, I think they're really cool looking. I'm really interested to see the final landscaped result!

[kyrielle]

Yeah, it doesn't move at all - it has nowhere to go. It's level in each box and bounded by the sides of the box; there's no slope and it's packed tight. It's not loose gravel, and it's definitely not moving much. (And yeah, concrete has that 'solid' factor but also that ugly, lumpy, and un-alterable factor. I really do not like concrete, when it's in a setting I want to look natural and pretty. It is useful, but that's the one positive I can give it, I fear.)

[kyrielle]

There is that factor, and I have considered it, but the handrail that would make sense for adults would not help a toddler at all. And honestly, I think a toddler can, with supervision, manage these stairs. The trick will be making sure s/he doesn't ever go down them without permission and hand-holding...and that would be true WITH a rail. (I never held on to railings when racing some place I shouldn't have been; I seriously doubt my child will be any more prudent. :)

[kyrielle]

So am I! I'm crossing my fingers that Dave can bring it back into plan, as I think the steps are extending about a foot into where he'd intended to put the circle of pavers. I really want my full 10 feet of diameter there, but the stairs had to work first, so we'll see how he handles off-setting that or whatever.

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Perhaps a stair bumper, kinda like the bumper guards for bowling alleys?

*evil smirk*

[kyrielle]

*sproing*

*sadly watches bits of her brain go bouncing off in different directions*

Ow.

[kyrielle]

And concrete has one other big drawback - if ice gets on it, the traction can get hideously bad, real quick. Granted we're not likely to want to go down there in ice, if we need to for some reason the gravel will be safer. (I'm also not sure how the concrete would weather freezing, now that I think about it. Probably cracks, but then again those aren't disastrous.)

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Or a bubble-wrap-covered child?

No, no, let's go with a child covered in memory foam!

Nah, just put a helmet on the kid. You'll be fine.

I've got it, let's go with a kid-sized hamster ball!


*disappears before she gets smacked upside the head*

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Point taken. I don't do ice given a choice in the matter, after the winter of 93-94.

[kyrielle]

*too busy dying laughing to successfully target anyone for smacking anyway*

[canyoncat.livejournal.com]

Those look very cool. I saw the later entry and was happy to find one with pix.

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

Wonderful, they really are beautiful.

I can not wait to see the finished product!! What a nice place to have to sit outside.

[kyrielle]

:) Thank you! There should be plenty more pictures once the rest of the landscaping is done, but who knows when that will be. Since the steps pushed so late, some of the plants may no longer be easy to put in at this time of year. We'll see what happens, I guess.

[lady-of-mists.livejournal.com]

Looks nice! I like the little curve to them... :)

[kyrielle]

Thank you! I do too. It was forced by the shape of the slope, but it turned out to look much better than I'd realized it would.