Transformation Tuesday 12/29/2020

This Transformation Tuesday takes place in Eldorado and like most homes in Eldorado, our client had an open backyard. The house had several Sumac and a Chamisa, which somewhat acted as a barrier to the client's yard. The end goal was to define the yard more and give them some sort of barrier to keep coyotes and other critters out.

Even though it is hard to see in the before picture, the backyard had a steep slope that also needed to be addressed. After the planning phase, the decision was to use landscape block and a coyote fence to create the barrier.

The first step was to remove the large Chamisa and the wild vegetation. Once the area was clear, it was time to start moving dirt. We needed to dig into the slope to make a starting point for the small retaining wall. This also included trenching the area where the wall was going to go where we can place blocks below grade for the foundation.

Lastly, we needed to trench out a dry river bed that would help divert water away from the house and the wall. As we worked, we used the dirt we were moving to level out the surrounding areas. Once we got to the third row, we needed to cut one of the blocks to fit a 4" PVC drain pipe.

This pipe would allow for water to drain from inside the yard into the dry riverbed to prevent flooding and tracking water and mud over the landscape block. The stairs were created the same way the wall - the only difference was they were topped with flagstone.

The next step in this transformation was to bring in the 2-4" River Rock and the plants: a Chamisa, an Apache Plume, and a Chokecherry tree. We dug post holes 24" deep and set the main posts, and filled the holes with cement. We used cedar posts for all the main posts to give the fence the strength it needsed to withstand the gusty Eldorado area.

The client wanted to use spruce/pine posts for the fence because they liked the grayish color. Since we were working with a slope, the posts that were to the left of the wall would be 5' tall and the ones behind the wall would be 3'. Since you cannot buy posts this size, we needed to custom cut the material for this arrangement.

The rails were tied to the main cedar posts and the spruce/pine posts were attached to the rails. Each post must be fitted to the next post, leveled, then tied by hand to the top and the bottom rails. This is very time consuming but gives the fence added strength.

Although it is hard to see in the picture, the coyote fence wrapped around to the side of the house to give the client the enclosed yard they wanted. We also installed a gate above the steps and on the side for easy access to the lower yard.

Our clients were extremely happy with how the landscape turned out and loved the look of their yard!