Dig Deep

Mimi challenged the team at Moscarino Outdoor Creations to open up their client list to close scrutiny by our own Bill Yurgen. Here’s why any homeowner considering an outdoor makeover should first DIG DEEP!

 

If it’s true what they say about a satisfied customer being your best salesperson, then Moscarino Outdoor Creations may have one of the largest sales staffs in Northeast Ohio. As one of the area’s top landscape design and build contractors, Moscarino always seems to make for a good story because they keep improving on the way they satisfy their customers.

I thought it might be interesting to speak with one of their customers and do a story about their experiences. What brought them to Moscarino? How was the construction experience? How creative were Moscarino’s solutions to their needs? And, finally, were they satisfied with the end results? Chas Moscarino, president of this growing company, gave me a number of names and addresses to choose from.

I decided to visit with Larry and Terry of Avon Lake. I was greeted with such enthusiasm and gracious hospitality that my 20-minute interview turned into several hours.

Larry, the owner of a successful executive recruiting firm, The Lawrence Group, and his wife, Terry, recently moved into their home. The backyard features a swimming pool surrounded by a concrete patio. The home boasts an open floor plan with plentiful views of the backyard. Both Larry and Terry looked forward to providing a place where their kids, ages 11 to 19, could hang out during the summer.

“We liked the idea of dealing with a larger company that had a reputation to protect,” Terry said.

They were also looking for a place to enjoy their passion for outdoor entertaining. And that’s where the need for a little enhancement came in. “We quickly realized that when you have a pool full of kids nearby, it’s really hard to hold a conversation,” Larry explained. “No matter where we moved our chairs to gather, it was just too noisy for the adults to enjoy the party.”

“Terry felt we needed to bring in plants and trees to soften the area and better define our yard to make it more welcoming,” he continued. “After weighing our options, we made the decision to hire a professional contractor. I’m no stranger to home improvements, but the vision that was emerging of multiple beds, a conversation area, and maybe even a spot out of the traffic flow for me to express my talents at the grill made it apparent that we needed someone with the experience to create a comprehensive plan and install it correctly.”

“We wanted a backyard makeover that would make the pool, the patio and the new areas all fit together like they had all been installed at the same time,” Terry stated. “Chas and his team did a wonderful job of not only meeting our expectations, but also exceeding them.”

I must agree. One look at their beautiful backyard tells the story. It has a very inviting, cohesive look, complete with outdoor “rooms.” Each serves a different purpose, but all fit well together in a very eye pleasing design.

“We got bids from several other firms. Moscarino Outdoor Creations showed us how the plan could be done in stages over several years and were very realistic about staying within our budget.”

“Terry’s right,” Larry commented. “We got bids from several other firms. Moscarino Outdoor Creations was not only the most professional, they had the best plan and they were very flexible. They showed us how the plan could be done in stages over several years and were very realistic about staying within our budget.”

“Another factor was the size of their company,” Terry said. “We liked the idea of dealing with a larger company that had a reputation to protect. John, the project manager, was here every step of the way and he even stopped by to water our landscape while we were on vacation. The team cleaned up any dirt left in the street every day when they were finished, and kept the disturbance to our family and the neighbors to an absolute minimum. I only wish everyone we dealt with was so professional.”

You can begin the process of completing your backyard makeover by calling Moscarino Outdoor Creations, at 440-236-9000.

There are a number of benefits to using interlocking pavers as opposed to other methods:

  • A vast variety of paving styles
  • Unlimited color possibilities
  • Create your own design
  • Low cost, little maintenance
  • 50 year + life expectancy
  • No cracking
  • 3 times stronger than poured concrete

Design Flexibility

The many shapes, patterns, and colors of concrete pavers allow for design creativity, as well as delineation of pavement areas, such as parking lanes, cross walks, and intersections. The beauty of interlocking pavers adds value and visual appeal to any property. By adding flexibility not possible with rigid pavement, pavers can flow with existing landscaping to deliver beauty to any property. Also, when considering maintenance and replacement costs, pavers offer an economically long-term alternative to other types of pavement

Winter Durability And Snow Removal

Snow can be plowed, blown or shoveled just like asphalt or concrete pavements. The (beveled) edge of pavers will prevent you from catching an edge with the plow or shovel. Using de-icing products like salt or calcium chloride will not harm or pit the pavers. Electric or liquid snow-melting systems work well under concrete pavers, eliminating snow removal while reducing slip hazards. Smooth surface allows for easy snow removal. Pavers can be colored dark to help melt snow faster. Snow-melt systems can be installed to eliminate snow and ice removal. Concrete pavers resist deterioration of freezing and thawing cycles and deicing salts, better than asphalt and ordinary concrete.

Versatility

Pavers can be applied in both residential and commercial settings, including surface coverings for driveways, parking lots, promenades, sidewalks, pool decks, patios, streets, golf cart paths and even roof gardens. Interlocking concrete pavers are a sensible and aesthetically attractive choice for all outdoor surfaces.

Safety

On both vehicular and pedestrian applications pavers have a non-skid surface even when the pavers are wet they are safe to walk or drive a vehicle over them.

Paver Strength

Concrete pavers are extremely dense units which possess exceptional strength and durability, superior stability under severe loads, and are unaffected by the extremes of heat and frost. Each unit has joints that allow for a small amount of movement without cracking. Factory made pavers last for decades.

Manufactured to tight dimensional tolerances, pavers are stronger than regular poured concrete surfaces and more durable than black asphalt. They can take more abuse and last for generations. A segmental paving system allows for expansion and contraction without producing surface cracks, unlike monolithic concrete surfaces and stamped concrete.

Maintenance

Stained or broken pavers can be easily replaced without patches. Asphalt, concrete, and stamped concrete can’t make this claim. Dark colored pavers can help hide stains. Pavers can be repaired by lifting the affected area, re-grading, re-compacting the base and bedding sand and re-installing the same pavers. It is an inexpensive procedure that leaves no unsightly repair patches.
Pavers are easy to maintain. Regular sweeping and occasional rinsing are usually the most maintenance needed. For heavy soiling, pressure washing with appropriate clearing solutions (re-sanding of joints will be necessary) (See Polymeric Sand) or a simple spot treatment with a brush, cleaner, water and some elbow grease will solve the problem.