Next steps
The client requested a quote from a paving contractor—one that was prepared with options to replace or re-lay the existing stone. The professional made the observation that water was collecting at a point and re-grading the section of the front walkway was necessary.
The homeowner also requested a landscape designer to provide ideas on why the rhododendron was failing, what could be done on a budget to improve the front of their house using plants, and creating a more interesting pathway to replace the one that was deteriorating.
In doing so, the designer expressed concerns with the façade’s appearance and was eager to suggest ideas for resale-value based improvements to enhance the house’s curb appeal. This observation and questioning provided a wider scope of perception without exclusively focusing on the deteriorating pathway and eventually led to expose the true cause of the issue. The evidence of blackened stains on the eaves trough and soffit above, as well as damp moss stains on the parged foundation revealed more than one problem. Asking the client additional questions led to the discovery of a wet area in their basement. As a result, it was determined that possibly multiple tradespersons would be needed to address more than a failing walkway.
Observations
The issues with roof drainage were caused by blocked and insufficiently sized gutters. Downspouts, invisible from the front of the property, were draining directly into an exposed section of the foundation. Further, the poorly graded areas also directed surface water into the foundation (instead of away from it), causing long-term and costly damage. Had these problems been left to be observed by a home inspector—at the time of resale—after the walkway was repaired, the later awareness of the extent of the issue’s cause and effect could have led to the work being done eventually or not at all. Evident to prospective homebuyers, these issues could even depreciate the value of the house instead of directing the investment strictly to the front walkway work.
This is where the perception and skill of a designer or a widely experienced contractor come into play, where one is able to detect future damage from an unrealized source. Where multiple contractors may have addressed their own areas of expertise, a paving contractor would have been hired, and the homeowner’s opportunity to fix all the problems may have gone unrealized, thereby affecting obvious value and longer term savings.
A local paving contractor’s services would surely result in a new pathway installed in a short period of time—on a relatively small budget; however, an experienced designer investigating the same situation may make multiple observations, seeking the full cause of the failure and suggesting appropriate preventative (resilient) measures. The same actions are often employed by renovation experts, plumbers, or foundation experts called in for larger budget projects without consideration to the landscape per se.
Where is the resiliency in this?
Resiliency is identified in minimizing (or eliminating) the environmental impact of a necessary activity. The time and resources (and carbon footprint) put forth by the paving contractor would be considered uneconomical—especially if it resulted in destroying the work done to resolve future water damage or spending additional time/money to preserve their work. It should be considered that the total cost of the construction may be more expensive than addressing the paving symptom alone; however, the total cost is less expensive than multiple symptom treatments while allowing the exponential deterioration of the foundation.
