Backyard nightmare

[SCyardman]

Jim,
1. Patio - I assume this is a paver patio. If so there should have been at least 4 inches of compacted aggregate as a base, then 1 inch of sand and then the pavers. A polymeric sand or something like sand with glue mixed in should have been used to fill in the joints. If this was all done correctly you should rarely see a weed. To kill and prevent further weeds do not pull them.. spray them with a mixture of roundup and pre-emergence.
2. Pond/waterfall. The thick pond liner should be under the rocks, then it should not leak. The rocks themselves should not be a part of the leak/noleak equation.
3. Unsolicited advice... It sounds to me like your poor choices are part of the problem. Going through two landscapers and then trying to finish it yourself is an indication you initially took the low bidders. Hiring a quality company, paying a reasonable price, and then letting them alone while they do their work... is the best way to not have regrets.

[demonseed]

Jim,
1. Patio - I assume this is a paver patio. If so there should have been at least 4 inches of compacted aggregate as a base, then 1 inch of sand and then the pavers. A polymeric sand or something like sand with glue mixed in should have been used to fill in the joints. If this was all done correctly you should rarely see a weed. To kill and prevent further weeds do not pull them.. spray them with a mixture of roundup and pre-emergence.
2. Pond/waterfall. The thick pond liner should be under the rocks, then it should not leak. The rocks themselves should not be a part of the leak/noleak equation.
3. Unsolicited advice... It sounds to me like your poor choices are part of the problem. Going through two landscapers and then trying to finish it yourself is an indication you initially took the low bidders. Hiring a quality company, paying a reasonable price, and then letting them alone while they do their work... is the best way to not have regrets.

(This is Jim wife here) I seriously appreciate your response. We will try the roundup and preemergence as you you described for the patio. However, with all do respect hind sight is 20/20. we hired both landscapers that came with lists of referral whom we knew. we paid a fair price and did not take the lowest bidder. your comment about our "poor choices" is offensive. we wish everyday that we could turn back time but we did everything in our power to avoid what happened. Now we are trying to fix it with others advice. Fortunately it's mostly cosmetic now although the emotional scars of being scammed by 2 landscapers I believe will never heal and the constant reminder awaits us in our backyard.

[Chris]

To permanently kill the weeds and keep them from coming back, you need to poison the soil. Salt works, or a chemical edging product. But a bag of rock salt spread over your patio and watered in will kill the weeds and keep them from coming back permanently - assuming you have nothing like trees nearby that may have roots underneath.

[j.parson]

Having gone through some contracting nightmares myself (doing a horrible job and STEALING what they were supposed to be installing) I understand. Hope everything worked out Jim!

[inchworm5]

How is the progress on this DIY project? It seems like it has been a year since you decided to take on completing the project that the contractors slipped up on (and I am really sorry that you had a bad experience, it always saddens me to find things like this) I was wondering if you had any new photos or notes on your progress so far?

[sustainmygarden45]

Building a beautiful landscape really does take time and patience. I hope everything works out. Perhaps the next time you guys hire a contractor you guys should do a little more background research. Yelp is your friend in this situation.

[Mike F in OK]

I know this thread is pretty old, but I couldn't resist posting for anyone that may need it.... when you look to hire a landscaper, I would pay for a set of plans before hiring anyone. Many companies will provide a 3D rendering of a plan or at least one drawn out in photoshop. It's really important to make certain your landscaper truly understands your personality, likes and expectations from the project. I hope your DIY effort resulted in success for you. Mike