Quote Originally Posted by SCyardman View Post
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.