Drainage problems have existed for home and landowners for as long as society has been civilized.  Dams have been built, levies have been raised and channels have been cut to manage how water flows and to where it is drains.  These same basic principles in drainage management apply equity to individual homeowners and municipalities.  Transversely the lack of proper drainage management can cause great grief and cost sizable sums for structural repairs.  Have you experienced drainage problems with your home and the land it rests on?

In the over 30 years as landscape contractors the staff here at Todd’s Services has remedied hundreds of homeowner’s drainage problems.  Each home has received an individualized application of those drainage management principles by members of our Design/Sales staff.  Usually these concepts are applied as part of a larger landscape renovation plan but stand alone projects have become more common.  The most common places where drainage has become an issue is at the younger homes (20 years or less) where the grade has shifted and settled around the house after initial construction.  These homes seem to be more susceptible because of the speed of construction with less attention to details and the type of materials used by many builders.  Items such as gutter downspout and sump line outlets typically were not addressed at the time of construction so the ill affects are water seepage into foundations and basements, pooling or standing water after rainfall and cement heaving and cracking.  Remember, water is a powerful force but it is also lazy.  Water will follow the path of the least resistance (or create its own path as gravity dictates) but it will always flow somewhere.  Where does it go?

Drainage management is an issue but does not have to be a problem.  Proper planning and execution by an experienced landscape contractor (like Todd’s Services) can help alleviate your water flow issues.

Seawalls are intended to provide shoreline defense to reduce the effects of strong waves, while preserving property retention. Shoreline erosion is a prevalent problem amongst waterfront properties seen throughout southeast Michigan due to the vast number of lakes and rivers. Erosion can occur for a multitude of reasons such as the general movement of water, high wake, ice pressure, environment factors and material properties.

Todd’s Services (TSI) is superior in professional competency of marine construction including the design and installation of seawalls. Marine construction requires thorough evaluation of the overall site conditions, which includes preservation to the environmental and habitat areas, proper drainage solutions, consideration of flooding, material selection and safety.

TSI sales and field specialists work together to develop solutions based on the respective site conditions to ensure long lasting resolutions. By collectively working together, TSI guarantees a high quality product will be delivered to the customer.

At TSI a selection of seawall services and materials are available to meet a customer’s project demands. For instance vertical, curved and stepped seawalls can be designed to meet your project needs. We offer steel, vinyl and block walls. Or an environmentally friendly shoreline solution is a natural rock seawall, which assists in the preservation of the ecosystem. Construction materials used in the installation are free of polluting materials, waste metal products, debris and focus on organic substances.

Rest assure TSI will handle the Seawall project proficiently from the initial design concepts, permit requirements, installation and quality assurance checks.

If you are considering a move, completing minimal improvements to entice a potential buyer is worth the investment “first impressions are lasting impressions”. Home buyers often decide whether or not to look inside a home based on its curb appeal. At Todd’s Services (TSI), we can assist in the improvement process by offering a consultation outlining a selection of options to meet your goals. For instance, there are times that adding elements to your landscaping can improve curb appeal, but there are other times when removing something is even more effective. Whether the option is to dress up an area with plantings, rebuild a patio area or remove overgrown landscaping, we will meet your objective professionally.

Based on housing market conditions in Michigan, the local area is currently experiencing a growing trend of many homeowners electing to stay in their homes and invest in major updates and renovations, which often includes curb appeal enhancements instead of relocating. TSI has been in business for more than 30 years and has experienced a surge in return customers seeking to renew and modernize their existing landscape designs.

As a full service landscape business we will design and implement the entire landscaping project focusing on customer input and satisfaction. The scale of the project can be minimal to satisfy an improvement to a focused area such as an entry way or the project can be designed for a complete exterior makeover, completed in phases at the customer’s discretion.

A brief selection of options may include:

Planting Packages

• Achieving curb appeal for all four seasons begins with a plant selection plan that will provide something to catch the eye in each of the four seasons. The goal is to have flowering trees throughout spring and summer, fall foliage in autumn and good structure in winter.

Hardscape themes both from practical (low maintenance) and aesthetic (curb appeal) standpoints.

• Choices may include brick paver and/or stamped concrete selections, wood or composite decking options, retaining walls of stone, brick or lumber, inclusion of an outdoor fireplace and/or kitchen.

Focal points throughout the property perfectly scaled to the space.

• Strategic placement of low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks and near important landscaping elements will enhance the curb appeal. TSI has an extensive selection of outdoor lighting options available.
• Placement of outdoor structures such as a pergola, gazebo or sitting walls accompanied with lighted columns can provide a sitting area focal point.

Lawn restoration and installation of irrigation systems.

• Looking to enhance the lushness of your lawn? TSI field personnel are experienced and provide excellent workmanship to condition a lawn to the highest quality. Highly reputable materials and products coupled with the current industry technology promote optimal irrigation system performance.

There are a number of avenues you can take to improve your residential or commercial property.  Enhance your curb appeal and increase the ROI through creative landscaping design and installation.

So what do you do? Here are tips of how you can help restore the condition and looks of your brick paver walk, patio or driveway:

1. Determine if there has been any movement or settling of pavers. Repair these areas according to the brick paver manufacturer’s specifications. This will require digging up an area to confirm that the base was done correctly in the first place. If not, you have bigger chore on your hands of redoing the base of that area or possibly the entire brick paver walk, patio, drive, etc.
2. Power wash brick paver areas using a 2700 psi power washer or greater. You may or may not need to use a paver cleaner during this process.
3. Sweep joint sand into all the joints of the brick pavers and water down with a light spray from a garden hose. Sweep sand and water down a second time to ensure joints are full of joint sand. Once dry confirm joints are full with joint sand and move on to the next step. Having these joints completely filled and compacted will help maintain paver stability.
4. Apply a joint stabilizing sealer on all the brick paver areas. The sealer hardens the sand which helps prevent water intrusion in the joints and insects digging through it! Follow the instructions of the manufacturer on how to apply sealer.
5. Apply a brick paver sealer if applicable and if desired. There are many options when choosing brick paver sealers. Some will have a glossy wet look which often darkens the color of you pavers (which you may or may not desire). Some paver sealers have a matte finish while others are completely invisible. The sealer creates a durable barrier against liquid absorption on the brick paver itself (as opposed to the joint stabilizing sealer which hardens the joint sand). Brick paver sealers will help prevent staining and will keep your pavers looking cleaner for a much longer period of time. Some high end pavers have a stain resistant surface and this step is unnecessary. Follow the instructions of the sealer’s manufacturer on how to apply it properly.

By following this tips you will enhance the look, help maintain the structural integrity, and lower the amount of yearly maintenance on your brick pavers. Contact Todd’s Services if you prefer to hire this work out and live in mid or southeast Michigan. Todd’s Services has extensive experience in both brick paver installation, brick paver repairs, and brick paver maintenance.

Visit our website at www.ToddsServices.com.

DO NOT solely rely on your irrigation system to handle all of your new responsibilities.

Trees, plants and shrubs are like people – they need the proper amount of food, water, and care to survive and prosper.  Nursery plants are used to absorbing water and nutrients at the same time every day.  They have been watered and fertilized on a routine schedule for several months or even years.  Without your full attention once they go in the ground, it would be like someone changing your breakfast, lunch, and dinner schedule, your diet, and portion size all at the same time.  You would go through shock too!

To start your plants on a healthy path, Todd’s Services, Inc. adds a slow release fertilizer tablet to each plant upon installation.  This will provide nutrient for the first year.  Next, it’s your turn -your new plants need to be watered at least 3 to 4 times per week (weather and soil type dependant).  Does your soil hold moisture or drain moisture?  Water thoroughly at the base of the plant, soaking the root structure.  Do this for several weeks until the plants have established roots in the surrounding soil.  After the first season or one year, watering once per week is recommended (weather and soil type dependant).  The best times to water your plants are early in the morning and late in the afternoon – this helps water to soak into the ground around the plant before being evaporated by the sun.  Watering your plants during the warmest part of the day is less effective and can burn plant leaves causing them to wilt and fall off.  It is just as important not overwater your plants.  Overwatering can kill plants just as fast as not watering them at all.  Overwatering can also lead to plant disease.  Your investment in landscaping was expensive!…Watch the weather and react accordingly.  If you do not have an irrigation system and you are considering one, please visit www.ToddsServices.com

Each plant type has different needs in regards to moisture and soil nutrients, so it is good to research your plants and learn their needs.  For example, Rhododendrons prefer acidic soil.  What is acidity level your soil?  You may need a different fertilizer for your Rhododendron.  In general, fertilizer should be applied to plants once a year in the spring following the guidelines on the container.

Pruning trees, plants, and shrubs can enhance their appearance, may promote flowering, and helps keep them healthy.  Research your plant so that you are pruning each plant at the right time of year.

The difference is that in most townships throughout Michigan, the construction of a retaining wall is not regulated by the building dept. or construction codes.  The quality of the construction is solely based on the experience of the contractor or homeowner.  In many cases, neither party has extensive knowledge, experience or training, and as a result, a retaining wall with poor integrity is installed and destined for failure.

If you are considering on hiring a retaining wall contractor, here are some questions I suggest you should ask.

How many years have you been installing retaining walls?

What are the construction specifications that you follow when building a retaining wall?

May I have a copy of your construction specifications?

Are you licensed and insured to be working on my property?

What is the warranty on the product?

What is the warranty on the installation/workmanship?

Where can I see some retaining walls that you have built?

Do you own the equipment that will be used on my property?

Can I visit your place of business?  This question is very important, and I highly recommend you visit a company’s facility.  It is not uncommon for companies to be renting equipment and working out of their home.  If a contractor is not fully vested in their company, then I would suggest you not invest in them!  These contractors come and go out of business regularly.

If you live in Southeast Michigan and need a retaining wall contractor I would recommend Todd’s Services Inc.  You can find Todd’s Services online at www.toddsservices.com

Todd’s Services, Inc. operates in the areas between Lansing, Ann Arbor, Grand Blanc, and Farmington Hills.  Their facility is located in Hamburg, Michigan which is in Southern Livingston County.  Todd’s Services has been in business since 1979 and is licensed with the State of Michigan.  Todd Services has proven retaining wall specifications that they adhere to and have an extensive background when it comes to building retaining walls.

As with almost everything, brick pavers do require some maintenance to stay looking nice. Each year we suggest our customers sand the joints in their brick. Sanding the joints will help prevent erosion between bricks. Erosion between brick joints exposes the compacted base material and can lead to settling. Without sufficient joint sand, brick pavers can and will settle over time. The expansion of ice and snow as it freezes during a Michigan winter is enough to cause movement in brick pavers. Remember, moisture and water can be detrimental to a brick paver walk or patio. If you keep the joints sufficiently sanded you can help prevent brick movement and settling.

If settling does occur in your brick pavers – don’t get overly concerned. Brick pavers are designed to be reset and re-leveled as necessary. This is why bricks were so popular in road building years ago. If you don’t want to tackle a project like re-leveling your brick, we suggest you visit www.ToddsServices.com.

There are a few different types of brick sand on the market. Standard sweep sand is the most popular. All you need to do is pour the dry sand over your pavers and sweep it in place. If you are going to seal the brick, be sure to sweep any remaining sand off the brick faces.

Another sand that was very popular for a few years is called polysand or polymeric sand. Polysand has a binding agent (polymer) in it that helps keep it in place and offers resistance to moisture. As a quality control manager for a landscaping company, polysand can be a great product if it is properly installed. If improperly installed, it can leave a haze or film on the pavers. Polysanded bricks must be gently flooded with water to thoroughly hydrate the joints and to rinse the fine powder off of the brick faces. It is very important to remove any hazing before the brick is sealed.

Brick paver sealer or joint stabilizing brick sealer is highly recommended on all brick paver applications. A quality brick sealer will protect the brick from weathering and help retain its color longer. Brick sealer comes in gloss and matte finishes. Joint stabilizing sealer will seal and protect the brick while hardening standard sweep sand between the joints, locking the bricks in place.

Staying or selling, to get the most out of your home you may consider these landscaping improvement ideas.

Maintenance Free: In today’s busy world, it seems even more difficult then ever to find time to even mow the lawn.  Work, work, work, run, run, run…its Saturday…work some more, attend the kids games….Sunday…family events….who’s going to mow the lawn?  Not enough time in the day is an understatement anymore, there’s not enough time in the week!  Homeowner’s and home buyers appreciate maintenance free landscaping.

Weed Barrier Mesh: Install a quality weed barrier mesh under the mulch or decorative stone in your landscape beds.  Keep the plastic garbage bags for your trash and put the newspaper in the recycle bin – just keep them out of your landscape beds. A quality weed barrier mesh will significantly reduce the amount of time you’ll have to spend pulling weeds, and allows proper moisture to penetrate…

Clean Edges / Trim: The appearance of anything maintained is always more pleasing to the eye – just ask your spouse.  Consider a quality edging material for your landscape beds and around your trees.  It makes trimming easier, and maintains a clean look and a defined separation between lawn and landscape.  TIME SAVING TRICK:  A 20’ piece of landscape edging will create a perfect circle around a tree that almost every riding mowers turning radius can mow around, thus saving time with the trimmer.

Enviro-Mulch or Decorative Stone: Many homeowners are replacing or freshening-up their mulch with a product called Enviro-Mulch.  Enviro-Mulch is a kiln dried, natural wood product that is pressure treated with a colored dye, enabling the mulch to hold that nice fresh look for almost 3x longer than natural hardwood mulch or wood chips.  Otherwise, consider decorative stone.  No doubt, stone has a greater upfront cost, but it will last forever.  No re-mulching which means, more leisure time!

New Shrubs and Perennials: Everyone has seen these homes.  I refer to them as “Jumanji ~ aka the Jungle.”

The privets, yews and arborvitaes are so overgrown, they cover the sidewalk.  Your kids have worn a dirt path into the lawn just to get to the front door.  Once shrubs have gone too far, they get woody stems and cannot be trimmed or pruned back to the manageable or intended size.  Consider replacing your overgrown shrubs and bushes, and split or thin the perennials.  The perennials can be moved into other beds around the lawn.

Outdoor Lighting: Just like a good photographer, lighting can really make something good look even better.  Outdoor lighting should not be overlooked even if you are selling.  Well placed lighting and spot lights can really add aesthetics to your home at night.  Quality lighting doesn’t have to be expensive.  The lamps themselves vary in price and of course quality.  The big box stores sell several styles, but if you are looking for something different contact your favorite landscaping company.

Creative Outdoor Living:

Wow! have we come a long way from the simple charcoal grill of the 60’s and 70’s.  Today’s posh outdoor kitchens display stainless steel and brick.  (Reference the photo below)

Decks: Decks are still very popular.  Wood decks look great however they can require a lot of maintenance to keep them looking nice.  Many new composite materials are also available to build a new deck.  Composite materials are very popular, and they can definitely save you money and time in the long run.  I suggest researching composite materials before you buy, and consider a material that has been on the market a while.  Some composites may scratch, fade, and some may warp.  Do your homework!

Patios: If you can’t make up your mind about which type of material to build your deck, consider a patio. Many homeowners are switching to patios because they are less maintenance than a deck.  Patios are being constructed out of stamped concrete, exposed aggregate and brick pavers.  What’s popular?  A stamped concrete patio with a lighted, perimeter brick sitting wall and corner brick pillars to set your margarita glass.

Fire Pits: I’m not talking about installing a ring of stones you found in the vacant lot next door and burning boxes left from Christmas.  If there’s no time to head north for the weekend, enjoy a decorative fire pit on the patio every night of the week.  Mmmmm, Smores!

Still undecided?  Contact Todd’s Services, Michigan’s Largest Residential Landscaping Company.  Voted Favorite Landscaping Company by the public 10 years in a row, and over 30 years in business.

(810) 231-2778 or visit us on the web at www.ToddsServices.com

Doug Murphy