Landscaping in Skye

Sand drains quickly right up until the ground beneath it is saturated, and parts of Skye sit on low-lying country where the winter water table rises and fills that capacity. Once that happens the sand has nowhere to send water and the surface stays soft. The remedy is installed drainage rather than better soil - agricultural drain wrapped in geotextile through the low points, connected to a legal discharge, with hard surfaces set to fall away from the house. It is the first thing we assess on any block here.

Concrete is priced per square metre, so length times width gives the area. A 40 metre driveway at 3.5 metres wide is 140 square metres, averaging $12,000 to $17,000 in plain reinforced concrete at $85 to $120 per square metre. Pouring at 125 or 150 millimetres for a caravan, trailer or truck increases that, and a new or widened crossover needs a City of Frankston permit quoted separately. Base preparation on soft ground is also a genuine variable we assess on site. Every job is unique, so the written quote follows the measure.

It can be, and it is the shortcut behind most failed estate lawns. Builder's fill is compacted, low in organic matter and often contains rubble, so roots have nothing to strike into and the lawn thins out within months. We strip it back, bring in a sandy loam underlay to proper depth and screed the area flat with falls before any turf goes down. It costs more than laying over the top, and it is the difference between a lawn that lasts and one you replace.

A hardstand needs a thicker slab than a normal driveway, generally 125 to 150 millimetres with increased reinforcement, because point loads from jockey wheels and stands are concentrated. A typical 20 square metre caravan pad averages $2,500 to $4,000 in plain reinforced concrete, more if access for the truck and pump is difficult. Drainage falls need designing in so water does not pond under a stationary vehicle. Every job is unique, so we size the slab against what will actually be parked on it and give you the figure in writing.

Sandy soil and mulch both migrate readily, and without a physical edge there is nothing to hold the line. Steel, concrete or timber edging set properly into the ground fixes it permanently, and it also stops running grasses such as kikuyu and couch invading the beds from the other direction. It is a small line item that saves a recurring annual tidy-up. We install edging as standard on sandy blocks rather than treating it as an optional extra.

We work across the whole suburb, from the larger established blocks off Skye Road and McCormicks Road through to the newer estate releases and the streets nearer Ballarto Road. The two need quite different approaches, so it helps if you say which you are on when you call. Carrum Downs and Sandhurst next door are also in our service area. Call 0423 422 866 to arrange a site visit.