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Courtyard/patio is probably best. Stamped concrete or pavers would work. Need a pro to look at drainage, etc. Then you could simply put potted plants and patio furniture out there, maybe a fire table.
Drainage away from your house that also does not cause flooding to neighbors is the first thing to design or it will be en expensive mistake. Concrete can cause a lot of water flow with an inch of rain if it comes all at once.
Crazy that a backyard has no access for mowing. If it's a small enough area a string trimmer could take care of the grass. I saw a lawn roomba in our neighborhood (front yard) that is an option too.
Pouring concrete will also radiate heat to your home in the summer unless trees are making it shady in the back.
Our nextdoor neighbor at previous home concreted his entire back yard because they wanted maintenance free. it didn't look that good and it was very hot in summer.
There is also issue of whether it's legal to do 100% concrete. Many places mandate 30% or more of a lot be pervious to rainfall so that runoff and waste doesn't get washed into small streams causing pollution and possible flooding (if everyone did it).
How much his concrete or the paying of pavers these days in a major city area?
Has anyone here gotten rid of their backyard (or frontward) grass in favor of pavers or concrete? (and how did you vet the contractor)
I'm in a Philly rowhouse. The backyard is about 20x25. Front yard is about 9x12.
I'm putting in two large patios on the sides of my house (approx 1800 sq ft. combined). Concrete can cost anywhere from $3 to $20 per sq ft depending on your location. In my area, I'm getting good quotes about $4 per sq ft.
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Originally Posted by City Guy997S
My buddy just did a 2 car driveway (cut up and removed old cracked one, poured new one) and it was $13,000
One glitch, if your backyard has no access how are they getting the concrete back there?
I have a similar issue. They will park a large concrete truck in my driveway and then carry concrete to the back via wheelbarrow or some type of miniloader. Cost of the machine rental is included in the quote.
Getting rid of the grass is like 20 bucks-
A pump up sprayer and a bottle of Roundup!
What you do afterwards is up to you. However, I caution your idea of making it all impervious surface- you could create standing water issues and/or water intrusion problems for yourself or your neighbors.
Perhaps exchanging grass for a perennial garden(s) would be better- esthetically and maybe even mentally.
I was thinking the same thing. One thing you could do is get those paver stone things and plant a ground cover that we used to call babies tears in it. You can’t kill it by walking on it, but it will only grow so much so pretty much no maintenance.
That’ll do two things. It’ll permit runoff which is what you want, and it will also not be as hot as a cement slab so that won’t be radiating as much heat in the summer. Because I know it gets hot in Philadelphia.
At the most, it will brown the grass (and may kill a small percentage of it), but 7-10 days later, the grass/weeds will be lush and green again, (if not sooner).
I created 2 new small beds next to my sidewalk, and I bought the toughest stuff available at LESCO to kill the grass...needless to say, the grass was starting to grow and get green again only after 7-9 days time...
Even if put down landscape fabric, or even plastic tarps and mulch over it, it wont be long until grass/weeds are growing on top of the plastic.
Im seriously thinking of just getting rid of my landscaped mulch beds, and allowing the grass to take over!
What? Roundup DOES kill grass. Completely. If you have not had success, you are using it incorrectly. If you are referring to bermuda grass, then that is a different beast. You will have to spray several times to kill it - but it WILL die.
I'm in Phily. I don't think there's some yard police that cares about that. All east three people have done it one the block behind me.behind me. And others have gotten rid of their front yards also.
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One glitch, if your backyard has no access how are they getting the concrete back there?
Not cheaply. That's for sure. I don't even want to think about the labor costs.
Right. You do not want runoff. I was hoping she just misspoke.
Some neighbors have found small snakes in their yard.
Which is another reason that if I go with a groundcover, it HAS to be a low one.
I need to know what's in my grass before I go stepping out there too much.
I just looked up creeping thyme as a ground cover. I'm looking for 3-4 inches max. I've thought about hens and chicks maybe.
One site suggested Lamb's Ear as a ground cover. My SIL has lamb's ear that's easily a foot-and-a-half tall. So I don't know what that suggestion of Lamb's Ear as a ground cover was about.
(Also sorry about the typos in earlier posts. I declare between my own typos and the spellcheck that seems auto-correct, it seems like a writer's minefield here sometimes.)
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Solly says — Be nice!
