A growing trend in home improvement is a focus on the outdoors. From landscaping to hardscaping, lighting and outdoor living decor, Americans are looking outside of their homes more often when they think about expanding their living and entertaining space. These outdoor projects range from functional to aesthetic, with some combining unique design and flair with useful features that add more than just financial value to the home. One of these trends is using stepping stones as steps, taking thick natural stone and turning it into walkways, stairways and for adding beautiful steps to natural slopes within the property.
Pennsylvania stepping stones are a very well-known material that is used all across the United States. Prized for their beauty, thickness, durability and ability to create safe and effective steps and stairs, they are now being used as a feature material for hardscaping steps in Providence, Rhode Island and throughout the northeastern states. Pennsylvania stepping stones are also an excellent choice for planting beds and walkways, coming available in a variety of sizes.
When ordering from a local supplier, such as J&J Materials in Southeastern Massachusetts, a pallet of 3-4 pieces or up to 15-20 pieces can be delivered to residential and commercial properties, depending on the needs of the customer. Customers can choose from a variety of sizes, including thicknesses, widths and lengths. At J&J Materials, Pennsylvania stepping stones are sold by the pound or by the ton. They can be small enough to be used in planting beds and walkways as actual stepping stones or they can be large enough to be placed as a single step in a stairway.
Why Use Stepping Stones as Steps?
Using Pennsylvania stepping stones to create a brand new stairway, front steps, steps to a porch or steps in a sloping area of a property will improve curb appeal and add value to the home. The smooth, naturally slip-proof qualities of these stepping stones as steps will make walking the property more enjoyable and add a pleasing variety to the flowers, trees, bushes and grass in the yard. Using these stepping stones in planting beds and walkways as well can add a sort of continuity between the stairs, steps and garden areas, bringing it all together.
Using these stepping stones as steps makes the whole process of adding a new look to your home that much easier. Pennsylvania stepping stones will require just a few basic tools and materials from your supplier and more than a bit of muscle, but they are very simple to install, providing nearly instant results for even the most novice DIY homeowner. In fact, a stairway built into a slope can take as little as an afternoon and be completed easily in a weekend. Prior to building, however, you will need to make some calculations and plans regarding how, where and when you will create your hardscaping steps in Providence.
How to Choose the Best Stone for the Project
Like any other type of construction, landscaping or project that you would do, it is important to start with a budget and an idea of what you want. Natural stone materials aren’t cheap, but with careful planning and close work with the customer service staff at J&J Materials, you can choose the best type of materials that will work for stepping stones as step, whether it be Pennsylvania stepping stones or some other material. Stone that is native to the area will be less costly than stone that is shipped in from other areas, however there are often good deals available even on specialized natural stone from outside New England.
If you are doing the stairway yourself, as a DIY project, you can save money there that would have otherwise been spent on professional installation. In that case, you can afford to spend more in the materials that you will use for hardscaping steps in Providence. You can also save money by purchasing stones for planting beds and walkways in bulk, but sometimes when purchasing them one-by-one as individuals. Picking out your own stone is the best way to ensure that you get what you want. You can visit the stoneyard at J&J Materials and then have your materials delivered to your property. Delivery rates are marked clearly on the website and are set according to the delivery area in which you live.
When choosing stepping stones as steps, make sure to consider the texture of each stone as well as the size and color. The cost should also be considered, especially if you are on a budget. If you can’t afford them all on your first visit, you may want to purchase a couple of pieces to get started and then purchase the rest later. When going with naturally shaped and cut Pennsylvania stepping stones, care needs to be taken that you are also choosing natural stones that are of the same height for easier use in the stairway. Depending on your home’s architecture, smooth steps may be better than rustic-looking steps or in other cases, hand-cut steps might be better than naturally-shaped steps. It will depend on your own preference as well as what goes best with your home.
Where to Get Hardscaping Steps in Providence
The best place to get hardscaping steps in Providence or any other materials for planting beds and walkways, patios and driveways or anything else you want to build is J&J Materials. With two locations in Southeastern Massachusetts and a delivery area that extends into Rhode Island, you will find the best quality materials and natural stone available at J&J Materials. To find out more about the natural stone products and specifically the Pennsylvania stepping stones available at J&J Materials, call or visit one of our locations.
