Backyard Renovations Complete With A Pergola In East Northport NY

Backyard Renovations Complete With A Pergola East Northport NY (2)The most favorable time to begin your backyard renovations runs from late spring to early fall, in most areas.

Your backyard is not just an outdoor space; it’s a canvas for creativity. With the right inspiration and planning, you can transform your backyard into a haven that reflects your personality and lifestyle.  Outdoor furniture, lighting, plants, and water features can all be incorporated to enhance the beauty of your home while adding value. The possibilities for designing your backyard are endless, and with the right ideas and inspiration, you can create a functional and beautiful space that meets your needs and desires.

Gappsi’s latest backyard renovation design was located in East Northport, NY.  Our team started by installing a new limestone patio.  It was paved with the Limestone G044 selected from the Gappsi Natural Stone Collection.  The stone pavers are a combination of grays, whites, and beige colors with a marbleized look.

Outdoor Kitchens

An outdoor kitchen should be seriously considered for your backyard.  An outdoor kitchen can be combined with a bar to create a complete dining area. The backyard bar design ideas are limitless!  Just grab some stools, and you’re good to go.  Plus, if you want your outdoor living room to be the place where loved ones gather.   An outdoor kitchen will ensure you’re always the host, no matter the occasion! It is the most functional feature you could add to your backyard.  You’ll use it to grill delicious food.  An outdoor grill station is something you can use and enjoy right away.  Regardless of whether the rest of your backyard is complete or not everyone will have a memorable time and it will be in your backyard!

Backyard Renovations Complete With A Pergola East Northport NY (3)We installed an L-shaped outdoor kitchen with travertine silver color four-inch high random length stone veneers. On the countertop, we used polished granite including a raised bar area for additional seating. To complete the outdoor kitchen we installed a Twin Eagles bar sink, a Summit refrigerator, all Twin Eagles stainless steel cabinets, and a Delta Grill including a side burner.

Fire Pits | Fireplace

There’s nothing quite like cozying up to a warm fire especially when it’s in your own backyard!  We installed a fireplace in the back and a vinyl pergola.  We installed a wood-burning fireplace and veneered it with the same silver travertine in a random pattern.  Added to the design is a combination of boxes on both sides of the fire chamber to store the wood. The fireplace was custom-designed. Gappsi’s team used bluestone treads for each mantel on the fireplace and over the wood box.

Backyard Renovations Complete With A Pergola East Northport NY (1)Water Features | Fountains

If you’re going for a high-end aesthetic with your backyard design.  A water feature is going to be a must-have!  Just about any option you choose is going to increase the serenity of your space.  If you already have a swimming pool.  One of the more popular options is installing a stone waterfall to pour directly into the pool. The possibilities are endless! There are water walls, streams that can run through your entire yard, courtyard fountains, staircase waterfalls, and others! Regardless of what you choose, it is important to ensure you work with your backyard, not against it.

Country Lane Vinyl Pergola With EZShade

Next Gappsi added a pergola near the fireplace area to add a seating area to enjoy the crackling of the fire.  Country Lane makes this pergola along with the EZShade System that rolls on tracks.

You can use it to protect yourself from the sun during the hot summer days.  It is like an umbrella and also protects from dampness coming over the sitting area.

A Pergola Compared To A Gazebo – What Is the Difference?

Pergolas shade owners from the sun’s rays and enclosed styles can keep you dry during periods of rain showers. Pergola is an Italian word with ancient origins deriving from the Latin term “pergola” which means latticework or trellis structure that supports climbing plants. They are distinguishable from gazebos because of their differing dimensions. A gazebo is a freestanding structure with open sides, and a roof, and typically constructed in hexagonal or octagonal shapes. Pergola structures consist of parallel columns that hold up an open roof or grid of beams, rafters, or latticework.

Pergolas can be customized to include retractable grommet curtains for privacy, incandescent lighting for nighttime lounging, picturesque box planters or hanging planters filled with fragrant herbs or flowers, and ornate trellises for fast-growing vines to climb.

Backyard Renovations Complete With A Pergola East Northport NY (4)How Do I Choose The Right Pergola Design For My Backyard?

The main thing to keep in mind is that you want your pergola to match your home and yard aesthetic. If you’re living in a traditional home, for example, you probably don’t want to select a sleek, contemporary, steel pergola. You also want to be mindful of size.

Do Pergolas Add Value to Your Home?

Before investing in one, many homeowners wonder if a pergola will add value to their home. While there are many caveats, in short, the answer is yes. A pergola has the potential to add value to your home, with many estimates putting the return on investment at somewhere around 50% to 80%.

How Do You Make A Pergola Look Nice?

Gappsi is an authorized dealer for Country Lane, Included in their product line are pavilions and gazebos. Visit our showroom to see our Country Lane display.  This is the latest pergola installation with a fireplace, patio, and outdoor kitchen all completed with limestone selected from the Gappsi natural stone collection.

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Limestone Rustic Patio And Pool

Limestone-Rustic-Patio-And-PoolLimestone rustic patio and pool decks make the perfect choice for homeowners when designing their backyards.  Limestone is a type of sedimentary rock composed predominantly of calcium carbonate and varying amounts of clay, silt, and sand. The varying amounts of these other minerals determine the color of the stone, which can range from blue to red and green. Limestone is significantly dense and renowned for being a heavy, hard-wearing material. There are many types of limestone that may have been subjected to different surface treatments, display different textures, contain different amounts of fossils, and bear different degrees of permeability. Therefore, certain types of limestone will be better suited to your patio floor than others.

Why Choose Limestone?  Limestone is a well-used building material for several reasons:

  1. Strength – Limestone has a compressive strength of 180 MPa, while concrete has a compressive strength of 30 MPa.
  2. Shaping – While limestone is strong and hard, it is still soft enough to cut into different shapes for pool coping and other building projects.
  3. Aesthetic – Limestone comes in a variety of colors and textures that work with any design. Natural tans, buffs, and grays can have hues of pink, blue, and rust in the veining.
  4. Weathering – Limestone has the ideal porosity to handle the water and New York weather, making it a perfect pool stone.
  5. Durability – Limestone is also suitable for high-traffic areas such as patios.
  6. Safety – Not only does limestone last, but it also provides an element of security. The texture of the natural stone is not as slippery as tiles and other building materials, reducing the risk of falls.

Advantages For Patios And Pools Using Limestone

Limestone is a hard material that fairs well under exposure to the elements, making it an excellent candidate for patio floors. It is easy to cut and convenient to work with, minimizing costly complications during installation and contributing toward a flawless finished product.

Limestone can be obtained in unique and striking colors that can make a patio much more memorable. However, it can also be sourced in even colors for the creation of a uniform surface against which other features stand out. In addition to this aesthetic versatility, limestone bears a very fine texture that appears soft and smooth to the eye.

Limestone-Rustic-Patio-And-Pool1Limestone Disadvantages For Patios And Pools

Take note that limestone may not be a good candidate for your poolside, as it can be damaged by acid. While many homeowners find limestone desirable because of its beauty and longevity, it is important to seal any limestone that may come into contact with acid and be cautious handling chemicals near unsealed limestone.

Limestone is more susceptible to fading than many other natural stone variants, like sandstone. This can be combated through treatments and sealing. However, if you opt for a dark limestone variant, you may find that gradual fading gives it a time-worn look that is packed with timeless character.

Should you desire a very specific shade for your patio floor and cannot find limestone in that color, don’t settle for another shade before you have perused other types of natural stone.

Limestone Pool Coping Long Island NY

Pool coping is not the place to cut corners. Substandard pool coping can lead to problems with the structural integrity of your pool and create safety risks. Coping is what keeps water away from the pool’s shell. If water goes behind the pool walls, the structure is at stake.

Other Pool Coping Benefits

If pool coping breaks away easily, you and your guests can cut yourselves getting in and out of the pool. Keep everyone safe with coping that lasts.  A solid pool coping helps keep debris from falling into the pool and improves cleanliness.  Plus, if you want to add an automatic cover to your pool, the coping will simplify the process.

Works Well With Water

Why are we discussing water and swimming pools in the same sentence as if they don’t naturally go together?

When selecting your pool materials, water is one of the main considerations. The pool surface, walls, and floor must be waterproof.

Consider this: An average size swimming pool contains between 18,000 and 20,000 gallons of water. If left uncovered, around two inches of that water evaporates each week. Using porous materials could result in even more water seeping from the pool.

Limestone-Rustic-Patio-And-Pool2Natural stone tiles, if sealed properly, are essentially waterproof!

The Century Effect – Not only are natural stones water-friendly, but they also stand the test of time.

Bathing pools have a long history going back to ancient Rome and Greece. Early pool builders used tightly fitted terracotta bricks for the pool walls and floors. Bathers at Pamukkale, the site of ancient Turkish thermal springs, enjoyed the beauty of travertine terraces that still exist today.

If you build your pool deck from bricks or concrete, both common building materials, you may get a few decades of use before making major repairs. Take it from the Turks, the Greeks, and the Romans—choose natural materials. They’ll last longer.

Also, stones won’t fade over time. In fact, unlike concrete and humans, stones weather the effects of time and end up looking even more beautiful.

Limestone Rustic Patio And Pools in Plandome Manor NY

Gappsi’s latest Limestone Rustic Patio And Pools in Plandome Manor NY included a complete backyard design and installation.  We installed a new vinyl pool equipped with an automatic cover for ease and convenience for the homeowner.   Our team built two retaining walls with poured concrete and veneered with natural stone. The cooking island was built using all Delta Appliances which can be found in our online store. For the patio, we used G046 limestone and G045 blue limestone for the pool coping all selected from the Gappsi Natural Stones Collection. In addition, we kept the top of the wall with matching coping to the pool. This was a very large wall project but our team at Gappsi has the experience and knowledge. To complete the project the area was very beautifully landscaped by our team at Gappsi. To add to the depth and beauty of the property on the second level we built a circular patio with G046 brown limestone and a fire pit built with matching stones and added a Breeo Smokeless Stainless Steel Fire Pit. This was a very beautiful project to design and build with many details.  

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View Gappsi’s YouTube channel for videos of Limestone Patio And Pool

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Automatic Retractable Safety Pool Covers

Automatic-Retractable-Safety-Pool-CoversThe benefits of owning a swimming pool equipped with Automatic Retractable Safety Pool Covers are many. Homeowners in the market looking to purchase a swimming pool sometimes are not educated by their pool contractors.  Most often they focus on items that are less important for the large investment. A safety auto-cover is one item.  The benefits it offers far surpass the cost of buying one, you just need to educate yourself on them. Often consumers don’t purchase it mainly because the contractor does not take the time to educate the consumer on the benefits a safe electric auto-cover offers.

At Gappsi, as experienced pool builders and residential outdoor living designers and builders.  We have incorporated and built many backyards with swimming pools equipped with automatic retractable safety pool covers. We have calculated that operating and owning a swimming pool without an auto-cover is.  It would cost more than paying principal and financing charges if you have to get financing to install a safety auto-cover on your new swimming pool.

An automatic pool cover is a reliable and convenient way to keep your family safe around the pool.  It also is helpful in preserving its water level, chemistry, and heat for longer.

These retractable electric pool covers are effective safety barriers for your children, prevent debris from falling into your pool, and reduce your maintenance and heating costs. With a simple turn of a key or touch of a button, your warm, clean pool will be ready to go for a fun day of swimming.

Heat, Water, and Chemical Retention

While protecting your children is always our top priority, our automatic pool covers do so much more. We use a special fabric and webbing inside the track to insulate your pool

This insulation helps to prevent evaporation and loss of heat. With these covers, you won’t need to top off your pool water quite as often, and the water will stay warmer for longer. This helps you operate your heater more efficiently and keep the pool at a comfortable swimming temperature for a much longer swimming season!

Gappsi retractable pool covers are also opaque, and completely block out sunlight while the pool is closed. Sunlight exposure makes sanitizing chemicals like chlorine break down more quickly in the water, as well as contributes to the growth of algae.

Building a New Pool or Have an Existing pool? Does your pool qualify for an automatic pool cover based on your pool shape and layout?

  • New Build – Yes ✔

If you are building a new pool, you can incorporate an automatic pool cover into your build.

  • Existing Pool – Maybe?

It will depend on your pool’s shape and deck layout. Read more about the system below to see if your existing pool can accommodate one.

Automatic-Retractable-Safety-Pool-Covers1Examples of Pools that CANNOT have automatic covers:

  • Raised Walls (some exceptions can be made, see pools that can have auto covers)
  • Spas that stick up higher than the pool height
  • The deck is not one level – end to end.
  • Raised Rocks/ Dive Rocks at the edge of the pool

Examples of Pools that CAN have automatic covers:

  • One Level from End to End
  • No Changes in Elevation

Other Pool Cover Options

While an electric pool cover for your inground pool is a great option that we highly recommend, we know it is not always the ideal solution for every pool. Other great options are available, including mesh safety covers, pool safety nets, and pool safety fences, which all provide their own unique benefits for you and your loved ones.

Winterizing Automatic Retractable Safety Pool Covers

Although during the winter your pool cover requires less attention, water and/or snow will build up on the cover. If the water level in the pool is not properly maintained, serious damage to the cover can occur. Properly maintaining a pool’s water level prevents excess weight on the top surface of the cover that can cause damage to the cover system.

During the winter, make at least monthly inspections of the pool’s water level and make sure the cover pump is operating properly so that water on top of the cover does not build up. Even a few inches of water on top of the cover is an enormous weight and can pull the cover and guide it into the pool. In situations where the water level is too low, you should add water to the pool immediately to better support the water or ice that is on the cover. Your cover will survive any normal winter if these simple precautions are taken.

Make sure your water is chemically balanced before covering the pool for extended periods of time. Double-check the water after the chemicals had a chance to mix completely. This may require checking the pool water a day or two after chemicals have been added. When covering the pool for long periods of time, turn down ozone generators and chemical feeders to their lowest level. The constant long-term build-up of ozone can damage the fabric. Place the cover pump on the cover to remove melted snow.

Automatic-Retractable-Safety-Pool-Covers2Vinyl Pool With AutoCover and Large Natural Stone Pool Pavers

Located in Brightwaters Long Island Gappsi added to an existing 16 x 34 vinyl liner pool built with concrete walls.  We built a sundeck on one side of the pool and steps across the entire sundeck with a bench on each side of the stairs. Additionally, we installed two water bubblers on the sundeck and led lights in the pool. Gappsi installed the automatic retractable safety pool covers for the homeowner too.

The patio consists of G045 limestone selected from the Gappsi stone collection roman pattern for the patio and rock-faced tumbled coping for the pool edges. We also built a gas fire pit for the family to enjoy. The wall is veneered with natural stones and the coping is matching to the pool coping with the G045 2 inches of rock-faced and tumbled coping.  Latest backyard design and installation by Gappsi. 

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VIEW OUR VIDEO OF AUTOMATIC RETRACTABLE SAFETY POOL COVERS

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Natural Limestone Patio And Pool Long Island NY

Choosing The Right Stone For A Pool Deck

Natural-Limestone-Patio-And-Pool-Long-Island-NYWhen choosing the right stone such as a natural limestone patio and pool Long Island NY it’s important to embrace some practical and aesthetic considerations.  Whether it’s an elegant light-colored limestone perfect for a hot summer day, a natural fieldstone emulating the feel of a deep woods swimming hole, or reclaimed granite with its timeless weathered beauty, the following points will help in selecting the best stone for a pool deck or patio area.

The Four S’s to Consider

  • Style – The overall appearance of a pool deck and patio may vary depending on style. It could be sophisticated versus a more rustic look and feel.  The sophisticated style generally has clean lines while a rustic style offers an earthy feel and look with more natural, rougher lines.
  • Surface –  The texture of the stone has a big impact on the look as well as the feel of your patio surface.
    • A split face surface, like a reclaimed plank paver, gives a rustic look to the area.
    • A natural cleft surface comes from stones that are split by man along a natural seam in the stone.  This gives the surface an organic feel with a flatter surface compared to a rough split surface.
  • Shapes and Patterns – Stone shapes, whether irregularly shaped or straight edge squares and rectangles, may completely change the design of a pool deck as different design patterns will also,
  • Scale – It is important to think about the size of the stones. Deciding on small, medium, or large stones determine the look and feel of a pool deck area.

PRO TIP: If the deck space is large, consider using larger-sized pieces to give it a grand feeling. Smaller pieces may be used for more intricate patterns and offer a more sophisticated look.

  • Color – Natural stone comes in a variety of colors in addition to color combinations. Deciding on the stone consider if the pool is in direct sunlight for large amounts of time, then a lighter-colored stone would be good to keep the temperature down. Choose a color or color theme that relates to your home, or office building, as well as other stones in the nearby area.

The Right Stone For The Right Condition

A complement to the surrounding landscape, natural stone pool coping is as practical as it is attractive. Natural stone is durable and resists freeze-thaw cycles.

  • Heat Underfoot – Comfortable underfoot is important when choosing a stone for a pool deck and patio. Which type of stone will help to keep the surface cooler? The answer is a stone with less heat absorption. In general, lighter-colored stones have less heat absorption.
  • Freeze-Thaw – If the pool will be located in a freeze-thaw weather zone, be sure to pick a stone with lower water absorption for the pool deck. Granites, basalts, and porphyry top the charts in this category and will hold up to all weather conditions. We have also hand-picked some freeze-thaw-resistant limestones and sandstones that will work well.
  • Slip Resistance – The last thing you want is a slippery stone for a pool deck and patio. Luckily, adjustments to surface texture and joints can make a huge difference when it comes to creating a slip-resistant deck.

In addition to considering the appearance of the texture, consider the effect it has on the perceived slipperiness of a stone. Man-made surfaces provide excellent grip and some split surfaces tend to be less slippery. In general, stone surfaces with indentations and irregularities provide a better grip.

Natural-Limestone-Patio-And-Pool-Long-Island-NY3WIDE JOINTS VS MANY JOINTS

Wide joints between pavers or joints that have grass or other vegetation growing between them make the overall pool deck surface less slippery.

When there are many joints, your feet are always touching multiple joints which helps you naturally grip the surface and it is, therefore, more slip-resistant.

Pool Deck Materials We LOVE at Gappsi

Limestone – The luxurious feel and look of limestone make it a great choice for a pool deck.

Sandstone – A sedimentary rock composed of sand-size grains of mineral, rock, or organic material. Many sandstone materials are great for pool decks as their split surfaces are naturally slip-resistant. Colors range from beige to brown to gray-blue.

Granite – A coarse-grained igneous rock, granite has a high content of quartz and feldspar giving it a speckled appearance. One of the most durable quarried stones from around the world, granite is nearly always massive, hard, and tough.

Bluestone – Bluestone is actually a sandstone with a deep blue color but also appears with other hues such as shades of gray and brown. Bluestone is known for its advantageous price point. Natural cleft bluestone is quite slip-resistant.

Travertine – A form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties.

Marble – Marble can have beautiful pattern movement within the stone and comes in a wide variety of colors from white to salmon to gray, blue, green, and black.

Natural-Limestone-Patio-And-Pool-Long-Island-NY2Limestone Patio And Pool Long Island NY

Kidney-shaped gunite swimming pools remodeled in Center Island NY. We installed new stairs across the shallow area and porcelain tiles in the water line. The pool was totally remodeled with new plumbing and a new finish. We used super blue diamond bright and tile markers on the edge of the steps. The patio consists of G44 limestone in a french pattern and two inches of G044 Marble Limestone all selected from the Gappsi natural stone collection. Very beautiful property, a very beautiful setting. The latest gunite remodels by Gappsi.

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VIEW OUR VIDEO OF A NATURAL LIMESTONE PATIO AND POOL LONG ISLAND NY

 

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Backyard renovated Smithtown NY

Backyard-renovated-in-Smithtown-NYBackyard renovated in Smithtown NY

This is a complete backyard renovation. We replaced all the natural grass with the synthetic grass. Patio and Walkway were installed with G44 Gappsi Limestone.   At the beginning we did an enclosed area as a dog run.  As we go through the backyard the pool patio is all surrounded by limestone and synthetic grass. The fire pit with  a marble top. All the columns for the pavilion were veneered with the silver travertine very close matching colors to the blue limestone.  The coping of the pool is a 2 inch thick limestone. The outdoor kitchen is under the pavilion, all veneered with random large size silver travertine tumbled veneer. There is a bar area on this side completed with smoker, sink and storage cabinets. The entire backyard was completed with synthetic grass. Even the slide was installed over the grass and secured into a concrete base. Free maintenance backyard. Gappsi is a complete  backyard designer from landscaping, masonry and gunite and vinyl swimming pools, home remodeling and construction, synthetic turf, sports courts, putting greens, basketball courts, bocce courts and dog run playgrounds.. Gappsi knowledgeable and experienced personnel can help you create the yard of your dream.   We also provide  These services in the following areas of Eastern Long-Island – Western long-Island  – North-Shore long-Island – South-Shore long-Island, Suffolk County,  Nassau County,  Glen Cove, Hempstead, North Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Babylon , Huntington,  Islip, Smithtown,  Brookhaven, Southampton,  Riverhead,  East Hampton, Southold, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, Mill Neck, Nissequogue, Lloyd Harbor,  Muttontown, Coldspring Harbor,  East Norwich and both Nassau and Suffolk County

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