Gunite Pool Construction Close To Home Backyard Design Sag Harbor NY

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Sag-harbor-gunite-pool-construction-backyard-design1Thinking about adding a gunite pool construction close to home?  If you are installing a pool in your backyard, there are many types to choose from. As you research information on a potential new backyard swimming pool, you will often encounter the term “gunite.” Gunite swimming pools are popular because they are highly durable and they can be created in just about any shape.

Gunite is a concrete blend of sand, cement, and water that’s applied through a high-pressure hose. Once it dries, gunite becomes rock hard, forming a thick, solid structure. It is exceedingly durable, so swimming pools made of this substance are built to last.

Gunite Pool Construction Benefits

  • Built to Last: Concrete is durable and porous, allowing the plaster-coated shell to hold water, provide stability, and be replastered when needed, adding to its longevity.
  • Variety of Finishes: Various materials can be added to pool surfaces made of concrete or plaster, including tile, stone, and man-made textures.
  • Variety of Features: Attach waterfalls, custom steps, and so much more to the pool design.
  • Versatility: Gunite pools give you the ability to customize the shape of the pool. This is perfect for those wanting an extremely deep or large pool, or a pool with custom tanning ledges.

Gunite Pool Construction Backyard Design Sag Harbor NY

Our team at Gappsi designed and installed a gunite pool close to the home in Sag Harbor NY.  We built the patio with G044 Limestone and installed a sundeck in the shallow area of the pool.  The stairs within the pool design were free-formed to accommodate the backyard.  The sun deck and stairs were veneered with glass tiles.  The same glass tiles were used in the waterline of the pool.

Sag-harbor-gunite-pool-construction-backyard-design3What are the advantages of glass tiles?

The tiles reflect the light to give your pool the appearance of being brighter and larger. Glass tile is impervious to liquids and resistant to staining and discoloration, which means cleaning generally only requires a simple wipe down. If you dislike mold with a passion then this is a great choice for your bathroom or swimming pool.

Cooking Island Adds Functionality!

A cooking island was installed near the pool and home.  Included in the design was a Twin Eagles Grill, an outdoor refrigerator, and a built-in sink, the cooking island adds to the small backyard’s functionality. A wall with bricks was added at the edge of the property to accommodate the fence as well.  This was a very detailed project and the latest design from Gappsi in Sag Harbor NY.

Why Have Your Pool Close To Your Home?

The problem is that people don’t anticipate exactly how they will eventually use their pool, and weigh that properly against other factors.  Here are five reasons you might want to keep your pool close at hand.

Space:  In this home located in Sag Harbor, space was why the pool was installed close to the home.  Not everyone has the luxury of a large backyard, in many cases, placing the pool close to the house is the only option. However, even when you have some area to work with, keeping the pool tucked into a corner close to the house might be the most efficient use of space. Why not save the rest of your yard for other activities?

Convenience:  You’re going to be making many trips to and from your pool.  About half of them, you’re going to be dripping wet. It’s hard to overstate how handy it is for swimmers to have easy access to a shower and toilet. If you plan to entertain, or just eat meals on your pool patio, it’s also convenient to have the kitchen close by.  Another convenience is having a garage or other storage area nearby helping make pool maintenance a bit easier.

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Aesthetics:  A pool is more than just a recreational area. When thoughtfully designed, it’s also great eye candy for your property. Keeping the pool close to the house allows you to enjoy the scenery more – which is especially nice in warmer climates where you can keep your pool open most or all of the year. Many people also love the sound of water, and incorporate things like waterfalls to produce perfectly tranquil background noise for their home.

Privacy:  In many cases, a simple fence doesn’t provide the sort of privacy people want for their swimming pool. Trees, shrubs, and other plants are needed to fill in the gaps. However, this is much less of an issue when the pool is close to the house, which serves as the ultimate view-blocker.

Safety:  While safety comes last on the list, it’s a primary concern for parents of young children who are thinking about building an inground pool. Having the swimming pool right outside your door makes it much easier to see and hear everything that goes on in it. Just as important, it allows you to get to the scene quicker if an accident happens. When it comes to pool safety, it’s no exaggeration to say that every second counts.

We have gathered together the most talented designers and craftsmen to help create “A True Masterpiece” right in your very own backyard. Contact us TODAY for a FREE consultation to get started on your backyard Masterpiece.

Sag-harbor-gunite-pool-construction-backyard-design2SCHEDULE A MEETING TODAY WITH GAPPSI

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Backyard Renovations Complete With A Pergola In East Northport NY

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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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Choosing The Right Paver And Base Material

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Choosing-The-Right-Paver-And-Base-Material2Choosing the right paver and base material is important when considering your outdoor project.  Key factors are water drainage, durability, and how thick you need the subgrade material to be.  Sand is one of the most common materials used as a paver base. It’s very accessible and can be spread out to fit most projects.

Discover The Difference With Nicolock® Paving Stones

Pavers with paver-shield™ have a tight, smooth surface texture and will not expose heavy aggregate as they wear. The ultra-dense surface has more color and more protection. Nicolock has color from top to bottom throughout the paver ensuring a lifetime of beauty. Iron oxide pigments are guaranteed not to fade!

Brilliant color can always be found in Nicolock pavers with paver-shield™. Rich vibrant colors are the hallmark of everything they make. With Nicolock’s paver-shield technology, colors stay rich and vibrant. When choosing Nicolock, you are getting pavers with color from top to bottom. The pavers will not expose heavy aggregate as they wear. The ultra-dense surface has more color and more protection, ensuring a lifetime of beauty.

Cherry Valley Country Club Nicolock Pavers With Twin Eagle Outdoor Kitchen Appliances

Gappsi updated the outside areas at Cherry Valley Country Club located in Garden City NY.  We installed Nicolock Graphite Pearl Stone Ridge XL and Stone Ridge Regular.  Both pavers were used to pave the walkways, entranceway, and patio at the country club.  Gappsii’s team removed the old Hanover Paving Stone patio and added a new base of recycled concrete.  New Nicolock pavers were installed over one inch of fine sand. New pavilions and outdoor Twin Eagles kitchens with all new appliances were installed in the outdoor kitchen.

Choosing-The-Right-Paver-And-Base-Material3TYPES OF PAVER BASE MATERIALS

Your base will determine whether your pavers remain smooth and level or grow uneven over time. Qualities of a suitable base material include:

  • Proper water drainage allowance
  • Durability to support weight and endure time
  • Appropriate thickness for your subgrade material

Here are some things to know about the most common paver bases and their properties.

SAND BASE: Sand paver bases are one of the most popular options due to sand’s spreadability. However, sand is not an ideal base on its own. Over time, sand shifts and can create an uneven foundation. If your foundation is anything but level, your pavers will show it.  Sand is often used in conjunction with crushed stone for increased durability. Because sand comes in different fineness and coarseness, all types may not be suited for a paver base. Concrete sand, also known as bedding sand, is coarse and doesn’t trap excess moisture beneath the paver surface. This allows pavers to drain after heavy rain in addition they maintain their structural integrity.

STONE DUST:  Stone dust is a powdery mixture of finely ground stones that has a sand-like texture. Though it can be a helpful base ingredient when mixed with other materials, most professionals recommend that you never use stone dust on its own as a base.  Stone dust and finely ground stone or “screening” fall into a material category that has excessive amounts of dust particles.  This traps large quantities of water that prevent the base layer from adequately draining.   Did you know that water storage compromises a base’s ability to bear and distribute loads? To keep your pavers safe and prevent them from shifting, opt for a base material with a little more durability.

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RECYCLED CONCRETE AGGREGATE:  Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is a crushed stone alternative with environmental benefits. Crushed stone is broken into pieces and sold. RCA is made by breaking down existing concrete into gravel. Though RCA functions similarly to crushed stone in a paver base, it is impossible to know the different rock mixtures it contains. This unpredictability may make RCA a less reliable base choice when compared to crushed stone.

CRUSHED STONE:  A crushed stone paver base is made of small stone pieces that have been broken and screened for uniformity. The most common rock types of crushed stone are – limestone, dolomite, and granite. Stone aggregate comes in a variety of sizes, but most experts recommend 3/4-inch gravel for paver bases.  Crushed stone makes a solid paver base because it allows water drainage and is easy to work with. Like sand, crushed stone comes in several varieties. The best aggregate for paver bases is a dense grade aggregate.

COMPACTED SOIL: Soil base compacted soil typically serves as the subgrade level underneath pavers. While you could technically lay your pavers directly into compacted dirt, this can cause issues, such as:

  • Poor drainage
  • Initial unevenness
  • Weather warping

Many of our clients ask us what is the difference between pavers and natural stone.  Unlike concrete, the colors of natural stones are not pigmented, which only adds to their beauty. They’re also not made from mixtures of composite aggregate like concrete pavers, so they can preserve their beauty as they age, mature, and fade.

Top 4 Benefits Of Natural Stone Pavers Vs Concrete Pavers

1. Timeless Elegance – Natural stone pavers come in varying types, from light beige sandstone if you want to get that tropical vibe to dark ebony granite for achieving a majestic feel to your patio.

2. Low Maintenance – Natural Stone pavers don’t usually develop cracks. If for some reason they do, they are easy to repair and replace. Simply remove the paver with cracks and replace it. That’s it! Plus, they also have smaller joints. That means their sand joints are less likely to encounter seed germination. And the best thing about natural stones? They’re effortless to clean!

3. Ages Beautifully – There is no doubt that stones look even better as they age and have a very long lifespan. Unlike concrete, the colors of natural stones are not pigmented, which only adds to their beauty.  And they will look as beautiful as the day of their installation even after hundreds of years.

4. Investment – Utilizing natural stones on your landscape will add more value to your home. It’s an investment that will pay for itself in the long run. They are also regarded as materials with high value and quality. Traits like prominence, elegance, and sophistication are connected to them as well.

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Concrete Pavers And Natural Stone Pavers Installation

Concrete pavers and natural stone pavers both require a fair amount of preparation and skilled labor.  When properly installed and maintained, natural stone pavers will stand the test of time and look great. It’s one of the reasons why people are so attracted to natural stone. However, if natural stone isn’t installed properly, the paving stones can shift over time and even crack prematurely under extreme circumstances. This is especially common if natural stone is set into concrete; poured concrete slabs are notoriously susceptible to cracking caused by fluctuations in the ground underneath. This kind of damage can be extremely expensive to fix.

Concrete pavers also offer outstanding longevity; they can last for many decades even with heavy traffic and wear. One benefit of concrete pavers over natural stone pavers is that it is much more affordable to repair a cracked concrete paver and it’s also very easy to re-level a dislodged concrete paver that isn’t grouted.

Whatever your dreaming of natural paving stones or concrete pavers for your next hardscaping project but wishing there was a more affordable option? Gappsi can meet your paver patio needs.

So, if you’re looking for elegant handcrafted pavers and excellent service, contact us to request a quote today.

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Pool & Masonry Contractor | Huntington Bay NY 11743

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Pool & Masonry Contractor | Huntington Bay NY 11743Pool & Masonry Contractor serving Huntington Bay NY, 11743 This project was designed by Giuseppe Abbrancati and installed by Gappsi at a fully custom built luxury home in the secluded area of Huntington Bay on Long Island. Simple, clean lines, and elegant design incorporates a 20×40 gunite swimming pool with many features. It includes a built-in spa, finished with waterline porcelain tiles and a blue diamond brite quartz finish made to last a long time. The spa, swimming pool, and all the other options are fully automated by a control accessible through a smartphone. The swimming pool is also equipped with a safety auto cover, that can open and close in one minute. The swimming pool equipment includes a gas heater, multiple VS pumps, an air blower for the spa, a salt-chlorine generator system, and an ozone system. The pool also includes 2 water spill over fire bowls with LED lighting, a full sized diving board, and a sundeck LED bubbler water jet. 
This backyard setting includes a gas fire pit area with a masonry patio fire pit structure, and 36 inches columns built to hold the fire bowls next to the pool. There is also an outdoor kitchen built with Wolf outdoor cabinets and a Twin Eagles grill. All patios and walls were paved and veneered with Fiorito travertine, and the pool coping and stepping stone walkways are custom cut flamed Pennsylvania blue stone. A custom-built pavilion was incorporated in the layout to match the house’s architectural design, colors, and materials. This structure was built to cover the couch sitting area and protect it from the rain and sun. The landscaping entails many types of trees and flowers, natural rock walls, precast step risers built to lead to the lower backyard area, and all new sod with an irrigation system for the entire backyard.
Gappsi is a pool & masonry contractor that provides full services from design concepts to management and construction. Gappsi provides backyard and pool designer services in Huntington Bay NY 11743. Feel free to visit our website also at Gappsi.com.

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