Transforming a plain backyard to an outdoor oasis
Wanting a functional and aesthetically pleasing backyard, Chris Garek turned to Caprock Hardscape Supply for their natural stone
In order to create a complete backyard oasis, Chris Garek of Stone Pro Inc., located in Bedford, TX, wanted to create a complete outdoor living space using natural stone. Garek came up with the backyard design for his family to enjoy that would not only be beautiful, but functional as well.
Stone Pro Inc. used 12 tons of Oklahoma flagstone, eight tons of Texas moss boulders, six tons of Oklahoma Chopped Stone and six yards of Arizona river rock, all supplied by Caprock Hardscape Supply located in Lewisville, TX. The 1,600-square-foot project started with the installation of the swimming pool with the Oklahoma flagstone for the pool coping. Texas moss boulders were then used to construct the waterfall feature, with the Oklahoma chopped stone used for the retaining walls and flower beds. The finishing touches to Garek’s backyard oasis were applied by using Arizona river rock for ground cover appeal.
According to Sarah Ratliff, the director of marketing for Caprock Hardscape Supply, their staff is very knowledgeable with all of their products, making it easier for contractors like Chris, to get the best product for the job. “The Oklahoma stone is very popular with contractors,” said Ratliff. “Besides the fact that it looks great, it also is easy to work with and easy to fix. So it can definitely take the stress out of an accident or if something happens, contractors and homeowners can rest easy knowing that it’s easily fixable.”
Garek went to Caprock Hardscape Supply and handpicked the boulders for the waterfall. “This is really typical for our business,” said Ratliff. “We get tons of pool guys or other contractors doing outdoor living spaces that will come and hand select what they want. They not only are looking at the aesthetics of it, like color, how much moss is on the boulder, etc., but they are also looking at size and how in the overall design it will flow with everything else. The installation was pretty typical for everything else; the patio and the retaining wall.”
The project took three weeks to complete and the most challenging aspect of it was transforming a plain backyard into what it became, using only mental images. “My company was the one who did all the work and I made sure it was made to my standards,” said Garek. “Also, we made sure we made the waterfall correct so it wouldn’t leak.” Stone Pro Inc., had to place each stone of the waterfall and envision the water flow before turning on the pump, so there wouldn’t be any leaking.
Since the completion of the project, everyone has been amazed by the work. “This is a great outdoor living space that includes the colorful Oklahoma Natural Stone, which is a favorite to use on jobs like this by many contractors,” said Ratliff. “We see a lot of sales in the pool, patio and outdoor space market over the summer and springtime months. Like Chris, many of our clients like how easy our stone is to work with, how easy it is to repair and how good it looks once installed. It has so much color so it can really transform something simple like coping into a detail that will really ‘pop.’”
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Jason Kamery is the Managing Editor and Group Digital Editor of Stone World. With more than a decade of experience covering the stone and countertop industry, he has conducted hundreds of interviews with fabricators, manufacturers, and industry leaders, and hosts the Stone World. podcast. He reports from events worldwide, including TISE, Coverings, and Marmomac, and his coverage extends to worker safety and silicosis, trade policy and tariffs, and fabrication technology. Kamery has also served as a speaker and panel moderator at The International Surface Event (TISE). He graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Mass Communication.
email: kameryj@bnpmedia.com | office: (248) 833-7356
