This home in Westford, MA had a host of issues that were making the front yard unsightly and unusable. One of the major issues was a 140′ fieldstone retaining wall that ran along the front of the yard. Built poorly the first time, this stone wall was collapsing in several places, and the hillside above it was overgrown.
stone wall/hillside – before
front hillside/wall – before
Although nice looking, the existing stone wall wasn’t built to last. What the previous builder did was dry lay the stones right on the existing ground. This is the traditional method of building stone walls and when done correctly can last generations. However, this builder put too much focus on facing the wall rather than stacking the stones for strength. That is to say the stones were often tipped up so that the flat face showed, but so that they didn’t tie back into the wall. With poor drainage and a clay subsoil, the ground most likely shifted and undermined the carefully balancing stones.
fieldstone wall – before
In addition to the failing wall, the yard had poor drainage and was almost always wet. A large hillside to the front of the house was directing water onto the yard, and a solid clay subsoil kept the water on the surface. This was creating swamp like conditions on the lower end of the yard.
Along with these issues the rest of the yard had been for the large part neglected. Garden beds were overgrown and the garden walls were built poorly and coming apart. The brick walkway was made of cheap concrete pavers which were deteriorating under heavy moss growth, and a section of the pavers that had been pulled up for utilities were never replaced.
brick walkway – before
garden wall – before
gardens – before
garden/landing – before
After moving into this home 10 years prior – the homeowner’s were eager to reclaim their front yard and we at Concord Stoneworks were excited to help make it happen. This project gives us the chance to do what we do best and make big improvements by utilizing site material, designing, problem solving, and providing a functional and aesthetically pleasing solution all while keeping costs reasonable.
Take a look at Phase I