No one can deny that winter never seemed to quite fully arrive here in 2012. As temperatures continue to rise, a new generation of fortunate homeowners emerges from their homes and view their backyard with the renewed sense of inspiration that only the Spring season can provide. Improving your property with landscaping and outdoor living spaces adds both intrinsic value to your home and improves your quality of life. By creating a soothing atmosphere engineered specifically to add aesthetic value while providing perfect utility, a Springtime renovation can be just the perfect change for your home.

A family’s love of food is sometimes the only thing that can bring them together under one roof. As the spring months roll on into summer, activities and sports can get in the way of families spending quality time with one another. The kitchen, however, is often a home’s focal point, both in design and reality. While each member of the family has their own personal space, the kitchen is the place they go to commune and share time together.  For this very reason, outdoor kitchens have long been a popular choice for discerning homeowners looking to create the indoor experience, outside.  Custom outdoor kitchens provide a perfect gathering place for Texans to cool off and break bread with friends and family, whether it is a simple kitchenette or a full blown professional-style design.   Designers are able to custom tailor each individual design to the owner’s specifications resulting in a cooking and living space that meets all of the customer’s desires and that can be finished out with immaculate detail.

Advances in L.E.D. lighting as well as cooking apparatus’ are providing today’s outdoor kitchen builder with limitless options in customization and personalization.  L.E.D. illumination requires a fraction of the electricity needed to power conventional outdoor incandescent bulbs and simultaneously attains a substantially longer service life.  Their smaller size also enables mounting in unobtrusive, out of the way spaces, creating unexpected and exciting shadow effects during the night.  The outdoor lighting available today can include beautiful up and accent lights for highlighting outdoor features, or in-ground and path lights to help define spaces at night.

Ceiling fans may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of outdoor kitchen design, until you realize that special purpose outdoor ceiling fans featuring large, heavy duty fronds go a long way toward combating the Texas heat under a covered structure or pergola. Modern outdoor ceiling fans are a subtle design detail that can truly make your outdoor area feel like an interior room.

For centuries, the charcoal grill has been a staple of Texan cuisine.  Charcoal cookers such as the Big Green Egg that are fairly new to the market take this classic style of cooking and transform your food. The BGE encases food in a ceramic shell made up of the same high fiber ceramics utilized by the space shuttle program.  The ceramic’s purpose was to provide an extremely durable material that would reflect heat well and withstand immense temperatures, making them perfect for cooking.  Small vents at the top and bottom of the unit create a draft through the grill, making it a high efficiency, low waste cooking option.

Appliances, fans, and lighting alone do not make an outstanding kitchen or living space, however.  A great outdoor room designer will strive to achieve the effect of one continuous motif running throughout the outdoor living space and tying into the existing home.  When moving from indoors to out, a properly designed and constructed outdoor kitchen seamlessly blends with both the home and surrounding landscape in color and texture to appear as though it was always part of the original design.  Investing in outdoor living is one of the few home improvement options that adds intrinsic resale value to the residence, making it a perfect choice for today’s homeowner.

Visit our website at www.Onespecialty.com

Why Invest in a Professional Design: Perspectives from a Landscape Designer

Would you ever consider building a new house without some kind of plan? I am sure some people do, but you will never know the outcome of your project beforehand and your expectations may not be met by the finished product. If you have a plan, however, many new doors are open including functionality, finishes, styles, sustainability, budgeting, and intentionality. The job of a landscape designer is to bring all of these things to the homeowner; for most homeowners, the ability to understand and see the end product beforehand is reason enough. Depending on the project, our professional designs will include 2D CAD drawings, 3D renderings, and/or construction detail drawings. Designs can include floor plan details, landscape & hardscape layouts including things like outdoor kitchen kitchen specs, planting plans, and material sample boards.

When my clients are able to gain an intentional understanding of where there project is going and know exactly what to expect before they get there, I feel that I have done my job as a designer. As I drive around town and see different landscapes, it is always easy for me to see who has planned their landscape and who hasn’t. Your landscape should compliment the architecture of your home. The design process is something to consider with any new project, but when making a substantial investment in your home or landscape, this crucial step is too often overlooked or viewed as an ‘added expense’. Although a small part of your budget may go toward the hiring of a design professional, this will always be your most valuable investment…even if you don’t realize it.

Justin Sparks ASLA, Designer

One Specialty Xteriors

Fall Maintenance Tips

* Remove fallen leaves to prevent smothering your grasses

 * Continue watering your lawn in 1-2 long soaking sessions per week due to the drought

* Get rid of perennial weeds that may be coming up in your lawn

* Now is the time to add phosphorus to your lawn’s soil if needed

Visit our Website at www.OneSpecialty.com

One of the best parts of our job is going through the process of meeting a new customer and coming up with a truly unique design that exceeds both their desires for functionality and aesthetics. Seeing our designs come to life through the construction process is a truly rewarding experience that we are privileged to share with our customers. We have just completed a projects where a customer’s unique vision and our expertise in the field have come together to create one of our most memorable projects to date.

Some of our customers come to us full of ideas while others come to us with a blank slate. This particular customer came to us with a distinct vision for their project. While they had an existing engineered plan and general design concept, they were several steps away from a buildable swimming pool. Our challenge was to take their big plans for their backyard and to transform them into a working design that would better suit their property and personalities.

Our customer’s approached the project already knowing that they wanted a diving pool that was separate from the play pool. They also wanted a spa and an outdoor living space that could be incorporated into the swimming pool design in a truly unique way. In terms of style, they wanted a design concept that would have natural looking rock work accentuated by subtly decadent features, such as upgraded iridescent glass tile lining the slide and swim-up bar stools. In short, they didn’t just want any swimming pool – they wanted a backyard destination designed and built just for them. 

Their vision of being surrounded by water was also supplemented with a few more requests. We worked with the customer to create a custom blend of plaster that not only brought out the beauty of the stone work, but the surrounding landscape as well.  Any plants we installed would have to keep to the natural motif set by the pool, and our choice in plant material along with an in-ground drip irrigation system creates a hardy, low maintenance landscape that will thrive under any conditions.

The incorporation of Olympic-grade underwater speakers was a particularly singular aspect of this design, enabling one to dive off the natural stone diving rock and into crystal clear waters without skipping a beat.  A custom designed cedar pergola dominates the view above the swim up bar, which comes complete with a beautiful chandelier, glass door fridge, ice maker, waterproof TV, and stereo controls.  A flagstone deck bordering the rear of the pool includes an outdoor fire pit and additional seating areas. We also added an additional covered outdoor kitchen area with a Big Green Egg.

A custom pool such as this comes fitted with all the bells and whistles, and great attention was paid to the pool equipment which incorporates several of the newest technological and safety features.  All five pool pumps come equipped with their own individual computers that control the motor’s speed as well as monitor the water flowing through the system. If the system detects the presence of too much air, the pump is shut off automatically to prevent any potential safety hazard from arising as well as to prevent damage to the pump itself.  Each of these computers also has the capability to run at lower speeds, saving the homeowner money over the lifespan of the pump. The water features and filter pumps do not require running at top speed to achieve adequate performance, and over the course of the next calendar year they will pay for themselves with money saved on electricity bills.

Fall Lawn & Pool Maintenance Tips

* Remove fallen leaves to prevent smothering your grasses and thatch

 * Continue watering your lawn in 1-2 long soaking sessions per week

(if allowed by current city watering restrictions)

 due to the drought 

 * Get rid of any perennial weeds that may be coming up in your lawn 

 *If needed, a winter fertilizer can be added to your lawn at this time

 *Regularly check and remove leaves from pool skimmer baskets, pump pot baskets & automated cleaner bags

Visit our Website at www.OneSpecialty.com

Summer in Texas is always a great time of year to spend some well deserved time with your family and friends at barbeques and swim parties. This month, outdoor fire pits and pondless water features have been in high demand, so what better way to celebrate this summer season than with a great new feature to compliment your patio or outdoor living space! In this newsletter, we’ve got some hot design ideas that are sure to make your backyard the summertime hangout, especially on those long summer evenings!

Elemental Design: Utilizing Water & Fire to Create Amazing Landscapes

Fire and water features can be a great way to make your backyard truly special. Many homeowners come to us wanting to make their backyard space more usable and adding one of these custom features can be a great way to designate new spaces for outdoor living.

Whether you’re firing up s’mores in the summer or cozying up by the fire during the winter, an outdoor fire pit has great appeal for many homeowners because of the intimacy and year-round useability of the space. With the help of modern masonry techniques and the availability of gas burning logs and fire glass, an outdoor fire pit can create a whole new outdoor room in your backyard that is also easy to maintain and environmentally friendly. For true rustics, a traditional wood burning fire pit can be a more cost-effective way to incorporate a fire-feature in your landscape.

Regardless of how your fire is started, a fire pit is perfect for centering an entire outdoor living space around. Rather than buyingmanufactured furniture, stone seat benches can be designed and built to complement your outdoor fire pit in texture and color. A dry-stacked or traditional flagstone look are two great options to consider when designing your outdoor fire pit and sitting area.

Pondless water features are another great outdoor focal point to consider including in your landscape design. Decorative pots and unique pieces of stone can be used to create a truly beautiful outdoor feature that incorporates the beauty and sound of bubbling water. These water features use a pump to move water through the top of a pot or stone that has been cored, which then cascades down the side.

Beach pebble or other small stones can be incorporated to surround the base of the water feature, thus creating additional visual appeal.  One of the great things about pondless water features is that they remove the problem of having a water feature that uses a standing pool of water which can become stagnant and the drowning hazard associated with them. Homeowners can choose from a variety of colors, shapes, & textures to incorporate into their pondless water features because of the versatility of decorative pots and stones like basalt and limestone.

Summer Lawn & Pool Maintenance Tips

* Water your lawn longer and in multiple intervals

 * Spray head irrigation is insufficient for trees – water trees with a water hose on a low setting for 1-2 hours weekly

 * Add mulch to decrease soil temperatures and to reduce the amount of water evaporation

 * Brush your swimming pool as often as necessary to deter the growth of algae in higher temperatures

 * Make sure the pool has enough water – the level should be up to mid-way in the skimmers

 *Check chlorine levels regularly and add as necessary (chlorine tends to degrade more quickly in higher temperatures)

 * Check & clean your swimming pool filter if necessary, especially during summer peak periods of use 

Visit our website at www.OneSpecialty.com

As most of us know (and feel) North Texas has exceeded 26 days of consecutive 100°days, ranking this summer in 3rd place for greatest number of consecutive days over 100°…ever. For most North Texans with ornamental lawns, the oppressive heat and extreme drought do no favors for the health of their yards. Despite strict water restrictions being enforced by Dallas & Tarrant Counties, no lawn should be compromised due to lack of water. It is essential to have a properly working irrigation system in place and to know the best way to water your lawn during these extreme conditions.

Watering Your Lawn The Right Way: Knowing Your Lawn and Irrigation System

The number one thing to keep in mind during the April 1st through October 31st water restriction period is that watering your lawn the right way can prevent your lawn from suffering under the heat. During these times it is important to resist the urge to constantly water your lawn. Watering too long and too often results in weaker and shallow roots structures and can compromise your lawn’s ability to survive both freezing temperatures and extreme heat and drought.

For pristine lawns, popular St Augustine & Bermuda grasses should be watered 1-4 times a week and receive a total of about 2″ of irrigated water during the current drought conditions. The amount of irrigated water, however, should be adjusted seasonally to correspond with the rate of evapotranspiration (ie. January conditions will mean less watering because of lower ET rates). Under the current restrictions, this recommendation should be usable by most homeowners across North Texas. Keep in mind that other types of native grasses may require less water under the same weather conditions and be mindful of signs of stress to determine when your lawn needs to be watered.

Over-watering can be harmful to your lawn and it is also one of the most prevalent causes of water waste. Homeowners who use automatic timers for their irrigation systems are particularly susceptible to over-watering due to poor irrigation scheduling.

Under-watering is another serious problem. Sprinkler heads that provide a direct stream of water at a lower pressure spread larger drops of water and can help reduce the amount of evaporation. Spray or mist irrigation systems tend to emit smaller drops of water that often evaporate before touching the ground. The difference between direct stream or spray sprinkler heads becomes  especially apparent when morning low temperatures are high, causing even the lowest evaporation rate to be relatively high.

While watering your lawn the correct way is important, a properly running irrigation system is essential to keep your lawn thriving. Some of the most common irrigation problems include broken or missing sprinkler heads, programming errors, system leaks, faulty equipment, incorrect water pressure, & poor irrigation coverage. Your lawn should not be compromised due to lack of watering. To ensure that your irrigation system is working efficiently a licensed irrigator can help identify any problems with your irrigation system and complete any necessary repairs or system updates, including retro-fitting systems to add rain and freeze sensors.

Maintenance Tips for the Summer:

* Water your lawn longer and in multiple intervals

* Spray head irrigation is insufficient for trees – bubblers are recommended or use a water hose on a low setting for 1-2 hours weekly

* Add mulch to decrease soil temperatures and to reduce the amount of water evaporation

* Brush your swimming pool as often as necessary to deter the growth of algae in higher temperatures

* Make sure the pool has enough water – the level should be up to mid-way in the skimmers

*Check chlorine levels regularly and add as necessary (chlorine tends to degrade more quickly in higher temperatures)

* Check & clean your swimming pool filter if necessary, especially during summer peak periods of use  

Visit our Website at www.OneSpecialty.com

Now that the kids are back in school and the summer season is finally coming to an end, many homeowners will be left assessing the state of their landscaping. With strict city watering restrictions, seemingly endless days of high temperatures, and monumental plant losses, now is a good time to reconsider the importance of preparing your lawn in the event of another high-heat drought season. While many homeowners will be making plans to replace lost plants with new ones, it is essential to know what preventative measures can be taken to protect your investment in the future.

Preparing Your Lawn Against Drought
Lessons Learned From an Historic Texas Drought

Along with Irrigation, proper landscape maintenance is key to limiting the amount of water your landscape needs to flourish. Seasonal fertilization, weekly mowing, and mulching flower beds are three examples of landscape maintenance that increase your landscape’s ability to make the most of weekly waterings. This, by effect, also increases your landscape’s drought tolerance, or its ability to survive long periods without rainfall.

In any flower bed, mulch is the single most important element in controlling the amount of moisture that is lost due to evaporation. Being proactive about mulching your yard is key to increasing its effectiveness. Weeds have a harder time pushing to the surface through mulch and they are much easier to pull. This prevents weeds from robbing vital moisture from your plants. Spreading new mulch in the middle of a drought will help slightly; however, mulch that has had time to break down over the course of a season will better control evaporation and regulate temperatures around the root systems in the bed.

In record breaking drought and heat conditions such as these, some plants will inevitably wither beyond the point of no return. These plants should be pulled up and the areas mulched to minimize water loss to the rest of the bed. Your main goal during these trying times is to keep your plants’ root systems alive. While yellowed and withered foliage can be regrown, once the root systems of your landscape are fried you are looking at a complete loss. In this worst case scenario, the best solution to prevent huge landscape losses is to hand water the roots of your most distressed plants.

As far as water consumption is concerned, turf grasses rank among the chief culprits of high water costs. The rapid growth of turf grasses means that they require scrupulous watering and timely fertilization to prevent yellowing during extreme heat. Have your irrigation system checked by a licensed irrigator to repair or replace any malfunctioning sprinkler heads, preferably before any drought conditions set in.

Keep in mind that expecting perfection during this oppressive heat will only lead to frustration. Hand watering to control damage will keep the sun from scorching distressed patches of grass until we see an increase in precipitation and a decrease in temperatures. Raise the level of your lawn mower up one notch, mulch mow to leave clippings on the lawn, and never cut off more than a third of the length of your lawn at once. Some varieties of Bermuda and Buffalo Grasses have the ability to go dormant during high heat and drought conditions. Letting this happen until conditions improve is an option for homeowners. This is not an option, however, for those with St. Augustine sodded lawns, which requires constant supervision to keep from being burnt.

Spreading a slow release fertilizer during the spring months (May) will help sustain your grass until the Fall, when temperatures cool down. In late October, spread a quick release fertilizer to strengthen your lawn before its Winter hibernation cycle. Both fertilizers should be high in nitrogen. Do not attempt to apply fertilizers during periods of high heat and low precipitation, as bi-weekly irrigation does not provide enough water to dissolve fertilizer pellets effectively.

Visit our Website at www.OneSpecialty.com

The first step is to decide what you are looking for. Think about what you plan on doing in your yard. If you enjoy cooking and picnicking outside, then you might be interested in a fire pit or an outdoor kitchen. Imagine spending hours outside cooking delicious meals while enjoying the company of your family and friends. A pizza oven is another great idea that you might consider. You can spend time outdoors year round talking, laughing, and eating with your loved ones.

Everyone loves a swimming pool, so this always a good investment to make to your home. You want to choose a company that offers custom pool designs that will make your pool stand out. You also might be interested in remodeling an older pool that you already have to make it better. You can choose from features like a waterfall or a water bar. Your house will be the most popular place on the block when it is warm outside if you have a cool pool to jump in. You can also get good exercise in a pool or just enjoy a fun place to float around and get a suntan. You might also be interested in a jacuzzi. They make a great investment too. A jacuzzi is the perfect place to relax your body and mind. These types of living areas will help people of all ages come together for some fun and togetherness.

Your patio and deck areas are also important places that people can meet and enjoy themselves outdoors. You can choose from many different designs and materials when it comes to decking or patios. Some of the most popular materials are stone, brick, and flag stone. You might also be interested in decorative fencing that looks good and adds character to your outdoor living areas while offering privacy at the same time.

No matter what type of outdoor living areas Dallas you choose, your landscape is going to be important. If you want to provide an area for people to come together and enjoy outdoors, then you want to make sure that your yard is well taken care of too. Hire a company that can help you landscape your yard to look it’s best. You can choose different trees and flowers that will accent your home and your outdoor areas. You can get expert advice from professionals when you hire the right company to do the work for you. Take your time and make sure that you choose a dependable business that has good references.

Improve Aesthetics With Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete allows it to resemble a lot of other materials, and greatly improves the aesthetics of any concrete surface whether used in driveways, pool decks, sidewalks or patios. When you ask a stamp concrete Dallas company like One Specialty, the effects you can get are only limited by the artistic abilities of the professionals that they have at their back and call, the money you can spend, the effects that you want and the time you have to allow such stamp concrete artists to work their magic on your concrete. They mainly work with home owners and do custom work that can ensure very good aesthetics without raising the cost too much. They will produce designs and color schemes for your choice and will arrange to carry out the work at the time and budget of your convenience. The great improvement that stamped concrete does bring, has led to its becoming a choice of most people and even architects when they go in for any home remodeling schemes. It has been greatly helped by the newer methods for texturing and the pigmentation and coloring chemicals that are now available with the latest in technologies.

The Benefits of Stamped Concrete

While the original look of brick, cobbles and other paving material has its own  authentic feel and appearance, most of such material have lots of joints. This makes it very important for a lot of expertise to be used during its fixing so that the surfaces are even. Such joints also make the entire surface vulnerable to moisture, changes beneath the surface on which such material is laid and even the effects of frost, that can permanently damage the surface.  Weeds can also go through joints and cracks, further reducing their aesthetic appeal.
When you use stamp concrete Dallas, in your home in that city, what you are doing is creating a monolithic surface that has no joints that can add to its vulnerability. You can even add some form of reinforcement in the form of re-bars to further strengthen the surface.

The Process of Laying Stamp Concrete

You will need to decide on the color, the pattern and textures that you want from the finished surface before you start any laying of the floor for stamp concrete. Once this is done, you need to lay at least four inches of concrete in the area you are looking to pave. Color can be mixed with the concrete or added on only on the surface. The integral method leads to a more homogeneous appearance that will not look much different even if there is some minor deterioration in the surface.  Textures can be impressed on the concrete surface before it dries, by the use of texturing mats or other devices. You also need to add some release agents on the concrete, before laying the mats or other devices, as this will allow them to be released easily after the concrete has set to the required texture. The concrete has to be allowed to set for at least twenty four hours and then cleaned of the release agent and then sealed if necessary, to increase its life.

Stamp concrete Dallas companies can allow you to remodel your home or driveway or other areas, without spending too much of money. The effect is long lasting and can add value to a home.

These homes are equipped with wood flooring and beautiful masonic tile work. Fort Worth luxury is an 8,500sq.ft. home, tastefully decorated with a nice environment for any family. The designers of these homes have given extensive thought to the kitchen area bath and outdoor facilities. Invite friends and family to visit and still have the privacy you need.

Custom built luxury residences are near shopping and good schools. Enjoy a quiet neighborhood, while only moments away from local conveniences. Many of the homes are two stories giving the family the upper area for privacy while open areas are on the lower floors. With wide living areas entertaining is easy. Luxury homes are planned with outdoor kitchens and patios equipped with stone fireplaces. This prepares your home for enjoying both indoor and outdoor weather; summer or winter.

Many advantages go with living in a luxury neighborhood. Large bedrooms, backyard pools and three car garages. These homes are also equipped with recreational facilities. Custom built homes have many amenities, libraries, and movie rooms. Heat up your popcorn machine and have friends over for a night of movie watching.

Every neighborhood is different. Some have more personality than others and some have none. This is a detail that reflects the planning stages of the developers but Fort Worth builder’s have not neglected this detail. Also, included in your custom home is energy efficient planning. With Fort Worth home packages you will realize the advantage of using established builders. These are custom built homes; add your special signature to the floors, kitchen and library. If you are partial to marble, a foyer of the material may suit your needs. Patios filled with over hanging plants with a Solarium view is a lovely touch.

Set your goal for a stylish home by making a purchase from Fort Worth custom builders.  These homes have spectacular amenities to offer. Elegant design is available in any custom home luxury collection. Add a special decorative flavour to your everyday lifestyle by owning one of Fort Worth’s custom built homes. A home buying decision is not an easy one. The expense is tremendous and searching for a residence is time consuming. A variety of custom designed luxury homes offer all of the amenities you need, and want in a home. The selection of properties gives a buyer a wide berth. Custom design sets your property apart from everyone, leaving the opportunity to display an exclusive environment for your family.