Retaining Walls, Drainage, Hardscaping & Landscaping Near Pittsburgh
Green Tree homeowners don’t always need a bigger yard. Sometimes they simply need to get more out of the yard they already have.
A slope may take up space that could otherwise be useful. Water may collect at the bottom of the property after heavy rain. An older retaining wall may be showing its age, or an existing patio may no longer fit the way your family uses the backyard.
NLC Landscaping & Design provides professional landscaping services in Green Tree, PA, with solutions for properties that need more than routine lawn maintenance. From retaining walls and drainage improvements to paver patios, fencing, sod, excavation and custom decks, we can help improve how an outdoor space looks and functions.
With NLC based nearby in Carnegie, Green Tree is a natural part of our local Pittsburgh-area service region.
Green Tree’s location just outside Pittsburgh means homeowners can encounter many of the same landscape challenges found throughout the area’s established neighborhoods.
Slopes, elevation changes, mature landscaping and limited backyard space can all influence what makes sense for a property.
That’s why we don’t believe in starting every project with the same list of recommendations.
Instead, start with what bothers you about the yard.
Is there a section you never use? Does the lawn stay wet long after it rains? Would you like a better place to entertain? Are you losing usable space to a hillside? Do you need more privacy?
Those questions tell us much more than simply asking what type of landscaping you want.
Retaining walls can be particularly useful when elevation is preventing you from getting the most out of a property.
NLC Landscaping & Design installs block, natural stone, decorative and tiered retaining walls for Pittsburgh-area homeowners.
Depending on the site, a retaining wall can help manage a slope while creating better-defined areas for lawns, patios, planting beds, walkways or other outdoor features.
Older retaining walls eventually begin showing signs of deterioration. Keep an eye out for:
If the wall needs replacement, it’s worth considering more than just rebuilding what was already there.
Maybe the new wall can create a little more lawn. Maybe steps would work better in another location. Perhaps the surrounding drainage needs to be improved at the same time.
A replacement project can be an opportunity to correct an existing problem and improve the layout of the property.
A slope doesn’t necessarily need to remain wasted space.
Depending on the property, retaining walls, excavation, grading and hardscaping can help create more defined levels.
For example, a hillside could potentially become:
Upper Patio \u2192 Steps \u2192 Landscape Beds \u2192 Lower Lawn
Another property might work better with:
Deck \u2192 Retaining Wall \u2192 Paver Patio \u2192 Fenced Lawn
There isn’t one layout that’s right for every home.
The existing grade, available space, drainage and intended use all need to be considered.
Western Pennsylvania gives homeowners plenty of opportunities to find out where water travels during a storm.
If the answer is \u201cstraight into the lowest part of my backyard,\u201d it’s worth taking a closer look.
NLC provides French drains and drainage solutions for properties experiencing excess water and runoff.
Some common signs of drainage problems include:
Installing a drain isn’t the first question. Understanding the water problem is.
The property’s grade, surrounding slopes, low areas and existing hardscaping can all influence where stormwater travels.
Depending on the situation, a French drain, grading improvement or another drainage approach may make sense.
That’s why the solution should be based on the property rather than simply installing the same system everywhere.
This is especially important if you’re already considering other landscaping.
Imagine installing new sod over an area that’s constantly saturated.
The lawn looks great initially, but the underlying water problem is still there.
The same applies to patios, landscape beds and retaining walls.
When drainage and landscaping are both part of the project, addressing the water issue first can provide a better foundation for everything that follows.
You don’t need an enormous backyard to have a useful outdoor entertaining area.
In fact, when space is limited, thoughtful hardscape design becomes even more important.
NLC provides paver patios, walkways and hardscape improvements that can be designed around the property’s available space.
A patio might provide room for:
But we also consider what surrounds it.
Where will people walk? How does it connect to the house? Will you still have enough lawn? Does a retaining wall need to be built first? Where will rainwater go? Would a privacy fence make the patio more enjoyable?
The answers help determine the right layout.
Hills and elevation changes don’t only affect how a yard looks.
They affect how you move through it.
NLC can incorporate walkways and landscape steps into larger hardscape and retaining-wall projects.
These features can provide a more natural transition between different levels of the property while helping define the overall landscape.
When they’re planned from the beginning, steps and walkways can look like an intentional part of the project instead of something added later because there was no other way to reach the yard.
Privacy can be particularly valuable when homes are relatively close together.
NLC provides wood privacy fencing, vinyl fencing, decorative fencing and custom fence layouts.
A fence can help homeowners:
If the yard slopes, the fence design also needs to account for those elevation changes. When fencing is part of a patio, retaining-wall or larger landscape project, planning everything together can create a cleaner result.
Sometimes the lawn is the project.
Other times, it’s the finishing touch.
NLC provides sod installation and lawn restoration for homeowners who want to establish new grass or repair lawn areas affected by outdoor construction.
Sod can be particularly useful following:
Drainage Work \u2192 Grading \u2192 Retaining Walls \u2192 Patio Construction \u2192 Fence Installation
Once the heavier work is finished, new sod can help bring the entire property back together.
If the old lawn struggled because of drainage, however, that issue should be addressed before simply covering the area with new grass.
A deck can make excellent use of space immediately outside the home, especially on properties where the backyard sits below the main living level.
NLC builds pressure-treated wood and composite decks and can incorporate stairs, railings, privacy features and other custom elements.
The real opportunity comes when the deck is considered as part of the surrounding landscape. For example:
An elevated deck provides outdoor space closer to the house while a lower paver patio creates a second gathering area.
A fence or privacy feature can make the outdoor space feel more secluded.
On a sloped property, retaining walls can help organize the area surrounding or below the deck.
Landscape beds and lawn restoration can make a new deck feel like it belongs with the rest of the property.
A mature property doesn’t always need to be completely cleared and rebuilt.
There may already be plenty worth keeping.
An established tree could provide valuable shade. Part of an existing patio may still be useful. Mature landscaping may only need to be incorporated differently.
The project could be:
Keep: Mature trees
Remove: Deteriorating retaining wall
Correct: Drainage problem
Add: Smaller paver patio
Improve: Privacy
Restore: Lawn
That’s very different from approaching every property as an empty canvas.
Access deserves attention on established properties.
Homes, garages, fences, trees and narrower side yards can affect how equipment and materials reach the project area.
If your Green Tree property has limited backyard access, mention it when discussing the project with NLC.
It’s better to consider access during planning than discover it after the project has already been designed.
A homeowner may call because of a retaining wall and discover that drainage contributed to the wall’s problems.
Someone else may want a patio but need grading first.
Another property may require a retaining wall before there’s enough level space for the patio at all.
Those projects are connected. For example:
Drainage \u2192 Excavation \u2192 Retaining Wall \u2192 Patio \u2192 Landscaping \u2192 Sod
Having several outdoor services available through one company makes it easier to consider how each stage affects the next.
NLC Landscaping & Design is based at 337 Lincoln Ave. in Carnegie, PA 15106.
Green Tree and Carnegie are neighboring Pittsburgh-area communities, giving this location page a legitimate local connection rather than simply creating content for a distant city.
Based in Carnegie. Serving Green Tree & Pittsburgh’s Western Communities.
You don’t have to know the technical solution. Tell us what you notice. \u201cThe yard stays wet.\u201d \u201cWe never use this hillside.\u201d \u201cOur retaining wall is leaning.\u201d \u201cWe need more privacy.\u201d \u201cWe want somewhere better to sit outside.\u201d That’s enough to start the conversation.
Relevant conditions such as grade, drainage, access and existing improvements can influence what makes sense.
On an established property, we can consider which existing features still work well.
If drainage, walls, patios, fencing or landscaping affect one another, they should be considered together.
Contact NLC to discuss the property and request a free project estimate.
NLC combines traditional landscaping with the site work and construction services often required for Pittsburgh-area properties.
Services include:
And with NLC based in nearby Carnegie, homeowners in Green Tree are working with a contractor located right in this part of the Pittsburgh area.
You may already know exactly what you want, or you may simply know that something about your yard isn’t working.
Either way, that’s a good place to start.
If you’re considering a retaining wall, French drain, drainage improvement, paver patio, fence, new sod, custom deck or larger backyard renovation in Green Tree, contact NLC Landscaping & Design to discuss your property.