Backyard Work

By the time this project started, I had already re-done the front yard, the driveway, the side driveway, both side yards, the fence, and ground out some stumps in the back yard. Pretty much all that was left was to re-do the rest of the backyard, so I broke out the shovels and got started. What can I say, I need to have stuff to work on or I get bored...

The plan is similar to the work out front, but with some extras specific to the nature of a private backyard setting. The goal is to make the yard more functional, more enjoyable, lower the current maintenance requirements, and to increase the overall resale value of the house.

Remove the railroad ties and replace them with mow-strip edging to eliminate weekly trimming.
Replace the wood-chip filled planter beds with stone filled ones with a few non-flowing plants.
Provide a place for a hot tub and 12' round pool at the end of the yard away from the shed.
Expand the deck to surround the hot tub and pool as well as to wrap around the corner of the house and slope down to ground height at the new location of the side gate.
Move the deck stairs towards the dining room window so they are not on the corner section of the deck and exit parallel to the back of the house.
Remove the existing deck partial railing/seating combination and install a code compliant railing around the entire deck - including the proper height railings around the pool and hot tub areas of the deck, and a gate and railings on the stairs off the deck.
Install a full width and full height double gate on the den end of the house.
Install a brick paver walkway from the foot of the relocated stairs to the edge of the gravel side driveway, similar to the walkway across the front of the house.
Add an in-ground drip irrigation and lawn sprinkler system, tied into the existing irrigation control in the garage.
Add low voltage lighting around the yard, tied into the existing low voltage lighting controls in the garage.
Add new 120V lighting on the back of the house on a "dual brightness" motion sensor, the same as the front porch lights.
Add extra outside outlets on the deck for future use.
Install wiring for the hot tub and pool via a large-capacity sub-panel mounted on the rear of the house.
Install outdoor speakers and hook them up to a control inside the house near the rear slider door.
Install a "pondless" water feature off the corner of the deck where the stairs were originally located.
Install weed barrier underneath the existing and future deck areas to prevent weed growth.
Install a "mosquito trapper" to reduce the population of breeding and biting mosquitoes in the area.
Pull dirt away from the back of the house under the existing deck to prevent dirt-to-wood-siding contact where it exists currently.
Replace the existing deck surface with new manufactured wood nailed down with an "invisible fastener" system - similar to how the bridge out front was done.