[Oakland] Backyard Advice - Concrete, Pavers, or Mulch?

Question

Hi All,

The last step of my rental renovation is to landscape my backyard.  I want to create something that is maintenance free and durable.  There's a patch of dirt (~15'x20') in the backyard that needs to be addressed. I've been exploring the idea of brick pavers, slab concrete, or even just rubber mulch.  I'm leaning towards brick pavers or concrete, since the space wouldn't be very usable if I just mulched over it.

What do you guys think?  What would be the most economical option?  Are brick pavers something I even want to tackle myself?  I like the durability of pavers, but it might be the more expensive option.

Thanks,

Calvin

Calvin Kwan · Answer

I just hired a concrete guy to pave over the whole thing plus the side walkway.

Stephen G. · Answer

Would love to see what you ended up doing here. I also have north oakland duplex in need of some landscaping. There was a dilapidated shed and some weeds and I've cleared all that out down to bare ground but am in of some inspiration for the next step. I'm leaning towards a no maintenance approach that combines some type of hardscape surrounded by landscape using CA native plants that are drought tolerant and require no shearing.

Sherwin Gonzales · Answer

Hey @Calvin Kwan!

Congrats on your last step of your renovation! I guess it depends on how you envision the space to be? If you think renters will be more attractive to having an usable outdoor space for bbq's and outdoor furniture, then maybe brick pavers or concrete would be best. If you think they want something low maintenance, but a "yard", maybe like you said, mulch and some drought tolerant plants.

Have you seen the deck tiles/ pavers they have in Costco? It's similar to the one at the link below at amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Multy-Home-10-pack-Balcony-...

Not sure how easy/ hard it is to install but it's another option worth looking at.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do! Good luck!

Sam Shueh · Answer

Astrotuff or man made grass.