Grünzeit Garden & Landscape Design

We first contacted the company Grünzeit in April 2023. Our old terraced house in Linz Urfahr has a small garden area (approx. 50 m²) at the front and a slightly larger garden (approx. 90 m²) at the back. After some online research and initial site visits, we chose Grünzeit because we felt we would receive competent advice from Gernot Konrad. What we made clear during our first site visit was that the costs for the work in our garden should not exceed €25,000. Specifically, we wanted to extend our raised terrace by approximately 6 m², have it paved with ceramic tiles set in crushed concrete, install four granite steps, create a 1 m² shower area, and lay some lawn edging stones in the main garden. We also wanted preparatory work for planting with an excavator and the planting itself. In addition, we wanted a garden fence approximately 15 meters long. In the front garden, we wanted an area for bicycle parking, to be created by laying concrete slabs in gravel with a suitable substructure, and to include planting. We planned to do the demolition work in the patio area ourselves. After some back and forth, we received a cost estimate of just under €50,000 in July. Since this was far above our expectations, we had to adjust the plans, especially the garden fence, which was estimated to cost almost €10,000. The work in the front garden and the planting ultimately reduced the cost estimate to just under €20,000. So we commissioned the work, which was able to start at the beginning of October, albeit a little late. Gernot Konrad emphasized beforehand, even at the very first meeting, that maintaining a 2% slope when preparing the existing patio area was absolutely essential! First, a foundation was built over the area where the terrace was to be extended, using a concrete block wall, and the cavity was filled with rubble. This was then compacted by hand with a tamper. A concrete slab approximately 15 cm thick was then poured on top. Reinforcing bars were planned for the concrete block wall, but these were not installed, and part of one of the blocks soon came loose. The workers reattached it with mortar. The terrace paving was then laid in the crushed stone, resulting in a slope of just under 0.5% instead of the intended 2%. Because the worker hadn't measured the depth of the terrace beforehand and therefore started laying whole slabs near the house, he ended up having to lay a section of slabs approximately 4 cm wide. When I complained, the worker said that it's difficult when you rarely do this kind of work. Furthermore, the granite block steps leading from the terrace to the garden were laid in such a way that the top part of the steps is slightly higher than the terrace level. This has resulted in standing water on the terrace at the transition to the top step; I hope this won't lead to frost damage in the long run. The lawn edging stones were laid with a slope along the concrete block wall of the terrace, both towards the house and towards the wall itself! After rain, water always pooled there. After I complained, the stones were removed and relaid with a slope away from the wall, but the slope towards the house could no longer be corrected. The joints there were broken up and filled with gravel. Overall, I must say that the company's employees were all very nice!

Very professional advice, extremely high quality, always on time, and highly trained and very friendly staff. Always happy to come back!