Starcom Design/Build Case Studies: Steep Steps in Burtonsville, MD

Challenge

Once you get older, getting around isn't always as easy as it used to be. After numerous falls, the homeowners decided that something needed to change. This older couple needed stairs added to the front of their home that weren't as steep and made getting in and out of their home much easier and stress free.

Solution

This home was so visually interesting because of the asymmetrical roof pitch. The homeowners wanted to show off their own interesting design aesthetic by picking a yellow siding and green shutters. It isn’t typical to choose non-neutral colors for a home's exterior. The home needed new steps leading from the driveway up to the front door, because their previous steps were steep and cracked, not advantageous for the older couple living in the home.

Beautiful bluestone stairs were custom designed and built for this family. The irregular shaped stones formed the tread of the steps. They were capped off by rectangular bluestone at the edges. The four foot landing was perfect for the incline leading up the front door. Attempting to add steps that were any shorter would have meant more stairs at a steeper incline, making it impossible for the homeowners to climb.

The ease at which our clients were able to go up and down the stairs in front of their home, made their house more accessible, and made them very happy homeowners.

Shortly after adding new bluestone stairs to the front of their home, our clients returned to us wanting to create some outdoor living space in their backyard. They requested a pergola, which is designed to let sunlight in but protect the people underneath from getting too much sun. We all know that sunlight hitting you directly in the face makes it hard to relax outdoors, so we wanted to make sure that our clients could make the most of their new outdoor space.

We built a deck of composite and vinyl materials, making it not only easy to clean but also durable. The beautiful new pergola shaded them from hard sunlight but also provided a nice place where they could come out and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. The top of the pergola appears to be open, but the angle of the slats act like blinds and shade out a certain amount of light when the sun gets to a particular angle.

A short set of steps join together the new deck with the rest of the backyard, which is complete with beautiful landscaping. We created a space that can transport the homeowners to a vineyard in Italy while they sip wine beneath their pergola.