Planning your New Jersey patio or retaining wall at the wrong time could turn your investment into a cracked disaster within months. Here's why water's 9% expansion during freezing changes everything about when you should actually start building.
Key Takeaways Split your hardscape timeline: Plan and design during late fall and winter, then build during early spring and early fall to avoid New Jersey's destructive freeze-thaw cycles. Water expansion creates 9% more pressure during freezing, causing cracks and structural failure in poorly timed hardscape installations. Winter planning offers significant advantages: increased contractor availability, off-season pricing, and secured spring installation slots before schedules fill up. New Jersey's clay soil requires specialized base preparation that only experienced local contractors understand for long-term stability. Ground-contact projects like patios perform best when installed in early spring, whi…
