Your landscaping doesn’t just provide beauty and curb appeal to your home’s exterior. It also serves as an outdoor recreational space. And so, over time your yard might evolve to meet your family’s changing interests and needs, or even just to keep pace with current trends in landscaping or entertainment. Right now, we’re seeing a surge in interest toward horseshoe pits. Could this be your family’s next outdoor addition?
What makes for a great horseshoe pit? Horseshoe pits are relatively simple additions for almost any backyard. The sides are typically constructed of wood, so just choose a type of lumber that compliments your landscaping. Most homeowners opt for sand in their pits, and you can choose from a few different colors if that’s important to you. And finally, you might wish to build a raised backstop for your horseshoe pit to prevent players from throwing past the pit.
What else can you do with a horseshoe pit? It might seem obvious, but a horseshoe pit can certainly double as a sandbox for young children. And yes, your horseshoe pit can also double as a bocce court, if you design it with those dual purposes in mind. You might as well get as much out of the project as possible!
How do you design a horseshoe pit to fit into your landscaping? Regulation size of horseshoe pits can range from 31to 36 inches wide, and from 43 to 72 inches long. So yes, we can design your pit in a variety of sizes so that it fits appropriately into your existing landscaping. If you want, you can paint the wood to match your outdoor decor.
Do remember that the landscaping timbers on the sides of the pit will add to the overall dimensions. And finally, we need to find a level spot for your play area. Otherwise, fitting a horseshoe pit into almost any backyard is easy!
How do you maintain your horseshoe pit? Maintaining your horseshoe pit is a snap. Make sure you use pre-treated lumber while building it, so that you don’t have to worry about rot for many years. Covering the pit when not in use is a good idea, to keep the sand dry and to prevent stray cats from using your recreational space as a litter box. You can use a tarp, weighted with rocks on the sides, or custom build a cover if you prefer.
If young children use the pit as a sandbox, you might need to replace sand on occasion. And when mowing the grass, be sure to turn your lawnmower so that cut grass does not blow into the pit. But that’s about all the maintenance it will need!
If you’re considering a horseshoe pit or any other recreational addition to your landscaping, call us to discuss your vision. We can help you turn your backyard into a beautiful, functional, and fun place to relax or play.
