Murray Avenue, Westmount

Heated Driveway & Full Front Landscape Reconstruction

Location: Murray Avenue, Westmount

Scope: Heated driveway, walkways, stairs, retaining walls, plantation lawn

Structural Base: Reinforced concrete under driveway and behind all walls

Materials: Endicott clay pavers, St-Marc architectural stone

This project was a full structural and architectural rebuild — not a surface-level upgrade.

The property required:

• Complete driveway reconstruction

• New structural retaining walls

• Integrated stair systems

• Heated snow-melt system

• Plantation-grade lawn installation

Westmount properties demand durability, drainage precision, and long-term structural integrity. We approached this project as a permanent installation designed to perform for decades in Quebec’s freeze-thaw climate.

1. Reinforced Structural Base

We installed:

• A reinforced concrete slab beneath the entire driveway

• Structural concrete backing behind all retaining walls

• Proper base preparation and compaction throughout

• Integrated drainage planning before final elevation setting

Concrete under pavers significantly reduces movement risk and eliminates typical settlement issues seen in traditional granular installations.

Behind the walls, reinforced concrete backing ensures long-term lateral stability and prevents shifting over time.

2. Heated Driveway System

The driveway and primary walkways were built with an integrated snow-melt system embedded within the slab.

Benefits:

• Eliminates manual snow removal

• Reduces salt usage

• Protects paver surface integrity

• Maintains safe winter access

In high-end Westmount properties, performance in winter is not optional — it is engineered.

3. Endicott Clay Paver Driveway

The driveway was installed using Endicott clay pavers.

Clay was selected for structural and aesthetic reasons:

• Permanent color (no fading)

• Extremely high compressive strength

• Superior resistance to de-icing cycles

• Architectural character consistent with Westmount estates

Unlike concrete pavers, clay maintains its integrity and tone over decades.

4. St-Marc Stone Architectural Walls, Stairs & Caps

All retaining walls, stair systems, walkways, and caps were completed using St-Marc architectural stone.

The stone provides:

• Natural texture and depth

• Structural mass and stability

• Freeze-thaw durability

• Cohesive architectural framing for the property

The stairs were engineered for correct rise-to-run ratios, structural bearing, and long-term stability — not simply stacked stone.

5. Plantation Lawn Installation

The front lawn was completed with plantation-grade sod installed over properly prepared topsoil and grading.

Key considerations:

• Surface drainage away from foundation

• Soil composition for root development

• Seam alignment and compression during installation

• Immediate irrigation planning

Even lawn installation on high-end properties must be executed with the same precision as structural elements.

This project reflects our standard methodology:

• No floating walls

• No thin granular driveway base

• No surface-only cosmetic upgrades

• No compromise on winter performance

In Westmount, long-term structural integrity is the difference between a 5-year installation and a 30-year installation.

This build was engineered for permanence.

Every element from subgrade to final cap stone: was executed with structural consideration first, aesthetics second.

The result:

• A heated, maintenance-reduced driveway

• Architecturally integrated stone walkways and stairs

• Structurally reinforced retaining walls

• A cohesive, high-end front property presentation

On Murray Avenue, the objective was clear: Build it once. Build it properly.