The foyer was clad in 40 cm (15 mm, 5/8" thick) sandblasted sahara desert tile that was cut to 8" x 16" in the field. The accent was 1 1/4" arctic paver custom cut for trim in the field. The finish was calibrated.

In the mountains that surround the town of New Brunswick, Canada, a very rare quartz deposit was discovered that is 200 ft. wide and runs about one mile long. The site could be active for eight centuries at the present 30,000 metric-ton/year extraction rate. Given the longevity of the quartz mine, President William Wassef selected an ideal location to manufacture his Quartzitec tiles and paving stones.

Quartzitec entered the market in January 1999 with a line of 11.8 inch (30cm) square and 15.7 inch (40 cm) square Quartzstone brand tile and paving stones in .5 or .6 (1.25 and 1.5 cm) and 1.25 in (3 cm) thickness, respectively. Four sizes of quartz is obtained from what might be one of the richest deposits of pure, white, naturally occurring granular quartz in North America: the Atlantic Silica Inc. quarry 15 miles from the manufacturing plant. According to paver marketing manager, Janice Simonds, there are only three materials in the world that are harder than quartz: diamonds, sapphires and rubies.

The demo house was paved with calibrated 40 cm (16" nominal) cavendish with 20 cm (8" nominal) calibrated arctic accent. The smallish area (200 sq. ft.) under the back porch deck, was paved with 40 cm (16" nominal) calibrated arctic with 20 cm (8" nominal) calibrated slate accent.

To demonstrate the versatility of these tiles and paving stones, the company decided to remodel the President's home using the product. The demo home offers an ideal opportunity to explore the various applications of this unique product. Paving stones were used for the back patio and front entrance while tiles were installed as cladding on a small retaining wall in the backyard and in the front foyer. In addition to the outdoor installation, the tiles and paving stones were also used for interior designing. By bringing the outside in, homeowners are extending their living space and complementing the design elements of their home.

In sand set installation, the paving stones are installed on a compacted sub-grade that is layered with six inches of 3/4" aggregate and 1 – 1 1/2 inches of bedding sand. At left, graphic 1 shows installation on aggregate base and 2 shows concrete slab installation.

According to Contractors who have worked extensively with the product line, there are two primary methods of installation – sand set and mortar. In sand set installation, the paving stones are installed on a compacted sub-grade that is layered with six inches of 3/4" aggregate and 1 – 1 1/2 inches of bedding sand. The depth of the sub-grade depends on the type of soil at the project site. In clay soil you will need to dig down 18 to 20 inches and in sandy soil you will not need to dig so deep (usually 4-12 inches).

To create a stable sub-grade, compaction should be done with a small vibrator or a jumping jack. A small degree of interlocking occurs when the pavers are set into place and the sand moves in between the cracks.

The vertical cladding for the retaining wall was created with polished opal quartz tile, 40 cm (16" nominal) x 5/8" thick. To create the mosaic effect, polished classic red tile, also 5/8" thick, was mortared to the retaining wall, grouted and sealed.

Since the tiles and pavers are dimensionally consistent, Contractors are able to achieve a uniform installation that contributes to a flush, finished look. Pavers are normally laid with 1/8" to 1/16" spacing and are compacted gently with a rubber hammer. After the installation is complete, sand is swept into the cracks with a broom. Sand set installation is ideal for areas that experience severe freezes and thaws because the spacing allows the pavers to move slightly. If repairs are ever necessary or work needs to be done below the deck surface, the paving stones can be removed and re-installed with minimal effort and cost.

The decorative cladding on the small retaining wall was installed using the mortar technique. First, affix the pavers or tiles to the concrete with adhesive and space accordingly. Once the pavers are in place, the joints are filled with grout. After installation, allow the grout to cure for a few days and then seal it. John Price, owner of Price's Cobblestone based in Chester, Nova Scotia installed Quartzitec tiles around a homeowner's whirlpool and gazebo. On a 12 x 16-foot concrete slab that encompassed the whirlpool, Price installed tiles with the mortar technique. To enhance the decking around the Gazebo, the client opted to use reddish paving stones installed on 6 inches of gravel and one inch of sand. Due to the steep sloping of the patio, Price said he installed a beach stone swale to allow water to drain.

Normally, efflorescence is expected to occur after installation. This is a white chalky residue that occurs with all concrete and stone products. It is a natural salt that is temporary but it causes the homeowners to worry and that usually means an extra service call for the Contractor. Simonds explained that minimal efflorescence occurs with the Quartzitec paving stones and tiles due to their density.

Since the dimensional size and width of the pavers are uniform, Contractors can experiment with many techniques and design motifs. Literally, the sky is the limit. Landscape Contractors can introduce a variety of colors and sizes to obtain different paving patterns. Checkerboard is a commonly used pattern in which contrasting colors are alternated. To create a sense of space, many Contractors use the border technique in squares or triangles. For those clients who want to employ a more random and natural look; they can opt to tumble the pavers before installation. This rounds out the edges and gives the paver a weathered appearance. In addition, the pavers can be cut in half and in fours and alternated randomly so it mimics a natural slate installation.

Tony Marino, a Landscape Contractor with 27 years of experience elaborated on a deck design in Quebec, Montreal that he recently completed. "At first I thought the pattern that the client wanted would be too difficult," Tony explained. "But, once I began cutting everything started to fall into place."

The deck was L-shaped with a curvature near the pool. Every few feet, Marino would cut the corners of four pavers to create a diamond-shaped hole in which he installed a contrasting color. For rough edges, the paving stones can be broken in half with a brick hammer. Simply hit the paver along a straight line on both sides of the stone. It may take a few tries to get it, but after that it should be no problem. Marino said he tried to break it in threes but was unsuccessful due to the hardness of the stone.

As is the case with most paving materials, the only design limit that you will encounter is your own imagination. With Quartzitec's diverse color palette, Contractors have a whole tool box of possibilities at their fingertips. LCM

Zero slump mixes are spread into plastic molds (1), then channeled to vacuum and vibration chambers (2). Peak casting can reach a rate equivalent to 1,000 sq.ft./hour. The molds are retrieved and set on kiln racks (3) for 24-hour curing at 40 degrees Celsius. Tile or paving stone are demolded and loaded onto steel frame carriages, which are then transported by forklift to the finishing line. Tile is offered in 16 colors and polished, honed or sandblasted finishes. Eight paving stones are available in calibrated, flamed, sandblasted or bush-hammered finishes.