The Lobato Residence ''Designer Patio'' is a flagship project using a new line of paving products. called Sereno?EUR??,,????'?????<

 

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The Lobato residence is located in the scenic basin of the Sandia (which means watermelon in Spanish) Mountains in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The project was a collaboration of Julian Lobato, homeowner; Tom Riccobene, as the designer and Kevin Kelleher, installer. In the high desert climate of New Mexico the temperatures can go from blistering hot in the summer to bitter frozen cold of the winter. The Lobato's wanted a patio that was affordable, durable and individualized.

Installation costs were cut dramatically because of the uniform thickness of the units and minimal need for cutting. By being involved in every aspect of the product development, Riccobene can ensure that his designs work in the field and not just in the lab. His many years as a mason enable him to understand how a product adds value to the end consumer.

The installer and the homeowner were delighted that even though the patio had an undulating surface over the four areas, it appeared consistently flat throughout.

A sand base over gravel was sloped to drain water runoff directly into planting areas for miniature apricot trees. Since all the pieces fit together without cutting and are the same thickness, installation was completed quickly.

With the view of the watermelon colored Sandia Mountains out his back yard, Mr. Lobato chose the Sedona color pavers to complement this view and the natural colors of his home. Sedona is a natural blend of red, tan and taupe colors that create a realistic appearing flagstone mimicking the real stone found in the southwest. This color blend, which is distributed throughout the pavers with a sophisticated manufacturing process, enhances the vivid colors of the vegetation and eclectic style of the homeowner.

The most challenging aspect of the project was drainage. Being a long resident of the dry climate of the southwest, a major requirement of the owner was to contain the larger part of any rain water runoff right in their backyard. To achieve this, Kelleher divided the area in four different areas and sloped each on into one of four new miniature apricot trees. Each section was unique in its size and shape. A metal edging was installed to separate the new patio area from the planting beds.

Once the drainage issues had been addressed, Kelleher laid a 1-inch base of aggregate and then a 1-inch layer of sand over the entire area. He was able to work each section individually to obtain the best slope and base for that section. This process was continued in the other three sections.

For cuts, the stone pieces were quickly scored with a simple 4-inch angle grinder with a masonry blade. The pieces were then broken along the score to fit with edges and transitions.

Kelleher also took care to maintain continuity in the patio surface while each section was laid out separately. The pavers were laid in a random configuration from one side of the area to the other. For cuts, a simple 4-inch hand-held angle grinder with a masonry blade was used to score the pavers.

Then, the units could be broken along the cut to fit against edges and transitions. Because of the random shapes and sizes, the various sloping occurring in each section could not be readily seen. ''Now I understand the magic of XeriStone???????(R)???????+???????(R)??????oe???? technology,'' Kelleher stated.

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The contractor and homeowner were especially excited in how easy it will be to accommodate maturing and new vegetation. Slabs were simply left out in the area of the fruit trees, allowing drainage to give them their nurturing water.

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