Quick…What’s the second most consumed product in the World? If you answered pizza, you’re wrong. It’s concrete! That’s right, concrete! (For the curious, water was the number 1 consumed product)

As building materials go, concrete offers the most design flexibility in the construction industry today. Concrete can be pumped, poured, molded, colored, exposed and even textured. Concrete has been around for centuries. You see it everywhere and probably didn’t give it a second glance…until now.

Concrete paver sales have exploded in the past 5 years due in great part to color and texture advancements. Concrete pavers are evolving from a smooth "brick-like" form to forms that incorporate many sizes and shapes with differing textures that mimic a natural stone look.

Generation I Pavers

This class of pavers is often defined as any paver exhibiting a uniform smooth texture that has not been subjected to additional "processing" other than the initial manufacturing process. You have probably seen these pavers installed in large commercial settings such as shopping malls and theaters.

Generation I pavers (typical 4X8’s) usually are laid in one of four popular repeating bond patterns:

1. Parquet motif

2. Herringbone motif

3. 45 degree herringbone motif

4. Runner motif

Generation I pavers, while a better-looking alternative to other conventional pavements, don’t simulate a "natural stone" look that people desire in today’s home environment. With the home being many people’s single biggest investment, today’s homeowner is looking to differentiate their property from that of their neighbors. This has led to the rapid rise in "antiqued" pavers.

Antiqued pavers are used to create a weathered look, one that emmulates the texture of natural stone. The antiqued pavers are given their characteristics by the manufacturer by being sent through a tumbler or being processed.

Antique Pavers

As you might have guessed by now, antiqued pavers have a "weathered" or "antique" look to them. The surface texture usually shows some degree of relief and the corners are slightly to moderately rounded to achieve the antique and natural stone look. Special color blends are added to the concrete to further simulate the look and feel of natural stone.

What gives a newly manufactured paver that "antique" look? Antiqued pavers achieve their unique look one of two ways - by being tumbled/rumbled or processed.

In the tumbling process, the pavers are fed into a large cylindrical tunnel, which is elevated on one end. The pavers are fed into the cylinder at the elevated end and allowed to "tumble" or "rumble" over one another creating the antique appearance. Once the tumbled pavers exit the cylinder, they are repackaged and loaded for delivery to the jobsite.

Pavers can also be "processed" via a proprietary method in which the antiquing process is applied during manufacturing rather than tumbled after the paver has already been manufactured.

Both processes attempt to give the paver a look similar to the natural roughness, shape and texture of natural stone. The color pigments added to the concrete complement the antiquing process to add the final aesthetic touch that virtually matches any landscape application. As good and beautiful as the antique paver is in replicating natural stone, a homeowner would be hard-pressed to agree that natural stone occurs in a perfect herringbone or parquet pattern in nature. The unique textures and shapes of antique pavers allow more diverse and creative patterns to be constructed.

Although antiqued pavers can be laid in the popular Generation I patterns, the real beauty of an antique paver is its ability to blend in and complement its environment while offering the superior aesthetic quality of natural stone to further differentiate or highlight any home, pool or garden area. Antique pavers laid in the popular Generation I pattern replicate a sedimentary type of stone and require additional labor to set lines and pattern alignment to achieve the repeating bond patterns cited previously. While still pleasing to the eye, modular pavers take patterns to the next (non-repeating) level.

Rakes, which may seem like a minute detail to some, can actually impact the success of a project. Using the proper rake can produce better results.

Modular pavers are antiqued pavers designed to provide a non-repeating or "random" bond pattern that more closely resembles natural stone. Since there is no need for a defined repeating pattern, the contractor can start laying the pavers immediately with no regard to a preconceived pattern. Almost like magic, the random pattern appears as the job progresses. This allows for faster installations, which results in a more natural stone look and ultimately more money for the contractor. By using different shapes and sizes, the random bond pattern gives the look of ancient stone adapted to today’s taste and styles. Who thought concrete could look this good!

Paver transport carts are essential tools a landscape contractor can use to make any paving job easier by moving the pallet of pavers with you. This can also prevent workers from carrying pavers long distances, minimizing the accidental drops.

Tools of the Trade

"Tools" are items that are small and usually cost less than $500.00, "equipment" is a broader category and covers from $500 to $50,000 or more. Now to start, let's talk about "tools" because they usually give us the biggest and quickest return on the dollar invested. Every Trade has unique tools designed to help speed up the efficiency of the crew.

From proper lute rakes for raking out base to custom profiled sand screeding devices. You can always try to get by with using other tools but the enthusiasm and efficiency of the crew suffers as does the quality and for some things, there are just no substitutes. A simple and inexpensive lute rake can save hours on even a small job. Sand screeds small and large keep your crew off their knees.

Always try to evaluate if the tool will increase efficiency and improve consistency. A good purpose-designed tool that eliminates or reduces training and time needed to acquire a skill of your labor for a particular task is worth it's weight in gold.

Equipment is the next step both financially and in the understanding of on-site needs. Just because someone adds a motor to something does not mean it's better. It is best to make sure your manual needs are met first then focus on the bigger stuff.

A paver transport cart or a jobsite pallet mover are excellent pieces of equipment that are easy to maintain and payoff almost immediately. I recommend contractors identify the minimum-size piece of equipment that they need and order the next size up. This will make sure your equipment will last much longer and perform more safely. You do not always need to discover these things yourself. Look at industry leaders and see what they use. If your company is regularly installing pavers or walls and has not yet started to use specialty tools then start.

Oldcastle Architectural Products Group is a supplier of architectural masonry products and home to the Belgard line of professionally installed paver and segmental retaining wall products. Visit www.icpi.org for suppliers or www.pavetech.com for the latest in European tools.