Rumbled Wall™ captures old world charm along with history and tradition into the modular wall product offering. Tumbled paving stones go well with Tuscany and English Tudor style homes.

Interlocking concrete paving stones have become a very popular paving alternative in the United States over the past two decades. However, the engineered/manufactured stone is not a new concept. After World War II, there weren't enough men to venture into the quarries to pull out the natural stone, so the idea was born to create a man-made paving material. The decades since are proof to the structural durability of pave stones.

The stone strength, colors, shapes and textures allow for creative design options not previously available in traditional paving methods. No longer are drives, walks and other paved areas limited to the standard, but somewhat drab concrete. The paved areas can become an extension of a landscape design for aesthetic appeal and for the contractor to realize increased profitability.

The tumbled paving stone is relatively new in the U.S., but growing rapidly in popularity. "The idea of tumbling pave stones and retaining walls really took off in the southeast and the phenomenon is moving west," said Chad Johnson, Phoenix, Arizona General Manager, Pavestone Company. "It's really become the 'hot' thing to do in the southwest where the construction industry has yet to feel the effects of an economic slowdown. Consumers want a new look to finish off their dream homes and tumbled product is catching their eye."

"The Heritage Series of tumbled products offers an alternative to standard paving which may overpower some projects," said Robert Parker, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas Commercial Contractor Sales, Pavestone Company. "It gives it a more old world look, one that can really complement almost any style home. It also can be used to maintain an older look in downtown areas. In fact, this is one of the more popular uses for the tumbled product. Purists interested in preserving the historic look of downtown restorations can be confident of a durable paving material, yet pleased with the visual appeal."

The Adirondack paving stone features the historic combination of square and rectangular modules. The textured surface is reminiscent of the natural surfaces of New York's Adirondack Mountains.

While some products more naturally lend themselves to the tumbled process, just about any pave stone shape can be used. The tumbling process can be thought of as an "after-market" process. The pave stone product is still manufactured using the quality systems. It is after the stones are manufactured that they are tumbled. The product is put into a large machine with a rotating cylinder. As the product moves through the cylinder, it smashes against other product and the inside walls of the machine.

Several factors affect the final tumbled look of the paving stone.

-Age of product: Concrete gets harder as it cures over time. A pave stone that is less than a week old will typically exhibit a "crumbled or rounded" edge where it's broken in the process. An older pave stone will actually have sharper edges when tumbled.

-The look of a tumbled concrete paver or wall can be altered by the operator depending on how full the tube is kept during the tumbling process. A pave stone will exhibit a different look if it is in a "full" tube and therefore falling on another pave stone vs. falling on the steel deck of the tube.

-The third variable is the inclination of the tube during the tumbling process. The operator can change the angle of the tube and by increasing the angle, the stone will be pushed through the tube faster giving a less tumbled appearance. Conversely the operator can decrease the angle and keep the pave stone in the tube longer and give a more tumbled appearance.

-The speed of rotation of the tube can also give drastically different appearances to the tumbled product. The faster the rotation, the more of a tumbled look you can achieve. The stones will actually "ride" up the sides of the tube and fall further and break or round the edges than if the tube were being rotated at a slower speed.

"Because the pave stones are manufactured at 8,000 psi and only the outside of the product takes the abuse, the pave stone's structural value should not be diminished," Johnson said.

Tumbled products benefit the contractor in three key ways: They provide the opportunity to offer customers a fresh new and creative look. It's easy for an installation crew to work with. And it offers minimum product installation waste. Because the design intent is to create an old, used and scratched pave stone, it does not matter if a stone is broken or scratched prior to, or during, the installation process.

"Tumbled pave stones are more what pave stones are supposed to be," said Mark Rex, Sales Manager European Paver. "Traditional pave stones can be a little too perfect. The tumbled product goes well with Tuscany or English Tudor style homes really anything other than contemporary."

"The tumbled pave stone sells itself. Everyone who sees the tumbled product falls in love with it," said Neal Haas, Operations Manager, The Paving Stone Company, Las Vegas, Nevada. "It is very popular with high-end custom homes."

"The Plaza I tumbled gives the old style look which a lot of people are looking for," Haas said. "The Holland Heritage series gives a modern look with the old style thrown in. A Carriage stone Heritage series makes people wonder why they don't have this at their home. It is a gorgeous look."

The tumbled stone provides an innovative design option while maintaining all of the structural benefits of interlocking concrete pave stones like wearing course, flexibility and ease of installation. It's easy to see why this products popularity is growing. LCM