Tumbling Into The Past

By Sean Stowell, regional editor

Pavestone?EUR??,,????'???s Heritage^TM(above) and Adirondack^TM (below) stone come in standard and tumbled finishes. These flexible pavements may be set on a flexible or rigid base. A flexible base of crushed stone, gravel, stone screenings, compacted sand or a loose cement-sand mix is a less costly option to a rigid or semirigid base and facilitates drainage.

 

Retro is all the rage, as blasting back to the past has become big business. Professional sports teams often have special nights where the players suit up in old style uniforms, and the fans follow their lead and purchase not-so-retro-priced ?EUR??,,????'??throwbacks.?EUR??,,????'??

The motion picture industry has cashed in on the craze with movies derivative off old TV shows such as ?EUR??,,????'??Starsky & Hutch,?EUR??,,????'?? and ?EUR??,,????'??Charlie?EUR??,,????'???s Angels.?EUR??,,????'?? There is even an entire cable network devoted to the classic shows of yesteryear.

Now the landscape contractor can get in on the retro action as well with pavers. It?EUR??,,????'???s fairly easy to make a paver look aged?EUR??,,????'???it?EUR??,,????'???s called tumbling. There?EUR??,,????'???s no real secret to how this is done, basically you throw the pavers in a big tub and they are tossed around in a circular motion for about 10 minutes or so, depending on size of the pavers. While this is happening, the paver is being chipped away at giving it the appearance of an aged stone.

?EUR??,,????'??The pavers are tumbled at a certain intensity and it takes the lines out,?EUR??,,????'?? said Joey Guedea of Pavestone Company. ?EUR??,,????'??It gives the pavers a natural stone look.?EUR??,,????'??

For a driveway or walkway application these tumbled pavers give the area a more natural feel, as compared to straight, brightly colored bricks that really stand out. Concrete and clay pavers can be used to attain an old-world look and have become a popular feature of many homes.

?EUR??,,????'??Clay pavers give you a sense of antique,?EUR??,,????'?? said Ted Corvey of Pine Hall Brick, a manufacturer of clay pavers. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s a growing trend in the residential market to have the houses look like they?EUR??,,????'???ve been there a long time.?EUR??,,????'?? Corvey adds that clay pavers can accommodate approximately 13,000 psi.

?EUR??,,????'??Segmental driveways are a big trend,?EUR??,,????'?? he said. ?EUR??,,????'??Segmental driveways, walkways and patios are all very popular. People are valuing hardscape and embracing curb appeal as a way to increase the value of their home.?EUR??,,????'??

While these tumbled pavers are installed exactly the same as any other paver where you prepare the base, screed the sand, set edge restraints, and install the product, there is one consideration that a landscape contractor needs to take into consideration, especially with brick pavers, and that is gaps.

Basketball fans remember the floor at the old Boston Garden where the gaps between the pieces of hardwood were legendary. Legend has it that you could fit four quarters into some of the bigger openings. Often as the weather got warmer, ice from the hockey rink below the court would melt and seep through the cracks. It may have given the Celtics an advantage, but it was also hazardous.

The same thing happens with tumbled pavers. Because they are tossed around in order to give them their distinctive look, it also means they are not symmetrical.

?EUR??,,????'??You open up a joint line,?EUR??,,????'?? explained Pavestone?EUR??,,????'???s Robert Parker. ?EUR??,,????'??Sand loss is then a problem if you are not careful.?EUR??,,????'??

The tumbling process chips away at the defined line of the paver, creating an irregular joint width. This can cause problems when the contractor tries to stabilize the joints.

?EUR??,,????'??Stabilization is a big concern with tumbled pavers,?EUR??,,????'?? Guedea said. ?EUR??,,????'??If the pavers are up against a house, you need to see where the drip line is from the house and the joint sand should be stabilized in that area.?EUR??,,????'??

This mechanically treated extruded brick sometimes known as ?EUR??,,????'??tumbled brick?EUR??,,????'?? is from Pine Hall Brick, which can handle loads up to 13,000 psi, according to the manufacturer.

He added that anywhere sand loss might be a problem, not just within the drip line, a joint stabilizer is recommended.

Another thing to look out for brought up by Corvey was using the correct blade to cut clay and brick pavers. While brick pavers require a hard matrix diamond blade to cut through all the aggregates associated with concrete, the clay pavers require a soft matrix so the diamonds naturally do their work and the matrix wears easily. Corvey said too often contractors use the same blade to cut all their masonry products, leaving them without the desired results from the cut.

This tumbled paver is the Plaza Stone Heritage^TM (Pavestone) made from a ?EUR??,,????'??no slump?EUR??,,????'?? concrete mix. Made under extreme pressure and high frequency vibrations, the stone has a compressive strength greater than 8,000 psi, and a water absorption maximum of five percent.

By following this advice, and using the knowledge they already have, landscape contractors will find that using ?EUR??,,????'??throwbacks?EUR??,,????'?? can be very lucrative and beneficial to all parties involved.

?EUR??,,????'??You?EUR??,,????'???ll spend more money upfront for a segmental driveway or walkway,?EUR??,,????'?? Corvey said. ?EUR??,,????'??But a segmental system is cheaper in the long run because it never has to be replaced if it is installed correctly.?EUR??,,????'??