Unilock's new Rivercrest Wall Units Like Stacked Flagstone

If you have not had a chance to check out Unilock's new product called the Unilock Rivercrest Wall you should stop by your local Unilock brick paver supplier and ask to see it or a promotional brochure on it.

The Rivercrest Wall is designed to look like stacked flagstone and is made to construct small walls or sitting walls and columns. The beauty of Rivercrest is that you obtain the unique look and character of stacked flagstone without all the variables. Rivercrest is a manufactured concrete wall unit that is easy to install affordable and it's simple to run to your supplier and grab a pallet of it knowing that you can use all the peices, unlike natural stone.

Below is a photo from Unilock of the Rivercrest Wall, as we see more installs of the wall unit in 2012 I'll post more photos and product reiews.

If you have not had a chance to check out Unilock's new product called the Unilock Rivercrest Wall you should stop by your local Unilock brick paver supplier and ask to see it or a promotional brochure on it.

The Rivercrest Wall is designed to look like stacked flagstone and is made to construct small walls or sitting walls and columns. The beauty of Rivercrest is that you obtain the unique look and character of stacked flagstone without all the variables. Rivercrest is a manufactured concrete wall unit that is easy to install affordable and it's simple to run to your supplier and grab a pallet of it knowing that you can use all the peices, unlike natural stone.

Below is a photo from Unilock of the Rivercrest Wall, as we see more installs of the wall unit in 2012 I'll post more photos and product reiews.

Extreme Printing USA Full Color Printing

We recently used Extreme Printing USA to a Full Color Vinyl Banner for us. We thought highly of Dave and his team there that we want to share their info with our readers. Extreme has great prices and is very helpful with design and getting items printed and shipped very quickly. They also have a great blog that has lots of articles about marketing and advertising and is really helpful to small businesses.

Brick Paver and Concrete Cleaning and Sealing Contractor

Paver Protector Inc. is our contractor of choice for brick paver cleaning, sealing and repairs in Northern Illinois. Counties served include Kane County, Lake County, Mchenry County, Dekalb County, Cook County, Dupage County etc... Paver Protector also clean, stains and seals concrete surfaces such as driveways, walkways and patios. Cities served include Barrington, Schaumburg, Crystal Lake, Elgin, Geneva, St. Charles, Batavia, Huntley, hampshire, Bartlett, West Chicago and more.http://www.paverprotector.com

Sealing Brick Pavers- The Sealer I Prefer

Sealing brick pavers is one of the things I highly recommend. I am not going to get into why and how in this post. I just want to touch on the sealers that I have tested, used and liked.

On the market there are all types of paver and concrete sealers that can be used. When it comes down to it there are basically two types that are readily available and marketed towards hardscape contractors and brick patio owners. They are Solvent based and water based. They both have their strengths and weaknesses(again will be in another post).

My sealer of preference is by far the solvent based acyclic type. This paver sealer will give pavers a wet look, bringing out the colors giving them a dark bold look. A paver Driveway will basically look like it does after a rain or a soaking with a garden hose. It will darken up newer pavers and also bring out the color left in older pavers that may have more aggregate exposed and less of the cream coat on the surface of the paver.

I have sealed pavers that have been down for 15 years and are very greyed out because the stone and sand aggregate were showing through the concrete. After a good coat or two of a solvent based sealer you will see the pavers color jump back to life. On new pavers the color will darken dramatically since there is already so much color to soak in the sealer.

Once dried the sealer will lighten up slightly and eventually fade over the years. The acrylic left on the surface provides a protective layer from the suns harmful rays and delays the fading process of the concrete. It also provides a barrier to stains like oil, grease, and even vegetation/bird droppings. It also prevents the pavers from taking on as much salt in winter conditions.

Solvent based sealers tend to have a higher solids content than water based sealers. This means more acrylic to protect the paver. Some water based sealers do have a high solid content but the benefit of solvent is that it gets that solids to a smaller individual size which allows them to get further into the paver. This gives you a longer lasting sealer that is not as slippery since the solids aren't all built up on the surface.

I plan to post more on sealing as most contractors have questions and concerns about it and it is a subject that does not have many resources for education other than what manufacturers tell you. This will all come from a contractor with years of sealing experience with no personal agenda. Be sure to check back often more more info on sealer.

Here are a couple photos so you can see the difference that a solvent based wet look sealer makes.

What You Need to Know About Sub Soil Compaction For a Paver System

The base of a patio is just as important as the patio itself. If prepared and installed incorrectly the base could lead to future failure of the paver system.

Depending on what part of the country you are in you will have to take different approaches to sub soil compaction for your paver base. There are a lot of different soil types but to keep it simple I want to focus on soil with high clay content.

My area consists of mostly a clay mix soil. For a patio or driveway we will excavate a few inches of topsoil followed by sticky clay. It seems like this clay is pretty hard and a stable enough base for a patio. The fact is that when water is introduced it is a slimy mess and will squeeze different directions to escape pressure. Having a heavy paver system place on top of it can lead to failure over the years.

How do we manipulate the soil so that it is a stable enough platform for pavers? Simple, through proper compaction.

Every Hardscape contractor has a vibratory plate to compact the base and set pavers into sand. The problem is this type of compactor is not sufficient for the sub soil. A vibratory compactor does just that, vibrates. It exerts a a low amplitude and high frequency. Most range from 1500-5500 Hz. On Grade 8 gravel and other base materials is shakes the stone to fit into each other through the many small hits it produces. Clay is not angular like the base stone and will not settle into itself through vibrations.

A rammer or jumping jack type compactor is what should be used to compact clay. Rammers use low frequency(700-2300Hz) and high stroke blows to compact material through force. It is like taking a sledge hammer and smashing it into the clay compare to a plate compactor which just drops a small weight many times.

By using a rammer in clay type soil you are essentially beating the trapped air and moisture out of the soil. You will see the ground drop an inch or two after ramming. You might even see water come to the surface.

Most contractors in my area do no compaction of the soil before putting in a patio or even driveway. I see paver systems that have failed all the time due to improper soil preparation. Most likely you will not see it in the first couple of years but eventually you will. Areas where you see it the most are around the perimeter of the house 3-4 feet out. After the house is built the foundation is backfilled with chunks of excavated clay. There is all kinds of air pockets when the backfill and they do not compact. 6 months later a Hardscape contractor comes by to put in a patio or driveway and does not compact this soil either. After a rotation of seasons you will see that 3-4 ft band sinking. If the contractor took the extra step to compact the soil this problem would not have occurred. But back they come to perform warranty work.

Yes a rammer can be an expensive tool but in the long run saves you warranty costs and keeps you customers and you image happy. I even use the fact that we compact the soil as a selling point. Most homeowners don’t know much of a paving system and are happy to get a quick education on it. This gives you the opportunity to show why you are different and why your paver system might cost more then the other guys.

If you have questions about sub soil compaction please email me or leave a comment and I would be happy to answer it for you.

Can You Carry 14 Concrete Pavers With Ease???

Here goes the first product review...

I found what is called brick tongs used mainly by masons. I figured they might work for concrete pavers as well so I ordered a pair.

Whenever we get stuck in a position where we have to carry pavers from point A to point B without a skid steer we just stack em up and lean them against our torso for balance as we walk. Eveyone that has laid pavers has done this and had them shift and fall. Hopefully you had your steelies on. I found a tool that makes hand carrying pavers EASY!

I came across these paver tongs in a masons magazine a long time ago so I bought a pair to test out. I had the perfect job. A residential patio that was fenced in and gates too narrow for a spider or skid steer to place pallets. We couldn't pull a section of fence so we were stuck hand carrying them from gate to rear (fortunatly I knew this before the quote so I built the labor into the cost).The pavers were Dark Holland type pavers, the clean kind you dont want to heap into a wheelbarrel and get banged up.

These tongs allowed each guy to grab 14 pavers with a quick lean of the stack. Hand carry them and set them softly to the ground. You can carry them at arms length so the weight is on resting on your bones and you don't have to muscle them around. Your chest and your chin do not get scratched up and you don't risk crushing fingers when setting them down. You also do not have to bend over as far to pick up or set down.

These tongs really save bodies and make labor quicker when hand carrying pavers. For $20 each I would highly recomend getting a couple sets per crew.

Leave a comment if you have used these and let everyone know what you think. Also, check back often for more product and equipment reviews that will make your life easier and save labor!

Reduce Your Brick Paver Cutting Time By 50%+

The following is a way that will allow you save at least 50% of your time while cutting the body of your patio or driveway.:

Most contractors will lay the majority of the body of the patio, then lay the soldier course and then cut pavers individually to fit in between the two. It's the way I started laying pavers and the way most people learn. If all you have is a table saw then it is the only way.

If you use a handheld cutoff saw then there is an easier way. Lay the body of the patio/walkway/driveway and overlay to where you plan on the soldier course to lay. Next mark out on the body of the pavers where the inner edge of the soldier course will be. To provide a smooth line when a curve is desired use a narrow piece of pvc pipe and have a guy on each end holding it in place and 1 to make the mark. You can also use a long tent pole to get more distance and flexibility. Pave Tech also makes a kit that can be used as a one man show.

Once you have the mark made fire up the Stihl cut off saw and cut all along that line. Make a mental note of what 5cm will look like on your blade so you don't cut too much into the setting sand and base. When you finish the cut pull the scraps, lay your soldier course and that's it. All the tedious cuts at the table saw and trips to and from are saved.

On the smaller pieces you will still have to use the table saw to get good clean cuts. This method will burn through a diamond blade faster than normal since you will have it somewhat in the sand. The time savings will greatly outweigh this additional cost and you will become closer to your diamond blade salesman (I know, just you wanted). This method does take a little getting used to and should only be done with someone comfortable with handling a cutoff saw. Remember safety first.

Let me know if you have any comments, suggestions, or other feedback on this method. Please use the comments section below.