Protecting Your Investment

You have just invested in having an interlocking paver project for your home.

In this blog I will explain how to best maintain your new hardscaping investment and how and what your warranty covers.

There are many manufacturers of interlocking pavers, slabs and retaining walls on the market today. Stone Orchard Landscaping has long established relationships with Unilock, Techo Bloc and Permacon. In this blog when I speak about hardscaping products, it will be understood that I am referring to products manufactured by these big three manufacturers.

So you have just had a new driveway, walkway, porch, patio or retaining wall built at your home. It is beautiful, you love the look and feel. You are over the moon and thrilled with how it turned out. You were told it comes with a lifetime warranty, which it does. Like anything, it will require some maintenance to ensure your hardscaped project looks great for years and years to come.

Weeds

Understand that most weed seeds are airborne. It is not impossible for weeds to germinate in between the interlocking pavers. If the polymeric sand was installed correctly, then these weeds will have a difficult time getting established. Other weeds which develop from underground runners cannot get established and pop up between pavers if the base was built correctly in the first place. In the past, basic sand was used as a joining material and weeds frequently got established. Today, a polymeric sand is used, which hardens and relieves homeowners from this maintenance burden.

Snow Removal

Shovel snow with a plastic shovel. Snow blowers can be used but set the guide one half inch off of the surface of the paver. If you have a snow removal service which operates a plough, make sure that they use a Teflon blade. If you intend to apply ice melting products, avoid using magnesium-based products. Simple rock salt is recommended and will not affect your warranty.

Spring Maintenance

Check for creep, especially your first spring after installation. Creep is when winter frost pushes pavers out against the edge restraint. If this occurs, call your contractor immediately to have this repaired. Stone Orchard Landscaping offers a ten year warranty against any installation malfunction. If creep occurs, we want to know and fix it right away.

Power wash your hardscaped area to remove salt, sand and any other winter debris.

Fall Maintenance

Remove all and any leaves and other debris regularly. Leaves that are allowed to sit for any length of time may stain the paver. You can use a power washer, hose or broom.

Sealant

Sealants may or may not be used. They are not required and do not affect your warranty. A sealant is used to preserve and enhance the colour of the paver. If they are used, you can expect to reapply a sealant every 3 – 5 years.

Warranty

The hardscaping pavers, slabs and retaining wall products I use and recommend come with a lifetime warranty. Stone Orchard Landscaping offers a ten year warranty against installation defects. If there is to be any heaving, sinking or creep, it will most likely happen after the first winter. The manufacturer’s lifetime warranty covers the structural integrity of that product over normal residential use. Essentially, the hardscape product is warrantied against cracked, splitting, and flaking. With other manufacturers pavers, these things do actually happen.

Interlocking stone projects are designed for you, the homeowner, to be relatively maintenance free. Contractors like myself build these projects and recommend products to last for a very long time. I hope you have found this information helpful. If you have any further questions what so ever, please feel free to reach out to Mark at Stone Orchard Landscaping. I am always happy to help.

Til next time,

Mark Calhoun

Stone Orchard Landscaping

289 338 9741

mark@stoneorchardlandscaping.com

/by

Gator Base: A More Sustainable, Cost-Effective, and Labour Reducing Way To Install Pavers

As a landscape business owner, I am always looking for more efficient ways to complete projects without compromising the high standards I have set for myself. And a vital component of my company’s core values is to continuously strive for environmental sustainability.  Luckily, Gator Base is an excellent product that allows for a more sustainable, cost-effective, and labour minimizing option for paving. 

I have known about Gator Base for the past several years, but I must admit that I was a bit skeptical. Luckily, this past February – I had the opportunity to attend a seminar to learn more about Gator Base. I am now convinced that this new way of building is not only much better for the environment, but it can also greatly reduce labour costs. 

How Is Gator Base Better For The Environment? 

A traditional interlocking stone installation would require a minimum of six inches of crushed stone, in addition to a couple of inches of screenings before laying down a paver. With a Gator Base installation, the six inches of crushed stone is eliminated. This means that there will be less machines excavating native soil. There will be less large diesel trucks hauling material. Less native soil will be dumped into our landfill sites. Less crushed stone will be quarried from the ground. And the best part is that each one of these factors positively impacts our environment! 

How Does Gator Base Help Reduce Labour? 

As per the reasons mentioned above – less labour means less costs will be associated with the installation of paving projects. Furthermore, without the need to excavate as much native soil, there is a huge reduction in wear and tear on heavy equipment like skid steers. Not to mention less wear and tear on company trucks and trailers. And most importantly, less wear and tear on your labour force – meaning less fatigue and less WSIB claims. And for all these reasons, it seems like using Gator Base is an absolute no brainer. 

Does Gator Base Perform Better Than A Traditional Build?   

At the seminar I attended we were presented with some facts – which I will happily share with you. In the five years since Gator Base has been available in Ontario, they have had zero claims against them. The sample size is quite large as well – 527,000 square feet of pavers have been installed on Gator Base during this time frame alone and with zero claims. This caught my attention. I would never introduce a new product if its performance was less than a standard crushed stone build. Additionally, this product is now endorsed by Unilock and Techo Bloc, which are two of the top leaders in the paving stone industry. 

From now on, I will be using Gator Base on all my patio, walkway, and pool installations.  

Additional Benefits of Gator Base Include: 

  • It reduces the amount of freeze thaw cycles due to its R 3.6 insulating value 
  • It is manufactured using lightweight high–density polypropylene 
  • It is permeable 

To learn more about Gator Base, please visit their website.  

If you would like to continue this conversation further, please leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook. I would love to hear your thoughts. And as always, feel free to give us a call today to see how we can make your backyard oasis come to life. 

Call: (289) 338-9741 

Email: admin@stoneorchardlandscaping.com 

Until Next Time,  

Mark

Image courtesy of Gator Base.

/by