Romancing the Stone Part 2

by Nina A. Koziol

(Editor’s note: In the April issue we covered different types of natural stone and how designers currently use them. For this issue, we spoke with representatives of two of the largest firms of manufactured products — Unilock and Belgard.)

magazines for fresh ideas on hardscape design? What you’ll see is not exactly your parent’s patio of 20 years ago. Like all design trends, things come and go as materials evolve and homeowners’ tastes and styles change.

Think about how you built patios, paths or retaining walls 10 or 15 years ago. Product innovation today gives contractors and clients something novel that can bring a contemporary vibe to landscape projects. We spoke to Brad Gesbocker, general manager at Unilock in Aurora, and Joe Raboine, director of residential hardscapes with Belgard in Atlanta, Georgia, to find out what’s hot.

How have products changed in the past 15 or so years?

“Years ago, everything was smaller — tumbled, cobblestone — those things are going away,” Raboine said. “Now it’s much sleeker and polished-looking overall. The most significant changes to concrete are larger sizes. We have some

Belgard’s Mirage Porcelain slabs provide a contemporary vibe to this patio.

pavers that are 24 by 36 inches, and they’re typically mechanically installed. The ‘natural’ look is still popular, but things are transitioning to a smoother look because people prefer more clean, smooth surfaces. We’re also seeing a lot of pergolas and arbors and the technology has changed — they’ve got electric louvers, built-in lighting and fans.”

For Gesbocker, “Straight lines and bigger shapes have really been the popular thing — large, modern and sleek versus the old traditional look. Larger scale has been a trend—we have a product where one stone is six square feet. The commercial market has really gravitated towards linear designs with multiple shades of color tones and surface textures to provide movement and interest. We’re seeing mechanization of the installation process and that comes into play because labor has been such a challenge for all of our customers. Another benefit to using large slabs is fewer joints. And there’s less maintenance of the joints with larger stones.”

“In 1994, we introduced Brussels Block, a tumbled product that broke away from the old geometric shapes of Uni Decor, Symetry and Unistone,” Gesbocker said. “This product still provides homeowners and contractors with a solid choice and now comes in a Face Mix/ Enduracolor version with Brussels Premier.”

(continued on page 12)

Unilock’s Beacon Hill Smooth Pavers with EnduraColor create a sleek, modern look. The Landscape Contractor June 2021

(continued from page 11) What are some of your most popular products and how are designers using them?

“In the residential market, we have Beacon Hill Smooth or Flagstone and Bristol Valley, which have been a huge success over the last several years,” Gesbocker said. “These products are packaged as a three-shape system with two rectangles and one square. The product sizing and scale fits perfectly for backyard patios and walkways while its thicker version can be used for driveways. The system also has an XL unit that provides close to 6 square feet of coverage each time it’s placed. This shape can be incorporated with the random shapes or installed on its own. Although the XL is heavy at 160 pounds per unit, contractors are realizing great efficiencies when using vacuum tools such as the Unilyft and other vacuums to lay large projects fast.”

Belgard began selling porcelain slabs our color developments have been in gray tones.” Decades ago, pavers faded, he says. “Without specialized aggregate to hold the color and pigment, UV light, acid rain, and overall wear exposed the aggregate underneath. Today, we offer several products with Easy Clean technology, a process that goes beyond surface coating and becomes integral to the product during manufacturing, making spills and other debris easier to clean before a stain can develop.” (Unilock’s EnduraColor product’s refined surface is achieved with a two-step process that combines a base of coarser aggregates for a stronger foundation, with concentrated color and wear-resistant finer aggregates on top. The top layer prevents large, lighter color aggregates from showing through.)

“Color used to be an afterthought— maybe three or four colors — but consumers are so savvy with design that color becomes the most important

about five years ago. “The demand has grown exponentially every year and it’s a big part of the sales,” Raboine said. “The product is about 30 to 40 psi harder than glass and can be used in just about any climate — we’ve sold it for projects in Alaska. It has many pedestrian applications — patios, pathways and pool decks — but it’s possible to use on a driveway on a concrete slab. It’s extremely resistant to stains and scratches and it’s extremely slip-resistant so it’s used around pool decks. Porcelain offers very detailed textures—some that look like natural stone or wood. And porcelain will look the same 100 years from now.”

What about color and color-fastness?

“The Midwest was always a market for harvest colors and browns and we sold that for years,” Gesbocker said. “Reds have been out for a while, and what’s really popular is gray. Most of (continued on page 14)

21283 IL Route 76 Poplar Grove, IL 61065

11228 East County Road X

Lorem Clinton, WI 53525 Salem, WI 7530 288th Avenue Salem, WI 53168 1-262-537-3326

(continued from page 12) thing to us,” Raboine said. “They want contrasting borders, contrasting shapes. It’s forcing us to be more dynamic, fluid and responsive.” (Belgard’s manufacturing process evenly disperses color throughout each paver for consistency. TrueColor is a surface-level, colorenhancing protectant designed to extend color fastness, durability, stain-resistance and UV protection.) “We have deeper, richer colors that last longer. So from a technology perspective, color fastness and stain resistance has come a long way.”

What other hardscape features are in demand?

“Fire pits and fireplaces—fire is huge,” Gesbocker said, “but fire pits are more affordable. There’s been a big demand for outdoor kitchens with builtin appliances. Everyone wants to extend the season on their patio but you just don’t see a small patio with a seat wall anymore. Pergolas, large patios, lighting, outdoor kitchens — the outdoor living room has become a ginormous category.”

“Almost every space we see has a fire pit,” Ragoine said. “With gas, you can do crushed glass, different types of stones and pebbles and make the fire pit linear versus square or round. It gives you a lot of options. There’s been a significant shift to gas to convenience and for design flexibility and it’s being driven by local ordinances. Fireplaces are still very big but costly. They’re a visual anchor for a lot of spaces and you can do really artistic things with them.”

Has the demand grown for permeable pavers?

“Two things are happening,” Raboine said. “They’re being mandated

(continued on page 16)

(continued from page 14)

As stormwater management becomes increasingly important, Belgard’s product development staff are creating new permeable designs in small and large format.

by some municipalities and there’s a growing awareness at the consumer level, although it’s in its infancy in the residential side. Most contractors aren’t suggesting or installing them; they may not be familiar with installation methods. You have to take into account where the water will go. That’s where manufacturers can guide them — we have engineers on staff. It’s more costly (labor wise) because of the excavation and base preparation. We’re investing in new product development. Permeable pavers — smaller sizes — need a certain infiltration rate so we’re creating new permeable designs in large format.”

Unilock was the first company to introduce permeable pavers in North America. “Homeowners are discover(continued on page 18)

(continued from page 16) ing the environmental benefits of this technology,” Gesbocker said. “They’re not only durable and aesthetically pleasing, but they play an important role in the management and conservation of rainwater.”

How did the pandemic affect the business?

“When May and June hit, it was off to the races,” Gesbocker said. “I’m responsible for four sites and 150 employees. We put a ton of protocols in to keep them safe. It was quite interesting to see how the pandemic created so much more demand. The demand hasn’t let up and from what we’re hearing, contractors are booked well into fall.”

“We have a design studio and our authorized contractors send us their plans and we can render them and track the projects and trends,” Ragoine said. “Over the last year, we’ve seen outdoor spaces that people want to use every day. They’re yoga meditation spaces and herb gardens — it signifies a significant shift for us and how they view their space.” “Everyone wants to extend the season on their patio — the outdoor living room has become a ginormous category.” — Brad Gesbocker, Unilock. What do you like best about your job?

“I’ll be with Unilock 26 years,” Gesbocker said. “It’s the people — the incredible team — and the customers. I really enjoy seeing what a contractor can do with a project. The product is one thing, but it takes creativity, design and craftsmanship for the project to last and be enjoyed for the next 30 years.”

“Being a former contractor, I absolutely love designs and product development and that’s what I primarily focus on here,” Raboine said. “When you look at outdoor living and how complex and beautiful these spaces have become, the fact that they bring people together and improve their quality of life…think of another industry that makes things beautiful and encourages those connections. The potential is unlimited.”

For more ideas, visit:

www.belgard.com www.unilock.com