38 “The advice I can provide to someone who is considering landscaping their home is to have a qualified SNL (Saskatchewan Nursery Landscape Association Member) to go through the project and decide on an estimate or design,” he recommended. “The homeowner would also have to consider how long they plan to live at the residence.” Landscaping adds value to properties, Polley said. “A beautiful landscaped yard is something to look at and admire and also to be functional and used by the whole family. How do you put a cost on quality of life?” he said. “In my 30 plus years of being in the landscaping industry, I have yet to ever hear back from any customers that they were disappointed by having their landscaping enhanced to a quality outdoor living space. There is a little bit of pain when people decide to go up to an enhanced yard landscaped, but when they get to that plateau try and get them down to a lower standard of outdoor living.”
Saskatoon
Meanwhile, Berry of Expocrete said pavers also have become a useful product for inner city in-fill and redevelopment projects, providing many with an upscale face lift. “People are having second thoughts about concrete only. Our climatic conditions -- with the freeze and thaw cycles – can create cracks, chips and flakes that are difficult and expensive to repair,” he said. “Pavers can be easily repaired and now come in a wide variety of colors, patterns and textures.” Expocrete Concrete Products Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of paving stones, retaining wall systems and masonry units. The company was established 30 years ago in Acheson, near Edmonton, and has added a state-of-the-art plant in Balzac, near Calgary. Expocrete acquired Weldon’s Concrete on 11th Street West in Saskatoon and has developed a living showroom for all of its products. “People can see all of the wall systems and pavers on display when they come
Summer 2009
to visit us,” Berry said. “We will provide them a dealers list so they can buy through their favourite or nearest retail store.” Expocrete supplies a dealer network of 35 retail outlets in Saskatchewan including RONA, Co-op Lumber and independent dealers. The company’s product is most visible along the South Saskatchewan River in downtown Saskatoon where its pavers cover 100,000 square feet of River Landing. “With 30 years of experience, we recognize the demand for green building products and are happy to offer products that are environmentally beneficial and can contribute to the process of achieving LEED points,” Berry said. He said paving stones have many advantages over concrete and asphalt. “We offer a wide range of different surface finishes, colors, shapes and laying patterns to compliment the architectural style of the home,” Berry said. “In addition, there is a moderate initial cost, can be installed by a homeowner and stained or
Saskatoon
broken pavers can easily be lifted and replaced. To give old world charm, a specialized tumbling process is used that rounds out the edges and corners. This “Roman” appearance gives the feel of a patio or driveway that could have been built centuries ago. JOE RALKO
Info ■ Allan’s Landscaping Ltd. 777-60th Street West, Saskatoon Store - 306.384.4763, Landscape Services 306.249.4600 www.allanslandscaping.com ■ Weldon’s Concrete Products, A Division of Expocrete Concrete 1800 11th Street West, Saskatoon 306.665.3211 www.expocrete.com
Summer 2009
THE ROOM Summertime Living is Easy In the Outdoor Living Room More and more people are spending their time, effort and money to enjoy a Saskatchewan summer in their own backyard. “The current trend is that more people are personalizing their backyards and patios more than they used to,” said Curtis Shawaga, sales manager for Paradise LeisureScapes in Saskatoon. “People are willing to sink more money into what used to be called the backyard patio because it has become a focal point of their home and of their lives. The outdoor living room now is a very important area of the house.” Paradise LeisureScapes, founded in 1970, carries all the products to bring the comforts of indoors to the great outdoors. From outdoor area rugs to dishwasher-safe patio dinnerware, their accessories can handle anything our Saskatchewan climate can dish out. “In the past, the typical backyard patio had a table and light, stackable chairs. People would shop for these sets at big box type stores. Those people still exist but what we’ve seen in the last couple of years are couples who want to develop a complete backyard patio room,”
Today’s outdoor furniture is sophisticated in design, comfortable and durable.
Shawaga explained. “This includes not only upscale furniture but landscaping with granite, slate or marble. Some are even building complete kitchens as part of the patio. In addition, there are those that incorporate a pool or landscaped hot tub with the backyard patio design.” Planning is the key to success, he said. Paradise LeisureScapes works with designer Sasha Reiber’s House Appeal to create a complete three-di-
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