Top Ten Reasons to Install Interlocking Pavingstones

In this modern age, there are many types of materials you can use to pave a surface. They vary from asphalt to bricks to natural stone. Each material comes with its own set of positives and negatives and based upon your project's needs, one will probably differentiate itself from the others. Interlocking Pavingstones will be featured in this discussion.

1. Increased Beauty- Add beauty and curb appeal

Pavingstones are a wonderful addition to any home. They add design elements that certain surfaces (e.g. asphalt) cannot hope to match. They allow a property to stand out as unique, and differentiate your house from the rest.

2. Design Options

Pavers allow for ultimate customization. There are hundreds of different possible blends. For instance, Pacific Interlock offers 20+ differently shaped profiles and over 15 standard colors! This allows you to pick the exact style to match your house. Natural products, such as brick and stone, are limited in the colors they come in, so they may not match your ideal plans.

3. Versatile

Pavingstones can also be used in a variety of settings. Certain products (e.g. some types of natural stone) cannot be subjected to vehicular traffic and are limited to pedestrian use. Likewise, many surfaces are designed to support vehicle traffic, but do not add value to your house (and may in fact take away value). Pavingstones can be used in many ways that other products cannot. Be sure to check out Permeable Pavingstones!

4.  Increased value to your home 

By increasing the beauty of your property, the value of your house should also increase. Installing attractive pavers can invigorate your landscape and give color, style and value to an area that was not adding as much benefit. You are making a worthwhile investment when you install pavingstones.

5. Guarantee

Many companies (including Pacific Interlock) guarantee their product for 30 years. If a company can stand behind their product like that, you can rest assured that this is a good long term investment.

6. Won't crack or break

In order to be considered a paving stone, the individual units must pass a PSI test. Pavers must meet 8000 psi (twice poured concrete's max psi). This, combined with the fact that pavers are individual units that can adjust with the earth's movement, prevents the cracking that can occur in other surfaces.

7.Price comparable to stamped concrete

Since pavers are a concrete product, they do not incur some of the costs that come from natural stone. They are a bit more than concrete or asphalt to install, but most of that difference comes in the labor aspect. The product costs tend to be very similar.

8.Quick and efficient installation process

The paver installation process is relatively simple and can be done by most do-it-yourselfers. It can be convenient to hire a team to do the work for you, but the process is something that can be done by the average homeowner...probably just not as quickly. The pavers require a layer of compacted base, a small layer of levelling sand and the pavers!

9. Easy Repairs

One of the best parts of pavers is that if you need to get to piping underneath, or repair an area where tree roots have uplifted, all you have to do is remove the pavers, do the underground work and put them back. The repair will not be noticeable like it would if you had to cut out a section of concrete and patch it. Even mortared in stone can make the process more difficult.

10. Long term lower cost

With the ability to do repairs easily and the fact that the pavers won't break will lead to a long term low investment cost. Asphalt, while the cheapest initially, requires maintenance every few years. Concrete, depending on the earth movement and degrees of cracking, may need to be repaired regularly. Natural stone may be subject to similar repairs and has a higher initial cost, so it does not offer the benefits of pavers either.

All of this said, this decision comes down to personal preference. Some people are looking for a quick and cheap solution while others love the look of natural stone (we do even offer pavers that mimic the look of natural stone). This list was composed to give a few topics to think about as you go about making this investment in your property.

Something to be thankful for: Monterey County renews Water Conservation Rebates

With funding from California American Water and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, water conservation rebates are back! These rebates include more efficient toilets and water heaters, but they also include landscaping rebates. If you are planning to take out an area of grass, contact this group first! They need to evaluate the site before you take out the turf.

Once you go through an application process, you can qualify for up to $1.00 off your new landscaping. This rebate is good for areas replaced with drought resistant plants or permeable pavement. Join the two types together to create your dream backyard. There are even additional rebates if you use Smart Irrigation Systems, new sprinkler heads, and rain water holding tanks! Contact us if you're looking for a contractor in your area!

Take a look at this website for more info about the rebates: http://www.montereywaterinfo.org/rebatesNEW.html

Santa Clara University in the rain

It has been about 2 years since Hydro-Flo Technology pavers were installed on the Santa Clara University Campus. They are one of the first groups that saw the benefits of using Hydro-Flo Technology. During the downpour on Friday, we captured some images of the project that show how well Hydro-Flo Technology continues to work.

 

This picture goes to show how sometime the pavers can function more effectively than a natural substance (disintegrated granite)!

Hydro-Flo Pavers and Permeable Concrete at the Gilroy Library

The bold colors of B4 Textured Estates create an excellent focal piece

Hydro-Flo Technology Pavers have now been installed at the Gilroy Library for months. In addition to beautifying the landscape, they were installed as a functional tool. Designed to take 3 inches of water per hour, Hydro-Flo pavers are proving themselves to be more slip-resistant and a better environmental alternative.


Hydro-Flo Pavers thrive where normal concrete fails

Take a look and see how puddling can occur on the surface of normal concrete. We've all seen and experienced this. Imagine not having to dodge puddles to get anywhere after a rainstorm! That makes Hydro-Flo an improvement even on natural surfaces!



Permeable concrete also helps keep water off surface

There are alternatives out there. For instance, the library also decided to use permeable concrete for the parking area. The regular concrete still had some puddling on it, while the permeable concrete does not. It has served that purpose very well.



Close-up of "permeable" concrete

I would like to address some of the differences between permeable concrete and Hydro-Flo Pavers. As you can see, "permeable" concrete depends on holes for its permeability. As such, the permeability can be reduced by dirt, leaves and debris collecting in the open spaces. This fault makes you choose between constant maintenance and a clogged system.

Bits of permeable concrete aggregate have broken off

Also, upon arriving, it was clear to me that the concrete was disintegrating. Because permeable concrete is more loosely held together with cement, some of the bits and pieces were breaking apart under the pressure from cars. Now in this application, Hydro-Flo Technology was not used in the parking area, so there is no direct comparison. However, all of Pacific Interlock Pavingstone's pavers (including Hydro-Flo) must meet ASTM and ICPI standards for strength and durability, even under freezing conditions!


In the above picture, there are four options of surfaces. One is the natural planting area. They can look great, and act as great places to keep water on-site. However, they cannot be driven on or walked on after rain (at least for those who don't want to be covered in mud!). Regular concrete is another option. It has proved its usefulness time and time again, though it just isn't permeable. It matches the old mindset of getting the water somewhere else as fast as possible. Permeable concrete has already been discussed, but can be a viable solution. The last option is Hydro-Flo Technology by Pacific Interlock Pavingstone. This offers the strength of concrete, with the permeability of "permeable" concrete, and it mimics a more natural infiltration system. It offers many other benefits as well, but the one I want to mention is the design possibilities! It can come in nearly any color and many shapes and sizes. This option is the icing to the cake for architects and designers. Not only do you have a functional product, but you do not have to sacrifice style to do it.

From Phoenix to Long Beach

Last week, Pacific Interlock Pavingstone was at the ASLA Show in Phoenix, and now we're gearing up for the 2012 Long Beach Landscape Expo.

According to the Landscapeonline.org website, this Landscape Expo "is the longest running landscape trade show and conference in the Southwestern United States dating back to 1960, has once again emerged as the premier landscape event in the region. In 2011, more than 3,500 industry professionals filled a twice-expanded, but still sold out, exhibit hall featuring 265 exhibitors in 557 booths. This year the 2012 Landscape Expo - Long Beach will be . . .The Largest Expo Yet . . . With 586 booths filling the 130,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall the 2012 Landscape Expo - Long Beach offers more booths and more exhibitors than ever before!"

We hope to see you there! Stop by our booth for a demonstration of Hydro-Flo Pavers, the only truly permeable concrete paver that is reimagining the possibility of paved surfaces.

ASLA Annual Meeting

Each year, the American Society of Landscape Architects holds its annual meeting. This year it will be in Phoenix, Arizona with the theme: "Beyond Boundaries: Design, Leadership, and Community." According to ASLA's website, more than 5,000 Landscape Professionals will be at this one location to view all the exciting new technologies and techniques that will keep their business on the forefront of innovation.

Pacific Interlock Pavingstone will be presenting Hydro-Flo Technology Pavers at the Expo on Saturday and Sunday (September 29 & 30). This technology can help us to re-imagine paving. We know that all the impervious surfaces we have created have brought great successes for mankind, but they are also creating some issues. Hydro-Flo Technology can begin to counter some of those negative elements.

By allowing water to pass through the Paving Stones, we are not only able to replenish the groundwater supply, but we are doing it in a way that mimics natural processes. Our recipie contains 48% recycled material, so we are doing our part to help reuse what resources we have available, without having to take more.

The safety benefits and environmental advantages can speak for themselves. Stop by our booth (#1053) to see a demonstration and to renew your imagination for what paving technology could be.

For more information about ASLA or the conference, follow this link: http://www.asla.org/2012meeting/index.html

For more information on Hydro-Flo Technology, follow this link:
www.hydro-flotechnology.com

Hydro-Flo Pavers Expand Use in Santa Barbara

One of the largest installations of Hydro-Flo Pavers is the ongoing project at different areas around the University of California-Santa Barbara campus. As a part of the overall project, Hydro-Flo was recognized as an influencial part in helping the rennovation to recieve a Gold "STARS" Award from the UC Environmental Rating system.

UCSB has been constantly installing the pavers in new areas, with the most recent project being in front of Carillo Dining Commons. Continuing to use the SB Tan color, this area incorporates a pattern of 6x12 and 6x6 Estate series Pavers.

 

 

 

The great thing now is that projects in the area have seen what Hydro-Flo Pavers have done on the UCSB campus and are now beginning to use these unique permeable pavers to serve other sites around the city of Santa Barbara. The IV Loop and Santa Ynez apartment complexes have chosen to do just that.

With the one decision to incorporate Hydro-Flo Pavers into their extensive plaza and walkways, these apartment complexes are committing to "green" their previously impervious walking surfaces. These pavers will impact the community for many years to come as they have the potential to return millions of gallons of water to aquifers over the course of their lifetime. In addition, there will be some hidden benefits as well, such as reducing the slip hazard present on hardscape surfaces.
The IV Loop Project even features our new 8x16 Pavillion Paver in our Grey/Charcoal Color. Keep your eyes open for More Hydro-Flo Projects on the way! You'll really have to watch closely, since you can hardly tell our standard pavers from Hydro-Flo!



Palo Alto High- Stadium Entrance

As the Palo Alto School District continues to update and restore their schools, they are making an extra effort not only to complete the task, but to use this opportunity to create something that the district can be proud of.

Entrance pathway with athletic fields in background.

The disctrict was looking for soemthing to make the entrance to the Viking's Home Turf memorable. The Pavers create a unique entry point that will look beautiful and will stand the test of time. The Estate 3 pcs Pattern, which contains three differently sized pavers (12"x12", 6"x12", and 6"x6") creates an elegant entryway lined with a pattern that interests the eye.

Project underway, even in the rain!

 

Obviously, the job is incomplete in these pictures, but it should be done relatively soon. Then the Paly High Vikings will have a complete stadium facility. 

Stone of the Week: Pavillion Stone

It is only fitting that since we just got a new mold in, that the paver it makes should be the stone of the week! Get your first glimpse of the Pavillion Stone! This oversized Pavillion Stone evokes a sense of simple grandeur that everyone can enjoy. Create a luxurious courtyard to introduce a park-like element to your project. With the choice of either textured or smooth surfaces and plenty of color options, the Pavillion paver is sure to match any environment for years to come.

For those of you who are familiar with our projects, you might recognize this paver. Its dimensions match the 8"x16" stone of the Grand Estate pattern. You can only purchase the Grand Estate as it comes (all three sizes of stones on one pallet), so the Pavillion Stone is the first time any one of these single stones can be purchased separately. They can be used to create a border around your Grand Estate project, or they can be used alone as a simple yet elegant stone.

Be one of the first to have the Pavillion Stone installed at your home or business!

Closter Park Remodeled

The Rotary Club has been known to be the catalyst for many great changes in neighborhoods around the United States. That legacy has certainly continued in Salinas this year.

Closter Park is located in East Salinas and has been the location of many violent incidents in the past few years. Surrounded by low income housing, the park is also the main place for young children to play. In an attempt to bring about neighborhood pride, the Rotary Club gathered donations and unified a work force to go out and make changes to the park.

Pacific Interlock Pavingstone saw the good that the Rotary Club was trying to do and hopped on board, supplying 10,000 square feet of Hydro-Flo Pavingstones to promote responsible water management and the positive growth of Salinas Youth.

If you get a chance, go and explore the park. Take a look at the sponsors and be sure to thank them for their efforts!

Mardonia Cemetery Complete

The Madronia Cemetery Project is now complete. Hydro-Flo Pavers were installed on site. These have the potential to return many thousands of gallons of water to the subsoil over their lifespan. They will also help to prevent slippage as they will eliminate puddles.



The water from the sprinklers is already percolating through the pavers!



The Estate Pavers give a modern look the the park-like cemetery.

Hydro-Flo Pavers Now Feature 48% Recycled Content

Just as the headline states, Hydro-Flo Technology Pavers have now been deemed to contain 48% post-consumer recycled material. Pacific Interlock's Hydro-Flo Technology now adds to its already expansive repetoire of safety and environmental features. Now you can be assured that your Hydro-Flo Pavers have the potential to return up to 3 inches of water per hour, while being composed of green ingredients!

Mission Playground Renovation- San Francisco

The Mission Playground has served as a refuge in the City of San Francisco for many years now. Recently, the park has been undergoing renovations to revamp the park with new fields, play structures and open spaces. The first part of the park has reopened, and what a beautiful start to the project.

 Hydro-Flo Technology Pavers are being used for the park's many walkways and promenades. Since this park maintains a water-park component, these stones will offer the vital safety that children will need when running around.

In addition to the invaluable safety benefits, these pavers have the potential to keep MILLIONS of gallons of water from flooding the streets, while replenishing groundwater sources.

Paver of the Week: Grand Estate

Welcome to your luxurious patio created with the Grand Estate Profile. The Grand Estate Profile features 3 different sized stones (15.6"x15.6", 15.6"x7.8" and 7.8"x7.8") all on the same pallet. They are designed so that you can lay the pattern exactly as it appears on the pallet. This allows for a simple installation of a beautiful pattern. There is also an alternate "Freeform" pattern, if the standard 3-Piece Pattern doesn't suit you.  

The Grand Estate takes the square shapes of the estate series, meshes them with a slightly textured surface, and increases the size of the Paver. These features give the appearence of an elegently designed natural stone. The size and layout of the stone truly maximize the elegance of the space you are creating.

Consider using Hydro-Flo Technology to create a Permeable surface out of a previously impervious surface. Keeping water onsite and out of the stormdrain will positively impact the environment for years! Aside from safety and green benefits, the best part about the pavers is that they have very little required maintenance, especially when compared to permeable systems.

Paver of the Week: Textured Estate Series

If the modern lines of the Estate paver do not match your goals, perhaps the natural stone appearance of the Textured Estate Series offered by Pacific Interlock Pavers will be more suited for the job.

Textured Estate stones do vary from the Estate Pavers in a few ways though. First off, as the name would suggest, they have a surface texture. This texture conveys a more natural appearance. Additionally, the stones do not posses a beveled edge. That enables the texture to go all the way to the edge of the paver, thereby maintaining the natural rock look of the Textured Estate.

Textured Estates and Estates do have some qualities in common. The Textured Estate Series comes in the same sizes as the Estate Series (6"x6", 6"x12", and 12"x12") and thus offers a wide variety of pattern options. They are also available in nearly every possible color option we offer. They are also available at the same prices as the Standard Estates, so it is not an additional cost for the textured look.

Paver of the Week: Estate Series

Pavingstones are a wonderful addition to any home. They have the potential to take a monotonous concrete space and turn it into a unique feature of your property. Pavingstones set your landscape apart from the rest. Embrace a mondern look with our Estate Series Pavers. The straight, sharp lines of  the beveled edges create a stunning patio area.





The Estate series comes in 12"x12", 12"x6" and 6"x6" stones. These compatible sizes allow for infinite creativity in your patterns. Use one or all the stone sizes to create the exact design to match your house. In addition to a wide variety of patterns, the Estate Series pavers also come in 14 standard colors and color blends.




In addition to creating a beautiful space, pavingstones make it easy to repair underground utilities and make adjustments for tree roots. No one will be able to tell you had any work done at all!

Gilroy Library Gains Approval of the Community with help from Hydro-Flo Pavers

 


Photo by Lora Schraft/Gilroy Dispatch.

For some time, Gilroy realized a new library was needed in order to meet the growing needs of the community. The city was backed in 2008 by the overwhelming support of voters who passed the bond measure with a 70% margin, despite a lack of state funding. The city took the lead with a focus on stewardship as they began construction of the facility.  The city acted as excellent caretakers of the public money as the job finished $3 million under the anticipated budget. Additionally, the city had resolved that all their new construction would try to meet environmental standards established by LEED. Those careful efforts of the city have been clearly seen throughout the entire process, including their selection of Hydro-Flo Permeable Pavers from Pacific Interlock Pavingstone.

Photo by Lora Schraft/Gilroy Dispatch.

The Library should serve as a source of pride for Gilroy as it truly makes the community a better place. The library houses over 150,000 pieces of literature, poetry, music and movies, with plenty of space to study in comfort. However, it is not only its functionality that makes it such a wonderful place. It is also a very beautiful space. Hidden among the architecture and landscaping is the commitment to the environment. The project is slated to reach Gold in the LEED Rating system (after a 1 year evaluation period). This rating depends on many different environmentally conscious avenues, from lighting to power generation to water conservation. With most of the exterior elements designed by Karen Aitken (http://aitkenlandscapes.com/), the library creates both as architectural beauty while being a space that is beneficial to the environment. Take note of the Hydro-Flo paving stones. While they provide a beautiful outdoor space, they subtly serve a very important function. The 25,000+ square feet of pavers are truly surface permeable. That means, whenever it rains, or the landscape irrigation overshoots, the water will not run off into a storm sewer system, but will rather stay on site after travelling through the Hydro-Flo Pavers. This will also help to maintain public safety by reducing the amount of slippery surfaces. The Hydro-Flo Technology can help projects qualify for up to 5 LEED credits, including water conservation, stormwater management, and heat island reduction (SRI).


Hydro-Flo Pavers create a beautiful patio that helps the environment in a variety of ways.

This weekend marked the first time the Gilroy library was open to the public. There was standing room only at the opening ceremonies as more than 500 people occupied all available outdoor seating while a variety of local leaders spoke about the brand new building. Over 6000 people travelled through the doors of the facility on Saturday. The community quickly established the space as their own as kids flopped on the new furniture, eagerly listening to stories read by their families. Adults and children both marvelled at the brand new space that they helped bring about, and with good reason. Pacific Interlock Pavingstone is proud to have our Hydro-Flo pavers installed in such a beautiful and important public venue.

Madronia Cemetary Project Underway

Since 1863, Madronia Cemetery in Saratoga was created as a park-like space so that the living can have a beautiful place to remember their heritage. Set among the many species of trees, the grave sites act as points of memory for people how have loved ones resting in Saratoga. For those without a friend or family member buried there, it is a wonderful place to learn about the local history and see the legacy they left behind.

As a part of Madronia Cemetery's committment to the living, as well as the deceased, they have begun installing Hydro-Flo Paving stones to further their goals of creating a beautiful space, while decreasing their impact on the environment. By using Hydro-Flo pavers, Madronia Cemetery has also committed to ensuring the safety and comfort of its visitors. During rainstorms, there will be no more puddles to step in, nor will there be slip hazards. In addition to safety concerns the water will be allowed to percolate back into the earth, leaving the site in an almost natural state.

Paving Stone of the Week: Arizona

Arizona is known for its ranging deserts, wide open spaces, and beatiful stone colors. Collect them all in our stunning Arizona paver. The curved lines and smooth pattern harken to warm, sunny days where you can sit on the patio and enjoy the company of your family and friends.

They capture the warmth of your house and carry it late into the night, so your BBQ/Bonfire will be the best place to be on those perfect evenings. Enjoy stargazing from the "open plains" of your new patio. These Arizona stones have a style all their own that will compliment your backyard perfectly.

These stones are available in B3, B4, B5, B6 and B7...check out our colors on www.pacinterlock.com! Call us for your free quote!

Citrus Heights Inaugural Earth Day Celebration

Check out this link to see a preview of the celebration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go_8_bl6DR0

Hydro-Flo Pavers return water to aquifers

If you're located in California, you'll know that we've gotten quite a bit of rain this past week. All that rain has needed someplace to go, and for the most part, it had no option but to puddle on our roads, parking lots and hardscapes. Since everything depends on water for its health, it would really be to our benefit to hold on to as much water as possible on-site, or near to where we live, rather than sending it away in storm drains.

Fortunately, Hydro-Flo Technology exists to help reduce safety risks and replenish ground water sources. The Technology allows for our paving stones to be 100% surface permeable, without compromising strength or style.

This photo of our Holland Hydro-Flo pavers was taken today (4/13/12), even after a few days of rain. The right hand side is a road with asphalt that has sent all of its water into the gutter. The very left side of the picture (to the left of the white post) is all of our regular pavers. They happen to be draining their water onto the Hydro-Flo section (as you can see with the more reflective surfaces). By the time the water gets halfway across the surface, the water has mostly disappeared into the stones. *NOTE* Hydro-Flo Pavers are not intended to be used as a drain system. However, this picture shows that they can control water that lands directly on the stones as well as some neighboring sections under certain circumstances.