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J UNE 2018 | 11 Landscape Products Landscape products take on porcelain, rich colours and even virtual reality by LAURIE JONES Paving The Way E veryone understands the importance of curb appeal, and yet while landscape products have come a long way in recent years, manufactures have only just begun to satisfy the need for that special look. In addition to their selection of retaining walls and pavers, Expocrete Concrete Products offers one of the newest options for clients who are doing land- scape renovations – a 3D virtual reality tour of their design and space using Belgard actual virtual reality (VR) goggles. "We're really excited about the abil- ity to have homeowners design and experience their outdoor space in virtual reality," says John Moroz, director of marketing. "Clients work with their con- tractor and use Belgard Design Studio to complete their 3D and VR rendering. This enables the home- owner to do a virtual walk-through of their space before a shovel has hit the ground. People often have a difficult time seeing what the finished product will look like from a two-dimensional drawing. Belgard Virtual Reality takes away the guessing." PAVERS Expocrete Concrete Products has gone into larger paving stone options with the Aria – a 12- by 24-inch slab, and the Avalon Collection, a three-piece modu- lar unit. "Avalon's smallest size is six by 12 inches, and it goes up to 12 by 12," says Moroz. "We are taking influences from inside the home and bringing that to outdoor living with larger format stones versus tradi- tional first generation products." For Abbotsford Concrete Products, one item that has taken off in the last couple years is porcelain tile. "This is in every landscape architects' toolbox right now," says Anders Danielsson, technical sales repre- sentative. "It's all about the outside." Danielsson explains that the difference between inside and outside porcelain is the thickness. "Our Aristokrat line offers exterior porcelain tiles that are two-centimetres thick. They can be put on pedes- tals, they can be put on an aggregate base, they can be mortar set for a driveway – we've done two drive- ways now – so these tiles have opened up an entirely new pallet for landscape architects," Danielsson says. "The products come in a large variety, they don't con- tain cement so there is no efflorescence, and because of its high-density surface, it can't even be sealed; so any spills are just surface stains. This makes it way easier for cleanup and the material is so hearty, you can even use a harsh acid for a cleaner if nothing else takes a stain off." The Aristokrat line is available in 18 by 18, 18 by 35, 24 by 24, 24 by 36, and 24 by 48. "The woodgrain-look tiles are nine by 36. We had one client that did a large project with a 2,800-square-foot deck on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The deck was all porce- lain woodgrain tiles in three different colours." Mutual Materials is introducing its VividPAVE Matrix product for 2018. The ultra-premium Matrix pavers offer rich colours with smooth surfaces designed for outdoor hardscape projects. "Mutual Materials is adding modern design styles to our hardscape product line with the introduction of VividPAVE Matrix pavers and Architextures retain- ing wall coming this summer," says Vito Lore, Canada business development manager. "Both new products are ideally suited towards creating modern outdoor living areas – pairing sleek linear design style with a surface that is smooth compared to traditional hard- scape products. There is also unique stain-resistance integrated into the VividPAVE Matrix pavers to help keep paved patios and walkways looking new for years to come." Lore adds, "The colours of the pavers are resistant to constant outdoor use with barbecues and spills, not to mention the damp Pacific Northwest weather." The Matrix pavers are available in four classic sizes, giving installers the ability to mix shapes, patterns, and colour for dramatic effect. Aristokrat Bluestone exterior porcelain tiles from Abbotsford Concrete Products. VividPAVE Matrix pavers from Mutual Materials.

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