Landscape Newsletter Issue 27 |
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Get Impressive Results with Allan Block |
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Bobby and Kristy Loff are Do-it-Yourselfers to the extreme.
Purchasing a home in New Jersey back in 2003, they spent 6
years completely redoing every aspect from top to bottom to get
it just the way they wanted.
When it came time to tackle their landscaping, they started researching on the internet and magazines and determined what they wanted - paver patio, retaining walls and beautiful plantings to accent the space – a nice comfortable back yard area. Having never installed pavers or retaining walls, they contacted Clayton Block and Don Clayton for more information and to determine if this was a project they could tackle or would need to hire a contractor. Don went over all of the product options available to them including the Allan Block website and all of the How-To Weekend Projects. Bobby continued his research, watched all of Allan Block’s How-To videos and then changed their original design entirely after seeing all of the options that would create their backyard space into new “Outdoor Rooms”. They were excited. Entertaining family and friends was an important element they considered when redesigning their space. With large extended families on both sides, they needed an area that could easily accomodate a large group, and still feel intimate. Armed with How-To sheets in hand, notes from watching the videos and some of their friends, they began their backyard makeover. The patio and fire pit were finished the summer of 2009. In the spring of 2010 they added one more item to their creation, an outdoor bar and grilling station. They created the bar using AB Courtyard and finished it with a granite countertop, built-in sink, ice maker, and a beverage cooler. AB Courtyard pillars were built around wood posts holding up the roof to complete the outdoor bar. To accommodate more guest seating they built AB Courtyard walls between the pillars. The Loff’s love their new outdoor space and without the knowledge they learned from allanblock.com and the knowledgeable sales staff at their local dealer, they could not have imagined and created their very own paradise. |
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Proper Soils and Compaction = Building on Solid GroundBuilding an Allan Block wall is not rocket science, but does take some knowledge about the materials you are working with. As with most things, the better the materials are, the easier the entire job is. |
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Lets Start with SoilsUnderstanding the properties and characteristics of soils is key to building better walls. Different soil types will dictate the amount of time needed for compaction, the amount of reinforcement required, and potentially the cost of the wall. Granular soils are better to build with than clay soils. Sand and gravel will compact better, drain better, and often will need less reinforcement. With many job sites choosing your soil is not an option; it is what makes up your site, but knowing what needs to be done with the type of soil you have will ensure good results.Clay soils put more pressure on a wall than sandy soils because they hold moisture. To identify the soils, a good test is to pick up a small handful of the soil from at least 12 in. (300 mm) below the surface and squeeze it to form a ball. See the description of different soils below and how you can tell the difference and where they are best used. |
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 Clay SoilsClay soil will stick together to form a ball. Clay soils retain moisture which will add pressure behind the walls. Typically most soils will be classified as clay and can be used in your project. However, they may require additional reinforcement. |
 Sandy SoilsSandy soil will not stick together because they are granular with no silty fine particles. These soils allow for good drainage and are ideal for building walls. |
 Organic SoilsOrganic soils will stick together but will not hold once the pressure is released. They should only be used to finish off the top 8 in. (200 mm) of a wall.NEVER use organic soils to build the wall. |
Wall RockThe soils used below and behind the wall are a critical part of the total wall structure. A reinforced landscape wall contains four basic building materials - the AB blocks, wall rock, geogrid reinforcement (if required), and the infill soils surrounding the geogrid layers. During the installation process, use wall rock to create the leveling pad below the wall, in the block cores and behind the wall a minimum of 12 in. (300 mm). See the description of what wall rock consists of below.Building a Solid FoundationIf the on-site soils are of a very low quality under or behind the wall, you should remove and replace them with stronger soils. Using stronger soils will reduce reinforcement, allow faster compaction and have better long-term performance. Heavy clays and organic soils are both unsuitable in the reinforced zone and should be removed and replaced. Silty sands and sand with clay will require additional care, and attention to water management when placed and compacted. |
 Wall RockWall rock is used behind the wall and beneath the base course to build a solid foundation. Made up of a crushed or smooth stone, well-graded, compactible and ranging in size from 0.25 in. to 1.5 in. (6 to 38 mm). |
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Hidden Benefits of the AB® Collection |
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The AB Collection has many different block options to choose
from that offers a classic cut stone look and feel to the project.
The smaller blocks of the collection - AB Jumbo Junior, AB Junior Lite
and AB Lite Stone are perfect to build small to medium sized garden or
landscape walls. The larger blocks - AB Stones and AB Classic are great
for any application, but work best for medium to large landscape or
commercial walls. With the blocks being modular, you can also blend
them together to build patterned walls with an awesome “wow” factor.
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In the
AB Collection
you will find our signature block - AB Stones.
This is a good choice for any wall construction project. The built in
setback delivers great leverage, performance and stability. AB Stones
is the leader of the pack - the first block of the AB Collection and the
unsung hero of the segmental retaining wall world.
No other product on the market can offer the same efficient performance and durability, while creating solutions with lasting beauty. With a 12° nominal setback, retaining walls using AB Stones can be built taller in good soil before reinforcement is necessary. This saves you time and money. When planning your project, check out allanblock.com for all of the great ideas, videos, tools and much more and see for yourself the benefits of using AB Stones from the AB Collection of products. |
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