Say goodbye to that ugly driveway
Keeping tires from the landfill and making your home more beautiful
Many Saskatchewan residents will begin their morning commute this summer by rattling over a slab of cracked, spalling and pitted concrete or a patch of deteriorating asphalt. It is possible, though, that they could have that ugly driveway re-surfaced with a beautiful, long-lasting Rubber Stone upgrade by the time they return home that evening.
“You don’t have to remove and replace all the concrete. You just go right over top of it,” said Kaden Angell who, along with Joel Paradis, owns Rubber Stone Saskatchewan, which installs Rubber Stone throughout Central and Southern Saskatchewan.
“There’s no heavy equipment, it’s not loud and there’s no big cleanup, so it is fast, efficient and not messy,” said Paradis. The elimination of the cost of demolition and removal of the existing driveway means that upgrading with Rubber Stone is more cost effective than replacing the concrete.
The fact that this surface can be applied quickly and easily does not mean, however, that it is a low-quality, temporary, quick fix. “Rubber Stone offers premium products. The material we use, we believe, is the highest quality that you can find in this industry,” said Paradis. “The durability of the product is crazy.”
Rubber Stone, unlike virtually all concrete installations, is warrantied against cracking for five years. The material is flexible enough so that even if the concrete, asphalt or paving stone substrate beneath it heaves or shifts any amount up to an inch, the Rubber Stone will not crack.
In addition to driveways, Rubber Stone can be used to upgrade patios, walkways, pool decks, garages and indoor surfaces such as rec rooms.
“It’s great for a pool deck,” said Angell. “It has an added safety feature because it’s
fairly anti-slip compared to concrete, especially something like stamped concrete. Because of this, we’ve done quite a few seniors’ homes and a lot of commercial pools in and around Regina and area.”
If a fall does occur, Rubber Stone provides an appreciably softer landing than concrete does. A yielding surface is also advantageous for people who spend time on the floor, such as exercise buffs or mechanics.
Another positive aspect of Rubber Stone is evident in
the wintertime. Because of its texture, snow and ice do not adhere to it, so a plastic shovel or snowblower is all that is needed to easily remove all snow and ice. Metal blades and scrapers are not recommended for use on this rubber paving product, nor are they required.
This product is not just functional, it is also attractive, and it allows homeowners to customize their outdoor décor. It is available in many colours so it can be chosen to match aspects of the home such as siding or trim. Contrasting colours can be used together to create designs such as house numbers or edging, or the material can be formed into diamond shapes or even intricate patterns like compasses. “If we can draw it out with a stencil, we can make it,” said Angell.
Rubber Stone installers prepare for the project by removing any loose materials and thoroughly cleaning the surface. Then they precoat the area one section at a time with polyurethane, so the new material will bond with the existing material. Then they apply the product, which is a mixture of recycled tires, synthetic rubber (to achieve colour variations) and a polyurethane-based binding agent. It is trowelled on top of - and around the sides of - the old substrate and given a clean, sharp edge. The result is that the new driveway looks like an entirely new, solid piece of Rubber Stone.
The new surface can accommodate foot traffic within 24 hours and vehicles within 72 hours. “You then have a brand-new patio that you can enjoy with your family and friends, and it looks great,” said Paradis.
If a portion of the installation becomes stained or damaged, it can be cut out and replaced with the same colour product. Each granule of coloured synthetic rubber is tinted throughout, so the colour does not rub off, which allows a perfect match with the new section.
Every one to five years – depending on the weather, sun exposure and the type and amount of vehicular traffic – the Rubber Stone surface should be resealed. The cost of this is about one-tenth of the cost of the initial installation.
With minimal maintenance, a Rubber Stone driveway, patio or walkway will continue to look like a showpiece for years to come.