Composite Masonry ProductsVAST Blog
News, talk, opinions, tips and tricks. All in one place.
April 6th, 2010 | Andy
BD+C Details VAST Rooftop Project
Building Design and Construction magazine recently profiled the new Investors Real Estate Trust (IRET) headquarters utilizing VAST Composite Pavers to create a rooftop outdoor living space.
March 19th, 2010 | Andy
Paver Cleaning Advice from Landscape Care Magazine
Total Landscape Care just published a good article about how to clean and maintain traditional concrete and clay pavers as well as VAST composite pavers.
Some of their advice:
- Avoid using pressure washers to clean pavers. It can remove joint sand and possible damage the install.
- Always test any cleaner on a small hidden portion to make sure it won’t affect the pavers color.
- Muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) is a great, aggressive cleaner, but it can stain traditional concrete pavers that have color additives. VAST composite pavers are completely unaffected by muriatic acid.
- For moss and algae removal use a three-to-one solution of water and chlorine bleach (one to one dilution in severe cases).
- Use post-emergent weed killers to handle growth in paver joints, and pre-emergent weed killers as a preventative measure.
- As water evaporates from new concrete and clay pavers, calcium hydroxide (efflorescence) will come to the surface negatively affecting appearance. You can wait several months for it to wash away or use VAST composite pavers which have no efflorescence.
March 17th, 2010 | Andy
Newsletter Launch
We’re happy to announce the launch of our new monthly newsletter! We are mindful of your time and want to offer only information you care about.
Each month, we’ll share customer stories using VAST products to accomplish their project goals, general green building intelligence and all the latest goings-on here at VAST.
Signing up is painless and quick, and if you decide later this isn’t for you, unsubscribing is as simple as clicking the link in any email. Sign Up Here
March 17th, 2010 | Andy
Monomers Versus Composite Masonry
VAST recently took home the “Design for Sustainability” award at the Society of Plastics Engineers Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC) in Orlando, FL. Additionally, VAST was runner up in the Clean Tech Business forum won by Amsterdam-based Avantium, a biopolymer and biofuel technology company.
March 2nd, 2010 | Andy
Not Your Typical Driveway
I believe that Marcel LaPerriere of Southeast Cedar Homes in Sitka, Alaska has won the coveted VAST Creative Design Award! Okay, so this award doesn’t exist, but his compass-inspired driveway would certainly be a strong contender.
Check out these other pics courtesy of his blog.
Want to learn to cut VAST pavers like Marcel? Check out our cutting instructional videos.
February 26th, 2010 | Andy
Introducing New 4×8-inch Composite Paver
Press Release
Award-winning VAST Composite Landscape Pavers — Manufactured in VAST’s Advanced Composite Material Made from Recycled Rubber and Plastics — Are Now Available in the Size Most Preferred by Architects, Builders and Contractors
MINNEAPOLIS – February 25, 2010 – VAST® Enterprises, LLC, a material science research and manufacturing company, announced that it has developed a new version of VAST Composite Landscape Pavers in a 4×8-inch size. “Our first composite masonry product, which debuted in 2007, was our 3×6-inch landscape paver,” said Steve Smith, vice president, business development, VAST Enterprises, LLC. “The 4×8 inch size is the most popular for large commercial hardscapes such as parking areas, walkways, building entrances and plazas. We developed our 4×8 paver and installation grid in response to increasing demand for VAST Composite Pavers in a larger size for more expansive applications.”
Manufactured in VAST’s proprietary composite blend of up to 95 percent recycled car tires and plastic containers, VAST Composite Pavers fulfill the most demanding requirements for hardscape beauty, design versatility, toughness, and installation efficiency. VAST’s innovative composite material imparts deep colors, excellent slip resistance and unbeatable strength at one-third the weight of concrete pavers.
“VAST Composite Landscape Pavers in the new 4×8-inch size weigh less than nine pounds per square foot, compared to 30 to 35 pounds per square foot for concrete pavers,” said Smith. “The weight advantage makes VAST pavers less costly to transport, easier to handle, and ideal for constructing patios and decks up on rooftops.”
VAST’s patented grid system enables contractors to work more efficiently, saving time and reducing the amount of labor required to set and align pavers. The VAST grids, manufactured in the same composite material as VAST pavers, are laid out on a compacted sand base just like the base for conventional pavers. Installers then insert VAST pavers into the grid — in any designed pattern — and the pavers are automatically spaced and aligned. That saves time while ensuring correct alignment. Moreover, once the grids are placed on a prepared base, contractors can get their crews working from multiple starting points simultaneously. That can also speed up the VAST installation process.
“We engineered a new installation grid design for the 4×8-inch VAST Composite Landscape Pavers,” said Smith. “The 4×8-inch size will make installation even faster, because it reduces the number of pieces per square foot by 44 percent compared to the 3×6-inch version.”
Award-winning VAST Composite Pavers are the best choice for green building and sustainable development projects. The VAST manufacturing process starts with post-consumer recycled rubber and plastics, consumes 82 percent less energy than concrete product manufacture, releases minimal greenhouse gas emissions (89 percent less carbon dioxide compared to concrete products), generates no volatile organic compounds, yields zero scrap, and creates products that are 100 percent recyclable.
“VAST Composite Pavers are cradle-to-cradle green and help projects earn more LEED® certification credits than any other paver,” said Andy Vander Woude, chief executive officer, VAST Enterprises, LLC. “Through 2009, installations of VAST Composite Pavers have diverted 2.75 million pounds of old car tires and plastic containers from getting dumped into U.S. landfills.”
“When I did my first project with VAST Composite Pavers, a parking area for the Houston Parks Board, I have to say I was surprised by the result. They really have the true appearance of masonry pavers,” said Mark Burzynski, Gulf Coast Landscape Services, Inc., Houston, Texas. “The 4×8-inch size is the paver I want for big projects. Larger pavers have more visual appeal in bigger applications and are more efficient to install.”
Gulf Coast has been a preferred contractor for commercial landscape and golf course construction projects in the Houston area since 1985. Gulf Coast utilizes products from Acme Brick, the oldest and largest U. S. owned brick manufacturer and a distributor of VAST composite masonry products.
February 26th, 2010 | Andy
VAST Wins Plastic Technology Award
The SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers) has announced its 2010 award winners recognizing environmental leadership and excellence.
VAST is pleased to announced that it has been honored with the “Design for Sustainability” award!
Award presentations will take place at the Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC), March 8-10 in The Florida Hotel & Conference Center, Orlando Florida. Additionally, I’ll be at the event participating in its Clean Technology Business Forum.
If you’re in the area, stop by and say, “hi!”