The Beauxfort Gravelrings overlay system will save time and costs on driveway projects
Picture this – you’ve arrived on site, measured the area of a worn tarmac or concrete driveway and given your client the price. We both know the hefty price tag associated with these types of projects. But your customer becomes astounded by the price and has a smaller budget in mind that wouldn’t even cover the cost of the driveway surface. Never mind your time. Luckily, Beauxfort has been innovating around this solution.
Creativity always prevails
John Ridgeway construction encountered a similar problem on site. The worn, tarmac driveway was desperate to be replaced. However, the homeowners didn’t have the budget to strip and replace the tarmac.
Instead, John recommended they install a Gravelrings overlay system. The top priority for the busy family household was a practical driveway. A surface that will withstand pushing and pulling by children’s bikes and recycling bins. Therefore, a strong, stable surface that is budget-friendly was the remedy for this problem.
Loose gravel surfaces are notorious for rutting and sinking. However, laying Gravelrings beneath will prevent an uneven surface from forming. The moulded mesh base stops gravel from mining beneath the panels and lifting them.
What took John by surprise was the time-saving benefits this application has: “You can lay metres within minutes – 170sqm took under 2 days to lay. Whereas alternatives, like block paving, can take 10-12 days”. Furthermore, there is no need for excavation. The grids are simply laid upon the existing surface and drilled into place with an electric nail gun. To finish the grids are backfilled with gravel.
John’s client was overjoyed with the finished result, he said: “We are impressed by the solid, secure feel of the system, with no movement of the stones even with three-point turns. We now have a driveway that we are proud of and which has received complimentary comments”.
Why Gravelrings?
Gravel driveways have a reputation for suffering from gravel migration but this is not a problem any longer. Modern-day product innovation has led to Gravelrings being the first gravel grid of its kind to penetrate the marketplace. Furthermore, by being formed of circular cells the gravel is held in place, unable to migrate and create sparse areas. A closed cell system is vital in preventing stone from moving because it is compacted tight into the system to form a hard, stable surface.
Often seen as an extra expense on the proposal, Gravelrings has an abundance of cost-saving benefits. Making it a worthwhile investment for any client that wants a durable driveway. The system is 25mm deep, an overlooked cost saving for both contractor and homeowner.
Gravel is a huge strain on project expenses. With Gravelrings, less gravel is needed to fill the system. By eliminating gravel migration, less material is lost to forces pushing stones into the road and getting caught in tyre grooves. This reduces maintenance costs since gravel does not need to be topped up as often.
Sustainability is high on the development agenda. Therefore, using recycled materials has become of increasing importance to reduce waste. Black Gravelrings are made from 100% recycled UV stabilised HDPE and are recyclable at the end of life. However, white Gravelrings are made from part-recycled material. Black Gravelrings are made from white Gravelrings after they have been melted down and re-moulded.
The cost of using an open cell system
We get it. There are numerous gravel grids on the market. Maybe your customer has gone online and found a cheaper gravel grid. But no one talks about the hidden cost of an open cell system.
Open cell systems fail in their function. The grids cannot contain gravel as no structure holds them in place. This means gravel migration is inevitable. Without a mesh base gravel builds up underneath and forces the grids to lift. This includes grids with membranes attached to the underneath as they become detached with time. When this occurs the only course of action to remedy this problem is to relay the gravel driveway. An upset client and a potential hit to your reputation could be in order too. In the long run, this costs your client more since a closed-cell gravel grid would have to be laid to correct the problem.
Always test first
In an unpredictable economic time, it’s important for both contractors and homeowners to feel they’ve made the right choice and that it all starts with confidence in the product and innovation used. Many contractors feel that sampling the products before they purchase large quantities mitigates the risk. Having confidence in the delivery and reputation is key in these testing times to securing future growth.
