GATOR BASE Case Study

GATOR BASE Case Study

INTRODUCTION THE KEY ISSUES Installing outdoor pavers comes with a few challenges. That should not come as a surprise to anyone. A prime concern is how freeze and thaw cycles will impact the installation. When the ground freezes, it expands. When temperatures warm up again, it contracts. This constant expansion and contraction will not only shift your pavers out of place, but can also lead to cracking in the joints. Another challenge is the excavation process. It s often times extremely difficult to maneuver large pieces of equipment around job sites. And the aftermath of driving across a wellmanicured lawn will certainly induce a moderate to high level of stress for any homeowner. Not to mention, excavation isn t cheap. Between the equipment and the clean-up costs, this part of the job has dollar signs written all over it. FREEZE/THAW GOOD FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE THE SEASONS/BAD FOR PEOPLE WHO INSTALLED PAVERS ON A SHALLOW BASE EXCAVATION TIGHT SQUEEZE. EXPENSIVE. REQUIRES CLEAN-UP. DOES ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SOUND APPEALING? TIME/LABOR DIGGING, BACKFILLING, COMPACTING, LEVELLING, SCREEDING, LAYING PAVERS ON BEDDING SAND TAKES TIME AND ENERGY. Finally, time and labor can be a challenge with an outdoor paver installation. Measuring, digging, backfilling, compacting, levelling, screeding, laying pavers on bedding sand, and filling the joints is an involved process. No matter the project size, paver installation is a job that requires time and attention to detail.

What if there was a way to make paver installation faster and easier? There is. And it s called Gator Base. is incredibly durable and made to last. Years of rigorous testing have proven its reliability. It s time to examine what this product is and hear from ICPI-certified installer, Orsini, who uses it regularly. BACKGROUND WHY? The bottom line is that found the traditional way of installing pavers to be tedious and labor-intensive. Between excavation, clean-up, hauling in crushed stone, compacting the sand, and then actually laying the pavers, we saw an opportunity to streamline the installation process. We knew that if we could make any part of this daunting job just a tad bit easier, we d hit a homerun. And so the concept of Gator Base was born. SOLUTION GATOR BASE Gator Base completely eliminates the need for deep excavation and crushed stone on a paver job. It is manufactured using a lightweight, high-density polypropylene. This material is not only 100% recyclable and safe for the environment, but one Gator Base panel is actually equivalent to 288 lbs of crushed stone. And while each 23.5 x35.5 panel weighs in at a mere 1.32 lbs, it In a 2014 technical report written by ETS at the University of Quebec, researchers came to this conclusion on Gator Base: The results obtained in our study on a concrete paver system with a traditional granular base and with Gator Base are very interesting the Gator Base system will perform in walkways, patios, sidewalks and other nonvehicular applications made with concrete pavers. However, since the Gator Base system has a higher thermal resistance, it can be stated that there would be much better frost protection with Gator Base than with a traditional 5 aggregate base. Another Gator Base advantage is its resistance to freeze and thaw cycles. With an R-Value 1 of 3.6, Gator Base provides ultimate protection against freeze and thaw cycles. Each panel also features a tongue-and-groove system which creates an interlocking base. So pavers set on top of Gator Base essentially become a single unit with better load transfer. What about drainage? Using 0 3/4 of well-compacted crushed stone (QP Quarry Process) at 95% or 98% of the Proctor will make the surface almost waterproof. Using #57 (3/4 clean 1 R-Value refers to a material s resistance to conductive heat flow

Orsini stone) will irrigate the paver area. The Gator Base was specifically engineered to return water to the native soil through evacuation channels incorporated into each panel. One Gator Base panel acts like 18 of crushed stone as well as a thermal blanket. It s three times more effective than crushed stone as an insulator thus significantly protects against freeze and thaw cycles. Ready to talk time and money? Five panels of Gator Base covers just shy of 30 square feet and only weighs 6.5 lbs. It is easy to carry and quick to put down. On a traditional installation, 30 square feet of crushed stone equates to well over 3/4 ton and is certainly neither fast nor easy to put down. By using Gator Base, you ll save on: Q&A Orsini, ICPI-Certified Installer and Owner of Orsini Landscaping, regularly uses Gator Base and has some helpful insights to share. He first started using Gator Base in the autumn of 2015 and has not looked back since. How did you first hear about Gator Base? There was a display in my local nursery supplier s showroom and I eventually asked some questions. I was vaguely aware of the concept and was interested to learn more about it. Time excavating the 9-10 inches of excavation for the crushed stone, bedding sand and the pavers Wear and tear on machinery Clean-up/dumping fees Cost of compacting, levelling and transporting the crushed stone plus delivery expenses Labor costs Overall installation time So what made you decide to actually try it out? When I m on a project, I want to get it done properly and as fast as possible. Sometimes the as-fast-as-possible part means tearing up a lawn, which we have to repair, which costs money. Or putting scratches in a driveway, which we also have to repair, which also costs money! After learning about Gator Base, I knew it would be a much less invasive approach to installation.

I was thrilled to see that the Gator Base held up so well. It felt like a brilliant move. Please describe a recent project that you used Gator Base for. We did use the same size crew but quickly realized the benefit of being able to easily carry the Gator Base into the backyard as opposed to wheeling in crushed stone. In speaking with my team, we estimated that we could install two Gator Base projects a week as opposed to only one using traditional methods. During the first week of May (2016), we installed about 700 square feet of Gator Base in Loudonville, New York. There was an old chain link fence that would have needed to come down, and later be repaired, in order to bring equipment on the site. The backyard was also very small and I didn t think there d be enough room for my Skidsteer anyway. This particular project appeared to be a great opportunity to use Gator Base. Now for the million dollar question: how did the installation go? The installation went well! It was a quick learn so everything went very smoothly. Did using Gator Base save you time and money? We nailed our projected labor on this project. Our projected versus actual labor was almost exact. If we had used traditional installation methods it would have taken a lot more time. Like I said, we could install two Gator Base projects a week as opposed to a single traditional one. That definitely equates to saving time and making money! So if you were to compare using Gator Base to installing the old-fashioned way, what would you say the biggest difference would be? Did you use the same size crew as you usually do? Labor: less time excavating; less equipment; less aggregate; less

We could install two Gator Base projects a week as opposed to a single traditional one. That definitely equates to saving time and making money! trucking; less compaction; less restoration work. All of these a few weeks away. Given the unreasonable time crunch, I bid the items have one thing in common: less labor needed to accom- job using Gator Base. (Sidenote: waiting to install an outdoor patio plish them. a few weeks before a party is never a good idea.) Lastly, are there other types of projects you think you ll use Gator Base for? After this experience, will you continue to use Gator Base? I do think that I will keep using Gator Base. It has definitely become my first option for certain types of projects. For example, when I come across tough-to-access job sites, Gator Base is the first installation technique I consider. Two weeks ago, I looked at a job where they wanted to host a graduation party which was only While Gator Base is clearly the installation technique that I ll be using for sites with difficult access, I plan on evaluating each job with my team to see if Gator Base would be beneficial. So all projects will be on the table.

DAVID ORSINI S FIRST TESTIMONIAL ON GATOR BASE When I visited the site the following spring, I was very pleased As a business owner, I am painfully aware of how vital it is to to see that it was just as it was the day we installed it. I was carefully manage labor costs. I easily saw the benefits of Gator thrilled to see that the Gator Base held up so well. It felt like a Base. After some research and long conversations I decided that brilliant move. We had a smooth installation and I plan to use it it was time to give it a shot. I had the perfect project: tough in future projects with tough access and tough ground. And I access and real tough ground. It was a newer and long driveway. won t hesitate. There was no sprinkler system and low water pressure, so lawn restoration was complex. The less trips into the backyard with my equipment, the better. I also didn t have room for aggregate After speaking with a reputable installer like and getting so this project felt like a natural fit for Gator Base. his endorsement, we have more excitement than ever for Gator Base. And we are certain that as more installers try it out, the The ease of installation was amazing. But the proof was going success stories and testimonials will simply flood in. Ready to to be how it handled a winter in Upstate New York. begin your own success story? Discover Gator Base today. Designer Products Inc. 225 Boulevard Bellerose West Laval, Quebec H7L 6A1 Toll-free: 1.866.212.1611 www.gator.com