It's Time to Think About Maintenance in the Cold!

When our dealers are out selling Sierra Stone and RubberStone, I know they often get asked if our products will survive the freeze-thaw cycle that occurs in many states and provinces across North America.  Many people seem to think that because Sierra Stone is so hard that a build-up of ice will cause it to crack or pop off; but that's not the case at all.  We've owned the Sierra Stone trademark since the late 1980s, and up here in Saskatchewan it gets cold--I mean really cold.  When I was in college I remember a night that the wind-chill brought the temperature down to -51 Celsius!  For our American readers that's about -60 Fahrenheit!  However, despite what you may have heard, it doesn't stay cold here all year round; we also get temperatures around 30 Celsius (or 86 Fahrenheit) during the summer.  That means we get as much of a freeze-thaw cycle as anyone else in North America, and if our product couldn't stand-up to it we probably wouldn't have lasted for almost 30 years.  Furthermore, we couldn't have a network with more than 70 dealers across North America without a great product!


So how does such a tough, durable product survive the freeze-thaw cycle of Saskatchewan winters?  My theory is that the space between the stones is the key to our success.  Although our dealers pack the stones as tightly as possible when they're doing an install, there is still a small amount of space around each stone.  We all know that when water freezes it expands, and according to the laws of physics it will expand in the direction of least resistance.  Those small spaces between the stones provide that path of least resistance so that the freezing water can expand without putting excessive pressure on each rock.  Sierra Stone also has a very high compressive strength, so when you combine that with the space between each stone you get a product that has no trouble surviving harsh winters and hot summers.  RubberStone is similar because there are spaces between each crumb of rubber, and it has so much flexibility and compressibility that it survives the freeze-thaw cycle just as well as Sierra Stone; maybe even better.


All that being said, there is one way to guarantee problems with both Sierra Stone and RubberStone during cold winters, and that is using salt on it.  Now, if you've read the literature on both products you know that they are both very chemical resistant:  especially Sierra Stone.  So, how can we say they are chemical resistant and yet harmed by salt in winter months?  Because salt erodes concrete!  The salt won't harm the Sierra Stone or RubberStone that you've had applied over your old and ugly concrete, but as all of the salt that you've applied to your driveway, patio, or walkway over winter begins to mix with water as the weather warms-up it will run through the Sierra Stone or RubberStone and get sucked-up by the concrete underneath.  Once inside it will erode the concrete, and could eventually cause the top layer of concrete to shayl-off, taking your Sierra Stone or RubberStone with it.  We recommend that you use ice-melter, not salt, in the winter; the kind that doesn't harm vegetation will probably be the best.  This will help keep your Sierra Stone or RubberStone clear of ice while extending the life of your investment.


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If this post was helpful to you, find out more by vising www.SierraStone.ca, or visit our pages on Facebook and Twitter.  If you still have questions please call your local dealer or our head office at 1-888-799-3960.

Meeting Customer Demand . . . for a cheaper product?

I've been helping out in this office, and in our packaging facility, ever since I was strong enough to hold up a 4L jug; but even after all this time some things still come as a surprise to me.  I'm a very practical person:  I like to buy a decent products and items that I will use.  I've also become a bit smarter over the years when it comes to buying quality products:  you get what you pay for, and often when I've bought cheap junk I've paid extra in frustration.  That's why it surprises me when we have a better quality product than our competition, but we have to bring in a slightly inferior product to meet customer demand.

When we first introduced our Rubber Stone product line (which is a product we use to cover ugly concrete, asphalt, pavers, and even decks with 100% recycled rubber) we took a look at a couple of variations of the product.  The two main contenders were pigmented rubber and EPDM, and it was quickly decided that EPDM was the better quality product that we should carry.  Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (i.e. EPDM) rubber is a synthetic rubber that has its pigments or dyes added to it during the production process; the end result is that the EPDM rubber granuals that we purchase are purely pigmented so that their color will not wear off over time.  We chose to use EPDM over pigmented rubber crumb because the the pigmented crumbs are simply black with a thin coat of color put over top of them, and that means the color will wear off over time.  If we had a product that would refresh the color after a few years the pigmented crumb approach would make more sense, but at this point we haven't found anything that will do the job.

You can see by the pictures on our Facebook page, the Tweets, and (soon to come) the color samples on our website that we are now adding a line of pigmented colors our Rubber Stone product line.  For now, you'll find a sample photo of our colors below.  Our local competition has been selling jobs with the pigmented rubber, but at a lower price because the pigmented crumbs are much cheaper than EPDM.  As it turns out, even though our customers know that they will end up with tire-tracks on their driveways, and worn areas where there is high foot-traffic a surprising number of customers are still choosing to go with the cheaper product.  In all honesty, I can't say that I completely understand their decision, but good business means meeting demand with supply and for the moment that means bringing in a cheaper product for our customers.  I just hope that the cheaper product doesn't create headaches for both ourselves, and our network of 70+ dealers across North America.