[podcast]http://www.green-talk.com/podcasts/vast pavers.mp3[/podcast]
When I read the initial press release on VAST® Composite Pavers , these pavers had me at hello. I know. How can pavers be so interesting? Using words like made out of recycled content materials, helps storm water management and the pavers looks like brick can give an eco- building girl palpitations! The fact that the use of these composite pavers contribute to several LEED credits was just the icing on the cake. I scratched my head and asked, where was VAST® Pavers when I installed my ugly unenvironmentally friendly asphalt driveway four years ago?
I had the pleasure of interviewing Andy Vander Woude, chief executive officer of VAST Enterprises LLC on the above podcast. He meticulously and patiently answered all my questions about the product. I encourage everyone to listen to it since it is more detailed then my summary of the product below.
So, why does VAST Pavers make me swoon? For starters, the composite pavers are made out of 95% post-consumer recycled materials consisting of tires and scrap plastics. At the end of their life, they can be recycled again into new materials. In addition, the Company offers a permeable composite paver , which allows water to infiltrate into the ground to reduce storm water run-off. Most towns, including mine, require storm water management for new construction.
In the summer, you could fry an egg on my asphalt driveway. The beauty of these pavers is there use eliminates the intense heat that you feel when you walk across an asphalt driveway or parking lot in the summer. That heat island effect causes the adjacent building, whether it is a house or office building, to use more energy to keep it cooler.
Have you sacrificed beauty or spent alot more green for these pavers? Absolutely not. They come in 6 different colors and are brick shaped ( 3″ by 6″.) According to Vande Woude, they are also cost competitive with the installation of ordinary pavers due to the unique grid systems, which make installation easy and reduces labor costs. Even someone like myself could install these pavers after a sub-base has been properly installed. See the installation video above.
There is virtually no waste left over from installing these pavers since the grids used are the packaging of the pavers. As I mentioned above, these pavers can contribute to LEED credits in the areas of recycled content, storm water management, waste reduction, innovative design, and reduction of heat island effect. In addition, depending on your location, using these pavers may contribute to the regional material credit. The Company is expanded rapidly and more regional manufacturing is anticipated.
Since the pavers are manufactured in Minnesota, they have undergone rigorous testing for cracking and fading. Minnesota has extreme variations in weather. Winters are extremely cold and summers can be very hot. According to the Company, the pavers have held up beautifully.
As I mentioned above, I had many questions about this product. I tend to be a skeptic about green claims. After my interview with Vander Woude, I was convinced that product was exceptional. He explained the following in the podcast:
- how the pavers differ from other pavers
- how the heat island effect is reduced by the pavers. I could not understand how rubber could reduce this effect since I thought rubber retains heat.
- how these rubber pavers differed from rubber mulch which can leach chemicals into our waterways.
- how easy it is to install the pavers
- why the pavers are cost competitive
- how exactly the pavers contribute to LEED points
- how the installation of these pavers could reduce the amount of sand being dragged around your house from ordinary paver installation.
Interested? I knew you would be. To find out more information on how to buy these pavers, visit here. The pavers can be purchased for US, Canada, and international projects. So, for your next outdoor project, consider using a VAST® Pavers as an environmental choices for your new path, driveway, or patio.
Raymond Boyle, PhD says
May 6, 2009 at 9:32 amBased on a sq ft basis, the VAST pavers cost $7.99. This is twice the cost of other manufactured pavers made in Minnesota. For example manufactured pavers are $3-4 sq ft.
Your blog serves merely as an advertisement for VAST, and not very helpful.
Green Talk says
May 6, 2009 at 10:02 pmRaymond,
This was an interview not a critique which I stated at the beginning. I have clarified that “according to Vande Woude” in my summary so that it is clear that I did not make that asssumption of the cost of VAST pavers.
In the interview, Vande Woude stated the INSTALLED price of the product (meaning the cost of the products and installation) was cost competitive given the decrease in labor costs. He even admitted the cost of the product was higher. He never said anything differently.
He compared the cost of his product and installation versus regular pavers plus installation. I can not confirm or deny the costs numbers he used other than someone in Minnesota verifing the cost of installing brick like pavers versus using VAST pavers. If you know differently, I would love to know. This would be very helpful.
As for my blog being an advertisement for VAST, I have to disagree with you. I simply interviewed him and asked him some tough questions (all 30 plus minutes,) then provided a summary rather than an 8 page transcript.
I suggest you go back and listen towards the end of the interview and see if perhaps you feel differently once I have alerted you to the intent of the article as well as what Andy said. Please let me know how I could have made this article more helpful short of installing the pavers myself? Anna
Sharon says
April 25, 2011 at 1:20 pmWhere do you get rubber pavers in Minnesota for $3-4 sq ft.?
Sharon
Anna@Green Talk says
April 25, 2011 at 2:01 pmI think Raymond is talking about regular pavers rather than rubber pavers. I did find a link if you are looking for rubber pavers which are under $3 excluding shipping. See http://www.closetheloop.com/pr.....avers.html
Paul Ramacher says
July 7, 2009 at 11:00 amWhen Greenway Pavers competes for paver projects, we routinely compete against concrete paver alternatives priced at $17 to $20 per square foot installed. Using VAST Composite Pavers, we price comparable projects at $14 per square foot installed. Thus, our customers can put more of their project budget into a superior material rather than installation labor… and still get a very competitive installed price.
Joe Lemmerman says
July 7, 2009 at 11:07 amI’ve got more than 25 years of experience in landscaping and contracting. I’ve completed a lot of VAST installations. With VAST I reduce the average amount of time it takes to do projects by 40 percent. My customers are pleased with their finished patios, driveways and decks. And because of our installation efficiency, Earth Pavers can offer installed prices that are the same as, or even lower than, completed project pricing for concrete pavers.
Bill Barton says
July 7, 2009 at 11:15 amVAST Composite Pavers are a premium product that’s more expensive than concrete. But we can offer an installed price that’s comparable to other materials because with the VAST grid system we save a lot of time and labor.
Brick Paver Sealing says
February 20, 2011 at 10:29 pmInteresting Post. What is the purpose of the grid system and how does it save time?
Anna@Green Talk says
February 20, 2011 at 10:50 pmBrick, you put the pavers in the grid so it make it quicker to install. The grids are then attached together. Anna