What’s even more amazing is the labor that goes into it. Each ASW lightweight roof paver is carefully hand crafted by our team of craftsman in our paver warehouse. Currently it takes up to one full day to successfully produce a limited number of our pavers. For a residential home, this rate is extremely doable, but considering some of our commercial jobs of over 6,000 sqft, it puts us in months of production. With our plan to go automated it cuts the time down to days of production. What exactly does this mean?

Well, for us it means that our lightweight roof paver production will increase 10 fold, allowing our craftsman to focus more efficiently on the wide variety of other products we provide. But more importantly, for YOU, it means even less stress in handling all of your home improvement needs. With our team of skillful craftsman, we take pride in our ability to expertly create the home of your dreams. And more time for us means an opportunity to serve even more of our customers. So now is the time to create your perfect home just in time for the New Year. Stop in today to see what Amazing Stoneworks can do for you.

Kitchens and baths are always top renovation projects, as they increase a home’s value the most.  And one of the most defining elements in these rooms can be the counter- or vanity top.

A concrete countertop is regarded as one of the most dramatic, durable and strong surfaces in kitchen and bath applications. Amazing Stoneworks of Hamburg, NJ, is a fabricator of distinctive concrete countertops that are manufactured to each client’s exact specifications.Designers and architects alike appreciate concrete countertops for their adaptability: they can be fashioned to any shape, color or texture — be it smooth and shiny, or textured with a matte finish.

Amazing Stone concrete countertops can take a streamlined, single-color approach or assume the look of marble, travertine stone or terrazzo.  Clients can also specify custom patterns, as well as a wide variety of edge treatments.  The firm’s concrete countertops are competitively priced with mid-range granite.  Custom countertops make sense these days, as many homeowners are more inclined to stay put.  Practical, post-recession consumers are investing in remodeling projects, rather than trading up to a larger house with a bigger mortgage.

After three years of decreases due to the Great Recession, builders expect 2012-2013 to show an increase in the home remodeling business, according to the National Association of Home Builders.  Real estate brokers have long held that kitchen and bath projects see the most return for the money — good news for when owners eventually do decide to sell.

Concrete is very accommodating in remodeling situations, as it can be formed to virtually any shape.  This means counters with curves or unusual shapes are not an issue — and long spans can be cast without a visible seam.  The surfaces are sanded, polished and sealed for a smooth finish.

Since the concrete can be completely customized, consumers might opt for raised trivets or a slanted drainboard to be cast right into the countertop. The same can be done with a wooden cutting board.  But embedded features don’t have to have a functional use.  Sometimes, they can be purely decorative.  A bathroom counter could be personalized with shells or sea glass collected during a shore vacation.  Virtually any found objects can be worked into the concrete countertop’s design: stones, metals or mosaic tile pieces.  The main thing is to choose items that speak to the homeowner’s personal design sense — as well as elements that won’t deteriorate.  The team at Amazing Stoneworks can recommend which items work best.

Of course, because of its natural durability, a concrete countertop is an optimal choice for outdoor projects like a pool bar or patio kitchen.  Here, organic influences like leaves or grasses can be imprinted into the design.  Or the project can go chic with embedded fiber optic lighting that brings the area to life at night.  Concrete countertops speak to artistic, traditional and transitional designs, as the medium — and Amazing Stoneworks — can make it work with essentially any home’s style.

Find out more here about our Amazing Stone Features!

The Crew

The installation crews normally work in four man teams.

One-person keeps the supply to the installation site.

One-person pre-stacks ASW stackable pedestals or adjusts the adjustable pedestals to the desired height.

The two remaining are the installers, responsible for setting and leveling the pavers.

Your responsibility is determining how many intersections need pedestals. To do so is simple: Just determine how many pavers for the job and multiply it by 2.5. This will give you the four corners and the center pedestal in the calculation.

How to Start

A typical installation would start off with a threshold of a door, or control point provided by the architect or contractor.

The first height of the pedestal is then determined. Have your pedestal stacker or adjuster to start creating the pedestal heights for your first row.

Both the wedge top shims and round bottom shims can be used for “fine tuning” proper height if required. All top shims and bottom shims lock into place, and screw jack pedestals can be adjusted to a basic height and fine-tuned by the installer.

Each shim snaps into the top part of the pedestal, they can stack to provide additional height. (The tabs on the top pedestal must be cut off with a utility knife in order to set the center pedestal).

If you are using the screw jack pedestal, it can be adjusted by twisting the pedestal up or down They also provide angular adjustments to provide relief of the pitch of the roof. Again, the tabs must be cut off with a utility knife in order to set the center pedestal
In a triangle or non-90 degree corner you can cut the tabs with utility knife or use shims to make up the distance of the tabs. Simply cutting the tabs work well when you support the center of our paver. It gives you a flat top in this application.

Laying the pavers down

Proceed to follow the same procedure above, laying the pavers down one at a time and making sure to keep the pavers level with a normal level or laser guided system.

Always keep in mind where the drain is, as you might need to adjust the pedestal to compensate for the drain “bump”.

You also want to be able to locate the drain for periodic cleaning.

The weight of our lightweight concrete paver will be sure to keep the system in place. With its simple and fast application we make sure our light-weight pavers provide you with hassle free green roof installation. So go green with ASW!

Urban dwellers and building workers looking for an on-site break space have more options than climbing the stairs to the old tar beach of yesteryear. Today’s green roof gardens can be beautiful and good for the environment.

The Gramercy Terrace

Amazing Stoneworks, located in Hamburg, NJ, offers lightweight concrete roof pavers that can take a rooftop from dull to dynamic, and from sweltering to cool — while helping the building attain tax credits and government initiatives for being eco-conscious.

A green roof patio garden can be a welcoming oasis, replete with walkways that wind through trees, greenery, flowers and fountains. The benefits of such spaces are that they add aesthetic value for building occupants, reduce urban heat island effects by cooling the roof surfaces and help reduce a building’s energy costs.

Not only that, projects that achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification can expect to receive tax credits.

The first step in the green roof process is getting a structural analysis of the existing roof and then reinforcing it, if needed.

Before planting can take place, a green roof garden requires a special layering system that includes a waterproof membrane, a root repellent layer and drainage mats. A lightweight soil blend must be used for the garden beds, as normal backyard dirt is so heavy and dense it could compromise the roof’s strength.

Just as the soil must be lightweight, so must the paving stones. Walkways and patio areas can require hundreds of square feet of pavers. That’s why it makes sense to employ Amazing Pavers, which were designed exclusively for green roofs and other such applications.

Kaiser Center

Amazing Pavers are the lightest weight concrete paving stones in the marketplace. Yet their special formulation provides extreme strength, with the ability to handle a 600-pound on-center load. They’re also very durable and can stand up to the most demanding weather conditions. They’re perfect for corporate, industrial or residential green roof applications.

Townhomes or apartment building rooftops are natural spots for green roof patios, as they extend living space for family parties, outdoor dining and entertaining, or just relaxing.

Depending on the amount of square footage, residential green roofs can incorporate just about anything one would find in a traditional backyard garden. Besides grasses, flowers and small trees, designers can work in seating areas, landscape lighting, sound systems, water features and pergolas.

Competitive hotels are actively turning their rooftops into gathering spaces for guests. Take, for instance, the Gramercy Terrace atop the Gramercy Hotel in Manhattan. Located 17 floors above the city streets, the Terrace offers privacy and beauty for guests looking to enjoy an outdoor meal, cocktails or even spa services.

Corporate building owners looking to attract and retain business tenants should consider the addition of a green roof garden. The space can feature seating, vegetation and views for office staff seeking a moment outdoors to recharge. A lush example of such a project sits atop the Kaiser Center in Oakland, CA. This 3.5-acre garden includes a reflective pond, wooden bridge, pathways and ample seating.

Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital

Hospital rooftops can be relaxing and beautiful respites from the stresses faced by patients, families and staff members. The Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital rooftop garden in Chicago is a 10,000-square-foot example of the healing benefits that can be derived from lush landscaping and innovative design.

Such projects are proof of what good outdoor design, and Amazing Stoneworks, can do to improve body, mind and spirit.

A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. (The word “green” refers to environmentalism and not the color green, as with green roof tiles or roof shingles).

Container gardens on roofs, where plants are maintained in pots, are not generally considered to be true green roofs, although this is debated. Rooftop ponds are another form of green roofs which are used to treat greywater.

Green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a habitat for wildlife, and helping to lower urban air temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect. There are two types of green roofs: intensive roofs, which are thicker and can support a wider variety of plants but are heavier and require more maintenance, and extensive roofs, which are covered in a light layer of vegetation and are lighter than an intensive green roof.

The term green roof may also be used to indicate roofs that use some form of green technology, such as a cool roof, a roof with solar thermal collectors or photovoltaic panels.

Academy of Sciences Green Roof

Green Roof Types

Green Roofs are generally categorized into three basic types, Extensive, Semi-intensive and Intensive. Extensive Green Roofs generally are the least expensive and have the lowest system build. Typically they are not irrigated and are made of Plants that are smaller and not as intrusive to their underground environments. Extensive Green Roofs are a great candidate for Amazing Pavers where weight is to be avoided. Additionally, Extensive Green Roofs do not have Irrigation systems.

Intensive Green Roofs have park like features and are designed to handle a larger load. In addition to grasses, Shrubs and Trees can be found on Intensive Green Roofs. Regular irrigation is important to keep the plant life healthy. Amazing Pavers are a perfect choice for Intensive Roofs also. In the middle are Semi-Intensive Green Roofs. These roofs typically can handle shrubs and are sometime Irrigated. Typically, Semi-Intensive roofs can handle up to 40 lb/sq ft.

Advantages of Green Roofs

As cities continue to expand, they are beginning to experience heating issues during the summer months. The phrase heat island describes the intense heat that can build up in an urban area and is exasperated by the lack of trees and vegetation that can cool the air by creating shade and reducing the the solar radiation that strikes city surfaces.In addition, plant live reduces co2 buildup which has become an significant issue in may metropolitan areas.

Green roofs are after referred to as living roofs and in many cases they become parks and usable area for many animal and bird inhabitants (including humans).

Here is a solar image of Atlanta Georgia in the summer months during a warm spell with very stagnate air. As you can see with the exception of a few areas, the solar temperatures are extreme in many areas. It has been estimated that Green roofs could reduce the overall temperature in certain conditions by up to 10 degrees C.

A tertiary advantage of Green Roofs is that they can last a long time. Since the “roofing material is not directly exposed the sun and elements, properly designed and maintained roofs have long endurance.

A final advantage is the visual enhancements offered by Green Roofs. Green Roofs go a long way in breaking up the concrete jungle and provide a welcome change in scenery.

Green Roof School

Amazing Stoneworks of Hamburg, NJ, can help education leaders achieve their sustainable building goals via its lightweight green roof pavers. The roof pavers are 60% lighter than standard models yet high in strength and fire rated.

Green roofs provide a multitude of benefits to a school district. The insulation offered by vegetation, landscaping and hardscaping can help prevent heat loss in the winter, while conversely helping block summer’s high temperatures. The heat absorption properties of living roofs reduce a building’s winter energy demands by up to 50%. During the summer, a green roof can cut surface temperatures of up to 180 degrees in half. Schools looking to lower costs should know that an extensive green roof can reduce daily energy demand for air conditioning by more than 75%, according to a study by the National Research Council of Canada.

Higher Learning, Additional Green Roof Benefits

 

Green Roof Pavers

Green roofs also reduce storm water runoff, which washes pollutants into waterways, reduce dust and smog levels, and cool the surrounding air.

Besides these quantifiable benefits, green roofs can also provide students with a learning opportunity. The Calhoun School in New York City planted an herb garden as part of its green roof and the student-harvested greens are used for the lunch program. The school also conducts biology and geometry lessons on the roof. Additionally, the rooftop has been used for an outdoor art installation as well as a source of inspiration for poetry classes.

Our experts at Amazing Stoneworks are well versed in green roof technology and can provide great advise and guidance if you are considering a green roof school or project!

Green Roof Farming

The idea of a gardens, farms, lawns or other park-like properties sitting atop a building roof might seem novel to many in the United States. But for decades now, such installations have been quite familiar in other parts of the world.

Some credit the Hanging Gardens of Babylon from 500 B.C. as being the first green roofs. And grass-covered, traditional peaked roofs in Scandinavia have been common for centuries. But modern green roofs really began in the latter half of the 20th Century.

It is in these kinds of flat-roofed projects that Amazing Stoneworks of Hamburg, NJ, specializes. The company produces lightweight green roof pavers that are 60% lighter than standard models, yet high in strength and fire rated. The company is eager to see the type of green roof expansion that Europe has seen for decades.

Berlin’s famed GENO Haus was built in 1969 in Stuttgart, Germany, using a Styrofoam base for its green roof. However, the technology to protect the roof’s membrane was not ideal, and the roof was renovated in 1990.

Germany stayed at the forefront of green roof technology and installation. Currently, more than 10% of all roofs in Germany — or more than 140 million square feet — are green roofs, according to GreenTech, Inc.

In Vienna, Austria, architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser built a green-roofed public housing project in the mid-’80s, with the aim of making such residences more livable and eco-sensitive.

In Switzerland, architect Peter Vetsche created the project “Nine Houses” in 1993. It is a complex of nine residential homes that were built more or less into the earth. Their domed roof designs appear as hills, integrating the cluster of buildings directly into the environment.

Japan became home to a 100,000-square-foot park in the mid-1990s in Fukuoka’s city center, at the government’s Prefectural International Hall.

Finally in 1997, the United States had a significant green roof to call its own when a 69,000-square-foot green roof was installed at the new headquarters for Gap Inc., in San Bruno, CA. The next year, Chicago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley instructed that municipal funds be put toward green roofs, following an eye-opening visit to Germany.

In the last dozen years, green roofs installations have increased dramatically in the U.S. Developers are coming around to the benefits of such installations. Green roofs keep buildings warmer in winter, reducing the need for heat, and cooler in summer, reducing the need for air conditioning. They also decrease the effect of heat islands, and control storm water runoff.

In 2011, the U.S. green roof industry grew by 28.5% from the previous year, according to research by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. That was up significantly from 2009, when the industry experienced 16% growth.

Currently, U.S. cities that lead the nation in green roofs are:

• Chicago (as of last year, it had more than 600 green roofs)
• Portland, OR
• Seattle
• Washington, DC
• New York
• Boston
• Pittsburgh

Green space projects include urban rooftop farms, parks, gardens and patios that are situated atop warehouses, office and apartment buildings, hospital and hotels. Some of the best designs incorporate walkways and patios like those installed by Amazing Stoneworks. The company’s lightweight pavers are available in 18″x18″ or 24″x24″ sizes, and come in a variety of colors to coordinate with each project.

There’s no doubt green roofs are an idea whose time has come, and Amazing Stoneworks is ready to make them a reality.

Photo Credits:

http://www.wayfaring.info/

Kings Chair at the Gingerbread Castle

Once upon a time the Gingerbread Castle provided an amazing place for families to experience Grimm’s fairy tales brought to life, enjoy a picnic, take a train ride and enjoy some tasty gingerbread cookies.  People carry those memories fondly throughout their lives.

But even stories that are written in stone, sometimes start to fade and crumble, without the right care and attention. We have chronicled the history of the Gingerbread Castle at the GingerbreadCastleLibrary.com, so that everyone can visit it once again, virtually.   We hope Amazing Stone can give the Gingerbread Castle and the historic site of the Wheatsworth Mill a second chance, in the 21^st century, to be a family destination.

The 2012 Fishing Derby looks like a terrific start, we hope a lot of young fisherman and fisherwoman come out to support your work at the Castle.

In construction, going green doesn’t mean building smaller.  It means building smarter.  And it’s not just about being kind to the Earth; such thoughtful development can be good for the bottom line, too.

For both new and existing construction, green roofs can be incorporated into an eco-sensitive design.  Amazing Stoneworks in Hamburg, NJ, has a wide array of lightweight roof pavers “Amazing Pavers” that are an essential component to these energy-efficient rooftop projects.  Not only do such projects shrink a building’s energy footprint, but those that achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification can expect to receive tax credits along with lower utility costs.

LEED King

Consider that Taiwan’s Taipei 101 tower, the second tallest building in the world, was awarded a LEED Platinum Certification last summer, making it the most eco-conscious skyscraper in the world.  A three-year-long retrofit project resulted in the building using 30% less energy, reducing annual utility costs by $700,000 a year.

A green roof can help a building achieve LEED status via plants and trees that help insulate a building.  During the summer, a green roof can cut surface temperatures of up to 180 degrees in half, allowing buildings to be cooled at a fraction of the cost. Similarly, the heat absorption properties of living roofs reduce winter energy demands for these buildings by up to 50 percent. But benefits don’t end there: storm water discharge is reduced by more than 25 percent and runoff that remains can be used to irrigate other landscaping.

Amazing Stoneworks’ lightweight Amazing Pavers can be incorporated into such projects as roof top gardens, farms, playgrounds and other green spaces.  The company’s paving stones are 60% lighter than standard models, making them ideal for green roof applications.   Though lighter in weight, Amazing Pavers are still high in strength.

Toledo Green Roof Pavers

Builders who comply with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification system can achieve LEED ratings ranging from the basic Certified to Silver, Gold and Platinum. The LEED criteria is based on site selection, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, water efficiency, materials and resources, and innovation and design.

Federal and state incentives for LEED-certified buildings include expedited permits and review, density bonuses that tie incentives to local public policy priorities, tax credits and abatements, fee restrictions and waivers, grants and low-interest loans. In New Jersey, a Cranford ordinance established a Green Building Density program where LEED certification may earn incentives such as allowing for larger construction.

This nationwide initiative involves over 8.3 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries. Nearly 19,000 residential units have been certified under the LEED rating system, with over 75,500 more homes registered. In Northern New Jersey alone, 100 LEED buildings were certified by the summer of 2011.

Marketing and technical assistance is available from the USGBC, which has a New Jersey chapter http://www.usgbcnj.org/.

Of course, Amazing Stoneworks can help too, by offering smart solutions for sustainable living.

Imagine driving past any of the flat-roofed warehouses or manufacturing sites that dot the landscape. Now imagine those rooftops active with urban farmers tending to fields of crops, their neat rows bounded by walkways of attractive and lightweight Amazing Pavers the worlds lightest concrete roof pavers.

Green Roof Farming

Although rooftop food growing used to be rendered to some buckets of tomatoes and basil, modern urban farmers are looking at mass production. The Brooklyn Grange is a one-acre farm located on top of the Standard Motor Products building in Long Island City, Queens. It’s a for-profit venture that sells its produce to local city restaurants and directly to consumers via several weekly farm stands.

Meanwhile, the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm is a 6,000-square-foot organic field that sits on a warehouse roof in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Besides selling food to local restaurants and directly to consumers, Eagle Street hosts educational and volunteer programs such as “Chef’s Garden 101″ and “Food Education: From Field to Fork.”

Green Roof Farming New York City

Of course, starting a garden several stories or more above a cityscape is easier said than done. First, the building has to be protected with a green roof system. This starts with a layer of root barriers, which prevents plant roots from penetrating the roof’s surface. This is followed by a thick layer of felt and drainage mats with cups that hold excess rainwater for later plant usage. Finally, it’s topped with a thin layer of felt to prevent the drainage mats from filling with soil.

Rooftop soil isn’t the type found in the average suburban garden or country farm. Such dirt is very dense, and its weight would challenge the structural soundness of a building. Therefore, rooftop applications call for a special lightweight soil blend.

The same theory must be applied to the pavers used on such projects. Amazing Stoneworks’ concrete pavers were designed exclusively for green roof projects and are, on average, 60% lighter than standard models, requiring less structural reinforcement for installation. Though lighter in weight, the pavers are still high in strength, as well as fire rated. Amazing Stoneworks’ pavers are available in 18″x18″ or 24″x24″ sizes, and come in a variety of colors to blend seamlessly with each project.

Enjoying Green Roof Produce

Bringing modern alternatives to a rich American tradition is what rooftop farming — and Amazing Pavers — are all about.