Allan Block and Retaining Walls

Allan Block is a brand of Reading Rock which has 67 years of expertise in material building product expertise. The Allan Block Collection of retaining wall products gives you a choice of styles to meet your site and design requirements. All the collections can build the basic gravity wall system for smaller wall projects, or, using geogrid to reinforce the retaining wall allows taller projects to be built. 

Retaining Wall Basics

Retaining wall block can be used to construct walls that prevent the movement of the soil. Retaining walls that rely solely on their own weight to retain the soil behind them are called gravity walls. When taller wall heights are required or certain site conditions exist such as a slope above the wall, a reinforced wall is constructed.

• Gravity Wall - a retaining wall that does not use soil reinforcement. A gravity wall has limited height because it relies on the weight and setback of the block alone to resist the soil pressures behind the wall.
• Geogrid - a method of reinforcing an Allan Block retaining wall using a flexible mesh grid that adds significant strength and stabilizes the soil. 

Retaining walls can fail for several reasons, but most often it’s from sub-standard materials used and lack of reinforcement. When using Allan Block, you will be using the highest quality block for your retaining wall. Any of the Allan Block Collection blocks stack well to create a smooth, fluid finish, and can be used on their own for a gravity wall or with a geogrid if extra reinforcement is needed. Every Allan Block carries with it a promise to be durable, naturally attractive, and easy to install. Choosing Allan Block guarantees you’ll have a strong, safe, reliable wall system. 

Lafarge Fox River Stone is a proud distributor of Allan Block. We’re holding an Allan Block Level 1 Contractor Certification course at our facility on Thursday, March 30th to become a Reading Rock certified installing contractor. This course is geared towards installers, foremen, and crew, but would also be beneficial to building officials and architects. Cost is $55 per attendee, and you must RSVP by Tuesday, March 22nd. Contact Lafarge Fox River Stone with any additional questions. We hope to see you there!

iLandscape Trade Show Recap

Lafarge Fox River Decorative Stone had the pleasure of exhibiting at the iLandscape Trade Show the first week of February, one of the 50 fastest growing tradeshows in the country according to Tradeshow Executive Magazine. The largest Midwestern trade show servicing landscape professionals was presented by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) and Wisconsin Green Industry Federation (WGIF). The trade show was held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel in Schaumburg, IL.

As a proud ILCA member, we were excited to head down and be a part of the fourth annual iLandscape show! It featured two exhibit halls, Discovery Hall and Innovation Hall, with more than 450 booths featuring the latest trends in plants, green industry products, equipment, and more.

Some highlights were listening to the keynote speaker, Ed Begley Jr., connecting with over 35 new exhibitors, exhibiting at ILCA’s Excellence in Landscape Awards Night, and interacting with attendees in between their education sessions. At the trade show, the best minds in the industry were teaching the sessions, where we learned new tips and tricks to better our business. Overall, the three days we were there were informational, relaxed, and full of fun.

As the leading supplier of construction material within the Chicagoland area, Lafarge River Stone has been around since 1934 supplying a full line of landscape, hardscape, and masonry products. We have what it takes to help you get the job done right, and we take your projects very seriously We as a company love to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and styles in the landscaping industry to give our customers the best service possible.

For more information on Lafarge River Stone, visit our website or give us a call today at (847)-888-6133!

Stay Warm with a New Fireplace!

When temperatures drop, cozying up in front of a fireplace with your favorite book or a cup of hot cocoa can be the best way to beat the winter blues. For some, installing a new fireplace can provide a space for comfort and spending time with family - so what needs to be considered before the process begins?

Consider Your Preferences:

1. Heat: How important is it that your fireplace contributes to the heating of your home?
2. Ambiance & Aesthetic: Do you have a particular “look” or “feel” in mind?
3. Emissions: Each fireplace type carries its own standard emissions output and some be further adapted. Visit the “Burn Wise” segment of the EPA website for more details on different models.

Explore Your Options:

Indoor fireplace come in a variety of makes, models, and styles. They can also be further customized by your choice of stone. Visit our website to see the wide variety of fireplace components available  In addition to decorative stone, flue liners, heat stop mortar, and venting options are offered.

Wood-Burning:  There’s a certain allure to crackling wood and wood-burning fireplaces offer plenty of benefits. Firewood can be purchased locally and inexpensively. It’s carbon neutral, as carbon dioxide was taken in by the tree in growth. It’s more eco-friendly than emissions produced by fossil fuels.

Gas Logs:  Gas logs can be installed into fireplaces as part of a new installment or retrofitted into a wood-burning fireplace. Gas logs can be fueled by natural gas or liquid petroleum.  Installing a vent operates with a chimney flue and better simulates a wood-burning fire, but gas fireplaces without vents will provide more heat.

Stand-Alone Stoves: While lacking the traditional fireplace look, these self-contained units pack a more powerful heating punch.  There are a number of models available.  Gas stoves burn the same fuel as gas fireplaces.  Stoves running on compact pellets made from various organic materials (wood chips, sawdust, etc.).  Stand-alone stoves are also available in wood-burning models.  Stand-alone stoves still require venting and could incorporate an aesthetic stone base.

Built-in thermostats: These self-modulated fireplaces only turn on if the temperature drops to a certain level in your home, switching off automatically once the temperature reaches the desired level.

Outdoor Fireplace: Enjoy the ambiance of a crackling fire throughout the year. These stone hearths can be adapted to the decor and aesthetic of your deck, patio, or landscaping, 

creating an outdoor lounge and entertainment space.

Contact the experts at LaFarge Fox River Stone to help pick the fireplace that’s right for you!

Work Warmer, Not Harder

Snow, ice, hail, polar vortex?  Winter weather throws plenty of surprises your way.  No matter the temperature, there are paths, parking lots, and driveways to clear.  Here are some helpful tips and reminders for staying safe as you work hard during the winter season.

Stay Warm

• Layer.  A good coat is no substitute for insulating layers.  If you’re outside for prolonged periods of time, consider wearing two pairs of socks - at least one pair made of wool - with your boots.
• Protect Your Heat-Loss Zones.  Don’t leave your head or neck exposed.  These areas of your body lose heat the fastest, dropping your core body temperature overall.
• Sacrifice Dexterity.  If you don’t need your fingers loose, opt for mittens instead.  If you go back and forth between the two, consider wearing a pair of mittens over your gloves and only removing them when necessary.

Stay Aware

• Watch Your Toes.  The effects of the cold are first experienced in peripheral appendages, like your fingers and toes.  Pay attention when those start to tingle!
• Know Your Risk Factors. The risk of frostbite and hypothermia increases with certain factors, including age, previous circulation problems, a recent injury or blood loss, or chemicals such as alcohol, nicotine, or beta-blocker medication.
• Check the Weather.  The rate of over-exposure is affected by a number of environmental factors.  If you have a choice in your day or time to do labor outside, monitor the temperature, wind chill, and humidity.

Stay Safe

• Remove Wet Clothes.  Even damp socks can have a negative affect!  Wet clothes can speed up your heat loss.  When you get inside, remove any wet or damp clothing for something dry and warm.
• Pay Attention to Your Body.  Mild frostbite can be seen in blanching of the skin or a prolonged redness out of the ordinary.  As over-exposure worsens, frostbite freezes and crystallizes fluid within tissue, damaging blood vessels and leading to clotting.  If your fingers or toes are discolored after time outside, don’t ignore it.
• Re-Warm Gradually.  If you notice an area with mild or more severe frostbite, use warm - not hot! - water in the area.  Depending on the severity of the frostbite, swelling, itching, burning, or even pain can occur.

From your friends at Fox River Stone - stay warm, stay aware, stay safe!

Tips on Marketing Your Landscaping Business

Getting a business started is an incredible achievement, but there is still plenty of hard work yet to come. Now, you need to make sure that you effectively spread the word on who you are and what you do. This is where marketing comes into play. Marketing your landscaping business is crucial to your success—building awareness for your brand will bring new customers into your door, allowing your business to grow both in the quantity and quality of staff and in service offerings you can provide your clients.

Starting a marketing strategy for your business can be intimidating, especially if you are a novice at this. But your expert team at Lafarge Fox River Stone knows how you can build a powerful marketing strategy in a digital age. Here are some budget friendly ways to get your marketing tactic started!

Know Where to Spend Your Advertising Dollars

While it may be tempting to make a television advertisement, a radio commercial, or even a billboard advertisement when you first open your business, these marketing strategies are often costly, especially if you are just starting out.

Instead, be a visible presence in the real world. This can come in a variety of forms—have your logo and business phone number on the vehicle you drive, print and pass out business cards, send postcards or newsletters to potential clients. These strategies can get you face to face with your clients.

Have an Active Online Presence

We live in a world where everything happens online—so why wouldn’t your business be a powerful presence online as well?

Apart from building a solid website, when you are just starting your landscaping business, we highly recommend you become an active user on common and popular social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and even Pinterest! Post updates about your business on a regular basis to build a solid fan base.

Also, never forget the powerful impact an online review can have. Encourage customers to go online and review your business. If it’s a positive review, acknowledge it on other online channels and spread the word that you are doing good things! If a dreaded (and rare) negative review occurs, address it properly, and let it be known to other clients that you are listening to their needs. This will bring business in the door!

Exploring the Ins and Outs of an Illinois Landscaping Business

Owning and operating a landscaping business has many benefits. The freedom of having control over your schedule and the pride of knowing that you created something using your skills are just a couple of these benefits. Here in the State of Illinois, there are rules and regulations put in place to protect the consumer and ensure that the landscaping business is held to a predetermined set of standards. If you are considering starting a landscaping business in Illinois, here are some things you should know.

Define your business

The first thing you need to consider is the type of landscaping services you will be offering. Under the Illinois Landscape Architect Act of 1989,  if you provide any type of landscape planning and architectural services, you must have a licensed landscape architect employed on your staff. Becoming licensed requires passing a state examination and providing proof of education in the field of landscape architecture.

If you provide general landscape maintenance, the State of Illinois does not require a specific licensing; however some local communities require all landscaping businesses to obtain licensure if they work within their local jurisdiction. Additionally, they may require the business to provide proof of liability insurance as well as being bonded.  If you are unsure about the requirements for the community in which your business operates, contact the city or county clerk to get additional input.

Tax registrations

Any business operating within Illinois that provides goods or services for sale must apply for the appropriate tax collection registrations. There are different tax rules depending upon if you sell products, provide a service or offer a combination of both. Be sure to talk to a tax professional if you are unsure of what is required for your business processes.

Employees

Hiring employees adds another level of legal complexities. If you have employees on your payroll, the first step is to apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number.  In addition, the State of Illinois requires businesses who will hire employees to register with the Department of Employement Security (IDES) within 30 days of the start of the business. Your company is also required to file quarterly returns with the IDES and pay unemployment contributions.

At Lafarge Fox River Decorative Stone, we are fortunate provide high quality landscaping products to competent landscape contractors across the State of Illinois. 

Fall Landscape Survival Tips: Beyond the Plants and Trees

The beauty and cooler weather of fall has many landscape owners thinking about how to tidy up their plants and preserve them over the winter. But the hardscape elements in the landscape also need preparation for the changing seasons in order to prevent damage, and to keep them looking their best. Although hardscaping seems permanent because it is fixed in the landscape, it can deteriorate over time without proper maintenance. Likewise, irrigation systems and the soil in your landscape need some basic maintenance, as well! A few simple tips show that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Inspect Hardscaping

Fall is a good time to inspect the stone features in your landscape. Pay special attention to any cracks in bricks, walls, and stone pathways. The cold temperatures of winter will only exacerbate these cracks and make them more difficult to repair next year. If you live in a region that receives snowfall, water freezing and thawing in these openings will damage and weaken the stone even more. Sealing small cracks will go a long way towards avoiding having to replace hardscaped elements.

Check the dirt and gravel around the hardscaping. If there are depressions where it has washed or worn away around walkways, walls, and other stone features, fill them before winter sets in, as cool temperatures, spring rains, and thaws can contribute to further erosion.

Soil

Fall is a good time to test the acidity and alkaline levels of the soil in your landscape, especially if you didn’t get around to it during the busier spring planting and fertilizing months. Remember to stop fertilizing late in the summer, in order to discourage new growth that will be too delicate for the colder months. However, fall mulching is fine--you can even make your own by finely chopping up dead leaves in your lawn mower! Use a kit to test the pH level in your soil, and use sulfur or lime to adjust it before winter.     

Irrigation Systems

If you have an irrigation system in your landscape, turn it off when temperatures are in danger of dipping below freezing. Drain any existing water remaining in the irrigation system. Freezing and expanding in the pipes can ruin them over the winter.

Fall Planting

Can’t get enough of planting? Fall can be a good time for some new plants to take root in a landscape, and with so many tempting plants on clearance at lawn and garden stories, it’s hard to resist adding some extra color, or something new! For ideas and inspiration about fall planting, visit here.  

Located in South Elgin, Illinois, LaFarge Fox River Decorative Stone has been serving homeowners and businesses since 1934. Our team of experts in on hand to help prepare your landscaped walls and masonry for fall and winter. Visit our showroom and outdoor displays Mondays through Fridays from 7 am to 5 pm, and on Saturdays from 7 am until noon, or visit our website for more information!