LANDSCAPING
BRINGING IN OUTSIDE SALES
A
s the temperatures soared this summer, we once again became creatures living between the indoor and outdoor worlds; enjoying the
freedom and beauty of endless blue skies before diving indoors to the sanctuary of shade. “Increasing interest in ‘indoor/outdoor’ design has fuelled demand for hard landscaping-related maintenance products, post-installation and for renovations.” says Richard Osborne, director of LTP and Ecoprotec. The idea behind the indoor/ outdoor trend is a simple one: that spaces flow into one-another, feeling more natural than though-about. This amount of elegance can be, Osborne says, incredibly fragile.
“Very often, stone surfaces are specified to
run continuously from home to patio or terrace and it’s essential that both areas are correctly protected and maintained, to safeguard this seamless aesthetic.”
However, he explains that this protection doesn’t have to be a painstaking process: “The new breed of water-based impregnating sealers protects against weathering and organic dirt, and treatment over the autumn/ winter is possible, as they can be applied over residual moisture, unlike traditional solvents. They’re also safer and eco-friendly. More specific products are also in demand, like LTP Blackstone which restores faded pavers, and rust removers.” Global Stone is also focussing on the indoor/ outdoor space trend with their porcelain
In recent years, garden and landscaping trends have seen a rise in blending inside spaces with the outside world but how are merchants to make the most of this between- world? Elizabeth Jordan asks a few leading brands for their insights.
products, as marketing manager Gemma Harrington explains, “Creating a seamless transition from inside to outside living spaces have grown more popular in recent years. Porcelain paving is perfect for creating this look, and the majority of our collection makes this possible. Internal porcelain has some different features to external: it is thinner than external porcelain at 10mm thick, making it easier to accommodate specifications of the home. It is also smoother in texture, while maintaining anti-slip qualities, for a pleasant feel underfoot. Stepping into the garden, the texture of the paving changes to provide anti-slip qualities more in line with outside factors.”
Porcelain perfection
Harrington says that porcelain is the new paving revolution. Modern manufacturing processes have allowed designs to be created that are so natural looking it’s hard to tell the difference between porcelain and natural stone. “We are also able to create truly unique designs in terms of colour, finish and texture for those who desire a contemporary look.”
This does not mean, she explains, that the environment suffers in any way, “As people become more conscious of the environment, they look for materials that are produced ethically and cleanly, with minimum waste. Our porcelain is sourced from Italian suppliers, recognised as the market leaders, for whom the process of creating porcelain is a sustainable one. Any material that is not used within the process is recycled and put back into the creation of more tiles.”
Continued on page 30 September 2018
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 29
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