Finally! A more practical alternative to the expensive and time-consuming challenge of finding, moving, and installing a real rock (weighing hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds) on which to mount an address plaque for your home or business. These unique and practical landscape accents are ideal for residences, businesses, and other locations where an attractive, more natural-looking identification is desired.
MATERIALS
These rugged replicas are hollow, approximately one-inch thick, and open at the bottom. Manufactured from construction-grade GFRC* cast-stone, they will withstand 9,000 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure and freeze-thaw conditions. Each one weighs between 50-80 pounds, but is an exact replica of a size of boulder that can easily weigh 800 to 1,000 pounds, or more. *For more information about GFRC, scroll down to the bottom of this page.
Detailed latex molds for these artificial boulders are tediously and carefully taken from actual rocks found in nature, and the coloring process used for them matches the realism of the original boulders. Skilled craftsmen enhance the GFRC cast-stone with permanent natural shades using a proprietary coloring process which requires no special maintenance in the future. Due to modern high-performance polymers and other scientifically-developed, construction-grade admixtures, these GFRC cast-stone reproductions are designed to last for generations and typically wear in the same manner as, or superior to, natural rock. Customers are pleased to learn that the three basic colors we offer for these replica boulders will actually appear more lifelike over the years. The helpful effects of the natural elements such as the sun, snow, and rain give them an even more lifelike, weathered appearance with each passing year.
MAINTENANCE AND GUARANTEE
The cast-stone boulders are made to last outdoors for generations without any special maintenance or care, whether located in high humidity, extreme heat, or freeze-thaw conditions.
Care should be taken when unpacking and installing the address boulder. Should it be accidentally scratched or chipped, the mark will likely disappear from view as natural weathering takes place over several months, similar to what happens with real rock.
A 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is offered for the lifetime of each boulder if the craftsmanship is found to be defective in any way (with the exception of naturally-occurring adjustments in color). The plaque is made of cast aluminum and is finished in baked enamel paint. They are rust-proof and are guaranteed to be free from workmanship defects for one year. Customers with a valid craftsmanship claim will receive an immediate replacement with an identical item once the product is returned and the claim confirmed.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
You can expect delivery within 4 weeks.
Since the boulder can weigh between 50-80 pounds, it is packaged in a 350-pound-test double-wall corrugated box using an industrial foam-in-place system to protect it during transit.
It is the customer's responsibility to check for damage in the unlikely event something happened to it during shipping.
Once the package is opened, the industrial foam-in-place packaging material can be removed by breaking off or carefully cutting it away from the boulder piece-by-piece and disposing of it. Cutting and tearing off parts of the corrugated box often make it easier to access the hardened foam for removal. Please remember, the manufacturer is not responsible for any damage to the boulders or plaques when customers unpack or place them.
ANTI-THEFT FEATURE
Most likely, no one is going to bother with what appears to be an 800-pound natural boulder that would require incredible effort to move.
However, should you feel it's necessary in your neighborhood to safe-guard your investment, each boulder comes equipped with a heavy-duty metal eye bolt manufactured underneath each boulder for anti-theft purposes.
Complete instructions are included with each boulder.
To use this feature, you purchase four items from a local hardware or home improvement store:
1). An inexpensive key or combination lock
2). A small sack of "just-add-water" quick-drying cement
3). A five-gallon plastic bucket if you don't have one
4). A three-foot-long piece of sturdy 2/0 or 3/0 straight link chain.
You then dig a hole directly below where the boulder will be placed, use the lock to secure one end of the chain onto the metal eye bolt, mix the cement in a bucket, fill the hole with the cement slurry, push as much of the remaining length of chain into the cement, and rest the boulder over the hole where the chain can dry in the cement and serve as an anchor.
GFRC - Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete
GFRC cast-stone is a composite material consisting of Portland cement, fine aggregate, water, alkali-resistant glass fiber reinforcement, and modern high-performance polymers and other scientifically-developed admixtures.
PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT fiberglass.
GFRC was first introduced to the world's building industry more than 40 years ago starting in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia where it is extensively used today.
It's popularity among architects, engineers and construction firms soon spread to the Middle East and United States where its primary use is in the fabrication of pre-cast exterior walls for mid to high-rise buildings.
When manufactured using exact mix formulas and specialty equipment under controlled conditions, GFRC achieves remarkable construction-grade physical properties that make it ideal for numerous applications, especially those where high-strength and low-weight ratios are significant design factors.
GFRC cast-stone is comparable to natural stone as a construction material in appearance and performance, yet can be formed to almost any shape and proportion the designer wishes. It can equal, or even surpass, the technical capabilities of natural stone in terms of strength, moisture penetration, and coloring.
It is frequently encountered in building restorations and used to replicate stone, cast stone, and even architectural terra cotta in projects such as cathedrals and historical structures.
In the last 25 years, landscape, swimming pool, and general construction contractors have discovered the benefits of using GFRC cast boulders and rock cliff panels.
They use the castings to build waterfalls, grottos, and lagoons at residential and commercial projects which make finished projects appear as if they were carved into a hillside by erosion a thousand years ago.
Our Formula Exceeds Industry Standards
Our GFRC formula exceeds standard industry mixtures tested to achieve a tensile strength of up to 9,000 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure, compressive strength up to 1,300 pounds-per-square-inch, flexural strength up to 5,000 pounds-per-square-inch, and low moisture permeability to defend against freeze-thaw conditions.
In fact, less superior versions of our GFRC formula have earned an "excellent" rating in freeze-thaw resistance after withstanding over 300 rapid freeze-thaw cycles, or the equivalent of 200 or more severe North East winters.
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