Finding the perfect sports surfaces

If you’re looking for the perfect surface for your sports ground, whether it’s a running track, a football pitch or even a tennis court, look no further than Cloburn Red Granite Cresta™. Produced from granite, it’s a hardy, cost-effective, attractive and very low maintenance solution to your sporting surface needs, and might even improve your game!

There are so many reasons why Cloburn Red Granite Cresta™ works well on a tennis court. When laid, the surface is comfortable to use, with just the right amount of grip and friction to make it ideal for a fast-paced, high speed tennis match.

Tennis is one of the few games in the world that’s played on a variety of surfaces, each of them with their own characteristics which can affect foot grip, comfort, ball bounce and surface speed. Red Granite Cresta™ is perfect for tennis courts because the added binder gives courts a permeable surface, which helps to slow the ball down and bounce it higher, in a similar way to the clay courts at the French Open.

Another distinct advantage of using Cloburn Red Granite Cresta™ on a tennis court (see what we did there?) is that it’s exceedingly strong and durable, but doesn’t require much in the way of maintenance once it’s been laid. It lasts well, whatever environmental conditions might throw at it, and unlike burnt colliery waste, which was sometimes used to surface tennis courts in Scotland in the past, it certainly won’t turn into mud over the years. Maintenance of tennis courts surfaced with Red Granite Cresta is usually just a case of carrying out occasional rolling.

It’s not just tennis courts that can benefit from surfacing with Red Granite Cresta - it’s an excellent choice for use on running tracks and football pitches too. The surface feels light under foot and has a great texture that’s comfortable to run on, with great grip.  It also looks really good, and lasts longer than some other commercial surfaces.

Performance-wise, Cloburn Red Granite Cresta™ is great for athletes who want to practice and compete on a surface that’s well-suited to their particular sport, and for designers and planners, the surface is visually appealing, long lasting and doesn’t need much in the way of maintenance.

All very good reasons to look at using it for your next sports or leisure project.

Cloburn are one of Scotland’s TOP exporting companies!

There was good news for Scotland at the end of January, when the Global Connections Survey revealed that Scotland’s exports totalled £26 billion in 2012 a rise of £1.4bn, or 5.9 per cent, on 2011.

The survey, published by the Scottish Government, which doesn’t include oil and gas exports in the total, showed that  shows that £15.4bn of overseas sales in 2012 were attributable to manufacturing companies, and that manufacturing sector exports were up by £1.1bn, or 7.9 per cent.

We’d like to think that we have been doing our bit towards increasing Scottish exports here at Cloburn, because we’re proud to say that we’re actually one of the top companies in Scotland for export, due to the uniqueness of the products we supply and their reputation for quality around the globe. The reputation of our aggregate has even travelled as far as Japan, where our bright red granite was used to add a touch of style to Tokyo’s bus lanes.

We proudly export our fine Scottish granite wherever it’s needed, whether it’s shopping malls or cycle lanes, Holland, Japan or America, and we have many satisfied clients in the UK, Europe and the Far East. There really is nothing else quite like our red granite – how many other types of aggregate actually intensify in colour with time rather than fade?

Scottish Enterprise are encouraging Scottish businesses to export even more of their products – and so Business Quarterly (BQ) Scotland, in association with Scottish Enterprise, have announced the first ever Scottish Export Awards on 28 May at the Glasgow Science Centre to celebrate the best Scottish exporters.
The judges are looking for businesses who can show they’ve used innovative ways of reaching international customers, along with strong business growth through exports.

Scottish Enterprise said,

"With ongoing economic challenges, the importance of trading internationally has never been so in focus for Scotland's economic success.

"By recognising successful Scottish exporters and highlighting the significant benefits international trade can bring, this prestigious event and its accompanying programme will play a key role in helping to inspire many more companies to realise their global ambitions and act on opportunities in overseas markets."

At Cloburn we’re planning to carry on exporting throughout 2014 and beyond, so here’s to Scottish exports!

Tokyo Bus Lanes

Buses are a really big deal in Tokyo, with bus routes taking you almost anywhere that you need to go in the city. There are local and highway buses, all running on a series of well mapped out bus lanes that need to be resilient and clearly marked out to be able to cater for the amount of traffic they get on a daily basis.

That’s where Cloburn came in; we were asked to supply the red asphalt for this important public transport system, and we were delighted to be able to help. The planners in charge of the project came to Cloburn for their aggregate because of our reputation for being able to supply long-lasting and durable materials that were absolutely ideal for such a prestigious project.

Our famous red granite enjoys an excellent international reputation after being used for several high profile projects where coloured asphalt has been the material of choice. In addition to the Tokyo bus lanes, it has also been used very successfully on Holland’s famous cycle paths and for walkways in America.

One of the reasons that this aggregate is so popular, apart from the fact that it looks fantastic, is that it can offer a smooth, totally sealed surface which repels water and inclement weather, and also deters weeds. The asphalt lasts for a long time and is a favourite with planners who are looking for an attractive finish that won’t fade – unlike some artificially treated coloured asphalts, our red asphalt is naturally pigmented so the vibrant red shade intensifies rather than fading over time. Also, as some other cities have found to their cost, simply painting an existing concrete surface such as a bus lane in red may be cheaper at first, but most painted concrete surfaces tend to fade in a very short period, meaning that not only does the job have to be done again, but the roads will be held up and road users inconvenienced as the repainting is carried out.

As the Japanese bus lanes are proving already, finding the right material for the job really does pay dividends. The bus lanes look great, and they are set to carry on doing their job while still looking like they’ve only just been laid for many years to come.

Which Gravel Thickness?

When you’re trying to plan a landscaping project, it can seem as if there are so many things sent to complicate the project. What type of gravel? How much will you need? What depth should you go to?

There are many different manufacturers, all coming up with variations on the same theme, so we thought we would make it easy for you and put together a straight forward guide to choosing the right size gravel for your needs.

What is gravel?

In very simple terms, when you talk about gravel, what you mean is small stones. These stones are usually anything from 5mm to 30mm in diameter, and they can be rounded or with sharp angles. Angular gravels are usually sourced from quarries such as Cloburn, and rounded gravel tends to come from places like old river beds, dredging sites or beaches, where the water naturally rounds and smoothes the surface of the stones. Gravel can be any colour, depending on the source.

The types of gravel more likely to be used in a landscaping project will usually be anything from 6mm to 20mm. Our decorative red aggregate comes in three sizes: 10mm, 14mm and 20mm. Anything smaller than this is really more of a grit than a stone, and doesn’t tend to stay in place like good quality gravel will. Anything bigger can be uncomfortable to walk on, and isn’t so suitable for walkways or driveways.

 

What to use where

It’s a matter of taste, but the general rule is that the smaller gravels are best for walkways, golf courses and parks where there will be more foot-fall. For a driveway, you might prefer a larger stone, and it’s also wise to remember that if you are laying a driveway, the smaller the gravel size, the more comfortable it is for the neighbourhood cats to use it as a convenient toilet!

• Cloburn red granite chippings tend to be very popular with large landscaping projects such as golf courses, parks and cemeteries, and they have also been used for cycle paths. Also good for home driveways.

• The 14mm red aggregate can be used for pathways, as being a smaller stone it feels very comfortable under foot. It feels a little bit like walking along a beach, as you walk, the aggregate moves to accommodate your step pattern.

• The 10mm Cloburn pathway gravel is good for homes and gardens especially, and well-suited to rockeries and gardening projects. In addition to looking great, the gravel lets moisture through to the plants in the rockery, and reduces evaporation in the same way as a mulch.

For more advice about your landscaping project, feel free to check our FAQs or ask our helpful advisers.

Pedestrianised Zones

Cloburn Granite is proving to be very popular in the UK and abroad for use in decorative projects and also in areas such as shopping centres where a hard-wearing granite is needed. Cloburn’s red granite is a real favourite on the continent, in tourist centres and busy cities alike because of its reputation as being a hard-wearing and resilient surface.

Cloburn granite was formed many millions of years ago in Scotland, out of lava, and over the decades since we’ve been using it, it has gained an enviable reputation for its combination of colour, surface texture and strength. There are now many examples of commercial use of red granite around the world.

Some of the projects in which this attractive Scottish red granite have been successfully used include  high profile coloured asphalt projects for pedestrian walkways in America, bus lanes in Japan and even the busy cycle paths in Holland. We’ve noticed that this attractive red asphalt is especially popular in Europe. It is used extensively across Holland and Germany in shopping centres and similar pedestrian areas, where the aggregates are added to existing paving slabs to overhaul the look of a drab walkway, and to give new, modern malls a sophisticated look.

Our customers really seem to love this particular aggregate – they know that exposed aggregate block paving does have several advantages over the standard paving blocks sometimes used in town centre design projects. Standard paving blocks can look very sophisticated – but they depend on keeping artificial pigments to retain their decorative look. That’s where the Cloburn red aggregates have an unfair natural advantage; they will keep their attractive colour for life, and that’s  guaranteed. Even more unusually, the look of Cloburn red aggregates actually improves with age – there’s absolutely  no fading and the colour becomes richer and more vibrant as time passes, which is a great bonus for any contractors looking for long-lasting, durable and reliable materials for their project.

Cloburn red aggregates also have the advantage of being easier to keep clean for longer, because they create a greater surface area, definitely another important consideration in a busy pedestrianized European city! The sheer number of tourists and visitors to Amsterdam and other popular European destinations demands a resilient and easy to care for surface – which is why so many projects have been enhanced with Cloburn red aggregate.

Contact the team and find out more about our European projects and materials.

Aggregate Score

If you're planning a landscaping project and looking for the right type of aggregate to use, you'€™ll know that there are different grades available, all suited to a particular type of use. Making sure that you use the right type for your project will ensure that the finished work not only looks great, but lasts, too.

20mm Red Aggregate Driveway Gravel

This type of aggregate is perfect if you’re planning a project that involves a landscaped garden or a regularly used driveway for a home. It looks good, is hard-working and durable, and it needs virtually no maintenance other than the occasional raking, making it the perfect domestic driveway option.

This attractive red decorative aggregate is a favourite with builder'€™s merchants and landscape architects across the UK, as it delivers a touch of class to a wide range of landscaping projects including golf courses, public parks, cycle paths and even cemeteries anywhere that needs an upmarket style product that can stand up to heavy use, maintain its looks, and demands little upkeep.

14mm Aggregate Path Chippings

These chippings are perfect for most gardening projects; they look great in rockeries where the chippings allow moisture to get through to the plants, keeping weeds at bay and letting the plants thrive. They have an advantage over often-used organic mulch, which tends to trap moisture.

This aggregate is a great choice for pathways, because not only does it add a bit of class to a property, but it's as comfortable to walk on as a finely pebbled beach. It'€™s a favourite with insurance companies too, who often recommend that home owners use stone chippings in pathways for the warning noise they make as anyone approaches. Adding this aggregate to your pathway may even help add value to your property as well as providing an attractive addition to any garden.

10mm Red Aggregate Pathway Gravel

This aggregate is the ideal solution if you want an attractive finish to a path with lighter use. Another great choice for anyone wishing to create an attractive rockery feature in their garden, it'€™s a popular aggregate that adds a splash of natural colour to any setting, and demands very little effort by way of maintenance.

This product is also popular with landscape gardeners looking for an attractive, low-maintenance product to use in large scale projects, including commercial garden venues. The colour doesn’t fade with age, in fact as the aggregate weathers, the colour becomes even more vibrant, making it long lasting and the ideal choice for anyone wanting to improve the look of their property’s external areas too.

Choosing the correct aggregate is the first step in creating a long-lasting and eye-catching outdoor landscape. If you’re unsure which of our products is best for your project, simply Ask an Expert at Cloburn.