Beautiful Walls for Critical Applications

MINNEAPOLIS – (February, 2006) – The aesthetic expectations of luxury homebuyers have never been higher, and upscale residential developers like Floyd Calhoun are meeting the challenge with Diamond Pro® Stone Cut™ from Anchor Wall Systems.

Calhoun’s latest project, Highlands at Edenvale, in Eden Prairie, Minn., is proof. “This project features homes from $1.5 million and up. At that price, the area surrounding the structures has to be attractive,” said Calhoun. But achieving beauty didn’t come easily.

“A lot of developers flat out passed on this property,” said Calhoun. “The elevation between the hills, valleys and roadways was ridiculous – a hundred feet or so. To create usable lots, we had to cut the top off a large hill and then use a retaining wall to hold it in place. But I had no idea just how much work it would take.” In all, the project ended up with over 27,000 square feet of retaining walls that ranged from five to 30 feet in height. “We needed to add walls that weren’t going to be an eyesore” said Calhoun, “especially at the entrance where a mammoth wall greets every visitor. The entrance had to be impressive and accent the neighborhood without trumping it.”

Calhoun’s challenge was to make very large walls attractive and reliable. He and his team conducted an exhaustive search to find a wall solution that was equal in beauty to the surroundings and homes. The answer was Diamond Pro Stone Cut from Anchor Wall Systems. “I looked at others, a lot of others in fact, then I saw Diamond Pro Stone Cut while driving one day. I knew it was the right look, hands-down. Then I found out it was my best choice for a number of other reasons.”

“The style, aesthetics, quality – they’re all there; it’s an awesome product,” said Calhoun. “I was seeking a block that didn’t look commercial. You drive by malls and outlets and the retaining walls looks so commercial and dull. Diamond Pro Stone Cut was the opposite. The rounded corners and distressed face were perfect. And the color – I couldn’t have custom-ordered a better color for the setting.”

Calhoun added, “This look is definitely my preference. Sure, others may still like that flat, square, commercial look, but it’s not for me. I prefer the natural look in my developments, and I see the industry moving that way too.” Brad Meyer, Director of Sales and Marketing Engineered Wall Market agrees. “Natural stone has always been a popular look, but stone can be costly and difficult to design and build with.” But a beautiful appearance wasn’t the sole deciding factor in Calhoun choosing Diamond Pro Stone Cut. “Looks aside, reliability is still king.”

Integral to the success of the project was Matt Barron, project installer from Hardscape Construction. “I can’t say enough wonderful things about Matt. He did exactly what he said he would and when. That’s hard to find these days – and invaluable to have. I’ll definitely work with him again’ Calhoun said.

Of course, being good comes easily when you’re Barron. “Over the last 12 years or so, I’ve installed a million square feet of Anchor walls,” said Barron. “I’ve had great success working with Anchor products. They’re easy to install and excellent to work with.” Barron added, “I don’t have much say in choosing the look of the block, but I do when it comes to the brand, and I always choose Anchor.”

Barron said, “It takes fewer workers and far fewer hours to install.” He then went on to praise the unexpected benefits of Diamond Pro Stone Cut. “This is the first project where I’ve used the new three-piece system. It was a huge time saver. The Highlands at Edenvale walls had a lot of curves. Typically curves mean a ton of custom cuts and measuring. But with three block sizes, we rarely had to make a cut. We just picked a different size and moved on. The walls went up quickly, and there were no problems with bad bonds.”

Of course, Barron didn’t mind that Diamond Pro Stone Cut looked great too. “After the fact, you always want the project to look fantastic, and this one does. In fact, it’s featured in our portfolio now,” Barron said.

ABOUT ANCHOR WALL SYSTEMS
Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Anchor Wall Systems designs and licenses flexible, cost-effective, high-quality concrete retaining wall solutions for a wide variety of commercial, municipal and residential landscaping applications worldwide. The company’s Highland Stone®, Diamond®, Diamond Pro®, Diamond Pro® Stone Cut™, Vertica®, Vertica Pro® and Landmark brand retaining wall products are supplied by 45 authorized manufacturer licensees in the United States and around the world. For more information about Anchor products and for the name of a dealer near you, contact Anchor Wall Systems at 1-877-295-5415 or visit www.anchorwall.com.

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