Archive for the ‘Recycling’ Category

We are very excited to be among the first projects in RI to use Nu-Cedar Siding.   Made of recycled PVC Nu-Cedar is beautiful, well engineered, and maintenance free.  We are using three different siding profiles – a panel system (pictured below), board and batten, and traditional clapboards.  Special thanks to Tim, Breck, Ezra, and Jimmy from T & J Construction for taking the time to learn how to use this product and for doing such a thoughtful and careful job! And check out the standing seam metal roof – a tip of the hat to JC, Glen, and the crew from Bradford Standing Seam!

We are also in the midst of installing a denitrification septic system – sized to handle the Charlestown Package Store and a future building that will go up on the site of the old store.   This system is essentially a miniature sewage treatement plant that filters and treats the waste water to make it safe for the environment.

This weeks’ 100 year storm broke all records and brought devastation to much of Rhode Island.  We were concerned about what would happen to our site with open foundations and no way to channel the water.   How did it look?   Great!

Thanks to the careful work by Morrone Excavation the grading and gravel base was sufficient to handle nature’s worst.  Look at the pictures – no standing water, no mud, no problem.  And, as a bonus, the existing package store, which always flooded after a heavy rain, was dry as a bone.

Of course, once we build the building and install the driveway and parking areas we will have to channel the water and make provisions for it to be absorbed back into the ground.  We are committed to handling all of the water and runoff on site.  Our site plan, developed by On-Site Engineering, calls for an underground detention area to handle the roof drains and for permeable pavers in the parking areas and on the side walks.   The permeable pavers will allow the water to penetrate into the underground gravel base and be absorbed into the earth.

Preparation of the base is critical as the pavers are set in small stones (no cement to hold them in place) and can’t move or shift with the weight of cars and changes in temperature.   We asked Matt Foley, of Unilock, to meet with Mike Morrone, and Steve Richardson of New England Hardscapes.  We want to take advantage of Unlock’s experience and make sure that we are installing the pavers as per the manufacturer’s specifications.  Our plan calls for a 6″ subbase of 2 1/2 stones, then a 6″ base course of 1″ stones, and a 2″ bedding course of 3/8″ stones.  Morrone Excavation will put down the base and subbase and New England Hardscapes will lay the bedding course, install the granite curbing, and set the pavers.

Will our plan handle the next hundred year storm?  We hope so!