“We replicated old planks and made them out of concrete. Most people thought it was hardwood, but this product doesn’t warp and it doesn’t twist,” Wiebe says. “It’s a gorgeous product.” Both lines are suitable for pedestrian walkways, decks and patios, and Wiebe says the initial re- sponse has been phenomenal. “The price per square foot is very comparable to composite decking,” he says. “You install it the same way as any other patio material.”
Concrete isn’t usually the first choice that springs to mind, but some innovative new products are paving the way for change. Barkman Concrete’s Bridgewood and Terra Nova lines of concrete slabs are designed to resemble hardwood planks, without the up- keep of the real thing. “Our Terra Nova product looks a lot more modern, where as Bridge- wood is a lot rougher,” says Wayne Wiebe, Barkman Concrete’s cen- tral sales manager. “They look really sharp, really authentic.” The planks are available in shades of grey and brown, and to give Bridgewood its signature rustic look, moulds were made from ac- tual wood.
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