My Account
Years in the bricklaying trade all over the world has given Arkles Bay businessman John Sunter an appreciation of how outdoor spaces can be improved.
Originally from Lancashire, in England, John spent nearly four years with Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) teaching bricklaying in Kenya. Then, a casual conversation with an Irishman in a pub took him to Connecticut, in the US, where he worked on a number of housing projects. After leaving that job, he returned to the UK as an external foreman/site agent for a construction company involved in large commercial developments such as hotels and supermarkets.
“My wife Helena and I first came to NZ when my parents were here on a six-month holiday,” he says. “We fell in love with the country and as soon as we returned home, we started thinking about moving here permanently.
John says one of the first things he noticed when he started work on the Coast was how little choice there was in external surfaces. He started researching kiln-dried aggregates, which he had used in the UK, and recently set-up his new business Gravel Bound.
“We’re not trying to replace concrete or timber, but are offering another option – an option that is durable, easy to maintain and looks fantastic.”
The aggregate, from Central Otago and Invercargill, is bonded with high performance polyurethane resins and comes in a range of finishes including matt or gloss.
The mixture is mixed wet and hand trowelled for a seamless finish, and the result is a permeable paving that is ideal for covering existing concrete floors or timber decking.
“It is overlaid as a veneer finish, which allows water to follow existing drainage channels. Given that 40 per cent of any section in Auckland has to be permeable, the aggregate is ideal for people who have already reached that limit. The flooring can be used in a variety of outdoor settings such as in boat storage and BBQ areas.”
John says he and Helena, and their dog Ozzie, who travelled with them from the UK via Perth, love the Coast lifestyle.
“One of the challenges of introducing a new product like this is changing people’s thinking so they can see there are other ways of accomplishing a good finish,” he says.
