He said the natural styles had become more popular in the last three years. With concrete, Fuss said, the thickness of the products can be kept uniform, making the pieces simpler to fit and install. None of the concrete products, including blocks for retaining walls, require any mortar to hold them together.
Concrete products are also comparable to natural stone in strength.
To achieve the natural or distressed appearance, products such as concrete cobblestones are tumbled or shaken together by machine, which removes sharp edges and roughens the surface. Several colors are available, generally combinations of brown and gray. The crushed stone should be compacted with a plate vibrator, which can be rented. Edge restraints are generally installed after the base is compacted. Edging of pressure-treated wood is sometimes used.