One of the weightiest factors that makes Belgard’s Diamond Pro Air wall block stand out from the rest is just the opposite of heft — it’s the product’s lightweight design, says Joe Raboine, vice president of design at Belgard.
It’s all in the name for Belgard’s Diamond Pro Air — in fact, the product is 40 percent lighter than the company’s previous iterations. This becomes significant on several fronts.
“Ergonomically, it’s better because you can get more product on a truck and you’re not paying for all that extra weight,” Raboine says. “For the installers, it’s easier on their bodies. If you’re building a big wall and lifting blocks hour after hour, it’s a significant difference.”
The Belgard Diamond Pro in smooth Hickory.Belgard
Features include:
- It can be installed as a gravity wall or geogrid-reinforced wall.
- Weighing only 54 pounds, this 1-square-foot block maximizes installation and shipping efficiencies.
- The front lug design produces a 9/16-inch per unit setback for a 4-degree system batter.
- It’s ideally situated for retaining walls less than 12 feet tall.
- It can be used to build gravity walls up to 3 feet, 4 inches high, including the buried course.
Raboine adds that the efficiency factor certainly helps with the current labor market in the landscape industry.
“One of the barriers to long-term growth is attracting labor, and I think the whole industry has struggled with that for years,” Raboine says. “We’re looking at ways that take what we had and improve on them and pair them with technology so that people, regardless of their age, can do this type of work for years and not injure themselves or hurt their backs.”
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In addition to the product’s light weight upping the efficiency of installers, its shape also makes the install process smoother, Raboine says.
The 1-square-foot block makes it easy to estimate jobs, Raboine says. It comes in three face styles: smooth, split face and quarry. Depending on the region, the product also comes in various colors such as a solid, charcoal gray and buff.
“It’s about the simplicity,” Raboine says. “When you get used to installing it, it’s the same process, no matter the style. The idea that you can build pretty much any wall up to 12 feet is huge.”
The Diamond Pro has been around for 30-plus years — Belgard simply found a way to enhance the staple in its portfolio. While Raboine says that there’s a lot of technology that’s helpful for installers, such as clamps, exoskeletons and similar tools, as a manufacturer, Belgard is always looking for ways to improve its products. 
The Belgard Diamond Pro product in Napoli.Belgard
“It was an evolution,” Raboine says. “All of our product development now is looking through the lens of is this easier? Does it make it more efficient for our contractors? If it doesn't, why not? And what else can we do to help?”
For installers interested in the product, Raboine notes that Belgard’s engineering team is ready to help at any step in the process.
“We don’t just provide the product — we help them navigate any permitting requirements they have,” Raboine says. “The product also has a limited lifetime warranty — we stand behind the product. The sales support and service are also a huge part of what we offer.”
At the end of the day, it all comes back to paving the way for more efficient and effective installers.
“That was the idea behind all of this: How do we pull weight out of it and make it more efficient overall,” Raboine says. “It’s a product that we’re really proud of.”
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