Old Canaan Building Materials

The granite bollard is a short, heavy post of stone set at the edge of a paved surface to prevent vehicle encroachment. On a traditional New England property it appears at the entry to a carriage court, at the edge of a terrace adjacent to a drive, and at the building entry where vehicles must be kept from the door. It is a working detail. It is also, in granite, an entirely permanent one.

A granite bollard is simply a square or slightly tapered block of stone, 8 to 12 inches in cross-section, set 24 to 30 inches above grade with 12 to 18 inches below. The top is sawn flat or slightly crowned. The faces are sawn or rock-split. It reads as permanent because it is permanent — a 400-pound block of stone does not move when struck by a vehicle.

New England granite bollards are quarried from the same granite as curbing and steps — New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine quarries. Standard residential bollard dimensions: 8" x 8" to 10" x 10" cross-section, 42" to 48" total length (30" above grade, 12" to 18" below). Set in poured concrete below frost depth. Cap is sawn flat.

Granite bollards require no maintenance. They do not rust, do not rot, and do not deteriorate in New England conditions. The concrete setting may eventually need attention if water infiltrates the joint between stone and concrete, but the stone itself is permanent.

A granite bollard at the entry to a carriage court or terrace reads as a permanent architectural element rather than as a safety device. Steel pipe bollards — painted yellow or black — read as industrial. Granite reads as part of the landscape.

From stone fabricators and granite yards. Specify: New England granite, 10" x 10" cross-section, 48" length, sawn top, rock-split or sawn faces. Set in poured concrete below frost depth with a non-shrink grout joint at grade.