What is the AB Europa Collection?

For a rustic, antique look, the product of choice would be the AB Europa Collection™. This product offers a tumbled look to give an old-world style to the landscape. When retaining walls are needed, they tend to be highly visible, and using the right look and color will create a beautiful finished landscape. This collection offers 4 block shapes in sizes that not only work great on their own, but can be used together to create patterns with the modular blocks. When matching the natural stone on a building or home, the AB Europa Collection™ with its range of blended colors is sure to please.

As with any of the AB retaining wall blocks, this system can build any size project from small garden walls, to large engineered walls. Easily create curves, corners, and stairs; the options are open to your design. With the pleasing aesthetics to offer an old-world c harm, your project will create unbelievable results.

Better Than the Day We Built it

In the spring of 2007, my wife and I decided this would be the summer we were going to transform our backyard. It had been an unusable narrow dirt strip, with a steep slope covered with more than 75 old trees and buckthorn bushes.  Allan Block’s Abbey Blend, from their Europa Collection, was the easy choice for us since it has that great tumbled natural stone look, and that incredible four block pattern that sets it apart from everything else.  I did the entire project by myself, and with a lot of help from friends and family, it turned out great.  It truly transformed our backyard into a usable, enjoyable place to just hang out or to entertain our well deserving assistants.

Well, here we are 10 years later, and I can tell you that it looks better than the day we finished it. The wall has performed perfectly and shows no signs of settlement or movement at all.  It is truly the structural wall I was hoping it would be to take care of our unusable steep slope. 

So why is it better?  The landscaping!

The wall is the picture frame that enhances the beautiful landscaping.  Like a painting in an art gallery hanging without a frame, the picture is not complete; but with the right frame, the picture comes to life.  Because my wife and I love to be in the yard, over the years we continue to change around and enhance our flowers and shrub.  Each time we make changes, the wall changes with it to add its fluctuation and beauty.  The wall is always there, tirelessly doing its job of supporting our hillside, but it is more than that to us; it is the foundation of our transformed backyard.

What Colors are Available?

Allan Block products are manufactured at local concrete plants around the world. Each manufacturer has different aggregates available to them, which determines what colors are available in their market. Due to this, one manufacturer’s “tan” will be different than another with the same name. Each manufacturer will have a variety of colors to choose from that may include solids as well as blended colors, which is a combination of one or more colors. As an example, they may offer a solid tan or a tan/charcoal blend. To ensure you select the correct color that compliments your project, we recommend you visit your local distributor to see color samples in person, as any printed material showing color swatches may not be exact due to the printing process.

How Much do Allan Block Units Weigh?

Allan Block is available in a variety of different weights – from 20 pounds (10kg) to more than 75 pounds (34kg) per unit. Heavier blocks are typically designed for taller walls. Unique to Allan Block is the hollow core, making it lighter and easier to lift and stack than traditional concrete blocks.  Although the blocks are hollow, they are core filled with rock which increases the installed weight of the block, allowing Allan Block walls to retain heights similar to solid concrete blocks.

AB Classic	6°	1 sq ft. approx. 11 blk per m²	75 lbs 35 kg	8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L 200mm H x 300mm D x 460mm L
AB Jumbo Junior	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx. 22 blk per m²	35 lbs 15 kg	8 in. H x 9.5 in. D x 9 in. L 200mm H x 240mm D x 230mm L
AB Lite Stone	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx. 22 blk per m²	35 lbs 15 kg	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L 100mm H x 300mm D x 460mm L
AB Junior Lite	6°	0.25 sq ft. approx. 44 blk per m²	18 lbs 10 kg	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 9 in. L 100mm H x 300mm D x 230mm L