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Parking Lot Repair in Baltimore, Maryland

January 20th, 2014

The appearance of a business is important in determining how it performs as a whole. Bad weather can be detrimental to that appearance. Winter, especially, can leave your parking lot looking damaged and unattractive to your customers. It can leave potholes, cracks, and other damaging marks that make your parking lot appear dismal and uninviting. There are several ways to repair damages to your asphalt lot from winter weather. These repair options include:

Parking Lot Repair

Patching– Potholes can be risky for your business and cause damage to cars that enter the lot. Patching can be used to repair any pothole, large or small.
Crack Fill– Winter can leave large cracks that can create further damage to your parking lot in the future. With hot pour crack fill services, your lot can be repaired inexpensively. Not only will this fix past damages, but it will prevent future ones as well.
Seal Coating– This will have your lot looking fresh and protect it from the elements.
Striping– You can add instant curb-appeal to your parking lot by striping your old lot layout and creating a completely new design. Your lot will be looking fresh and new with this maintenance repair service.

By taking the right steps, you can have your parking lot looking new by using the right parking lot repair services. While you could get these repair services anywhere, why not let PTG Enterprises perform asphalt repair to your lot?

Parking Lot Repair in Baltimore, Maryland

Don’t let bad weather keep you from having the most attractive parking lot in your area! Our experienced professionals have been managing projects over the Maryland, DC, and Virginia areas. See what we can do for your business by contacting PTG Enterprises today! Call 410-636-8777 or click here to contact one of our asphalt experts.

Tags: Baltimore, maryland, Parking Lot Repair
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When can you Sealcoat a Parking Lot?

January 14th, 2014

Sealcoat is beneficial for several reasons: aesthetics, durability, maintenance, longevity, waterproofing, and more. However, as we have said before, sealcoat can only be applied if certain conditions are met.

When can you Sealcoat a Parking Lot?

Temperature: We have addressed temperature several times, but here we go again. Sealcoating should only be applied if both ambient temperature and pavement temperature are above 50°F and below 85°F.
Asphalt Defects: Any cracks, pot holes, or other forms of asphalt damage should be properly repaired before sealcoat is applied.
Clean Surface: In order for the sealcoat to bond properly to the asphalt, the surface must be cleaned, removing dirt and debris. Just remember this old saying: “a coating is as good as the surface that it is applied on.”
Oil Spots: Sealcoat will simply not bond correctly to oil spots. Because of this, spots should be addressed before application.
Asphalt Age: It is recommended that you wait at least 4-6 weeks after laying fresh asphalt before sealcoat is applied. To ensure the pavement is ready for sealcoat, perform a a Water Break Free Test. Spread a gallon of clean potable water on the pavement. If the water sheets out, free of rainbow colored rings or beading, the pavement is ready.

PTG Enterprises, a Sealcoat Contractor in Baltimore

“The best time to sealcoat is from daylight savings time to daylight savings time,” explains Patrick Gillen, owner of PTG Enterprises, a full service asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Of course, as long as the temperature is above 50 degrees, it is not too late to sealcoat. So pick up the phone and call PTG Enterprises today.

If you have any questions about our blog, “When can you Sealcoat a Parking Lot?” or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tags: Parking lot, sealcoat
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Winter Asphalt Maintenance

January 9th, 2014

‘Tis the season for winter asphalt maintenance.

Winter is here and it has been harsh these past few weeks. Burr! Freezing temperatures, rain, snow, and, of course, ice. While this is great news for your son or daughter – after all, what child doesn’t love a snow day – it can be a nightmare for business owners and property managers. Winter can wreak havoc on a business.

First of all, when it snows, your employees, let alone customers and clients, cannot make it to your business. This means downtime, which costs you money. Then there is snow removal, which costs you money. Nothing is free in this world. And to make matters worse, you could discover a completely new issue once the snow has been plowed: asphalt damage.

As you asphalt ages, it will begin to develop tiny cracks. This is natural. However, if you ignore these cracks, water will penetrate deep down into asphalt, softening the stone base. This can lead to alligator cracking / spider webbing, pot holes, and other forms of pavement degradation. When you add freezing cold temperatures to the mix, this degradation process is accelerated by what is known as the Freeze Thaw Effect.

When water penetrates asphalt cracks in the winter, it freezes, expands, and widens these asphalt cracks. This happens numerous times over the course of a winter, worsening asphalt cracks each and every time and degrading your asphalt surface from the inside out, leading to cracks, pot holes, and premature asphalt failure.

“Any time you have weather where it is 60 degrees one day and 20 degrees the next, you’re going to have a significant impact on the pavement,” said Rob Morosi, Michigan Department of Transportation spokesman.

Winter Asphalt Maintenance

There are several preventative maintenance tasks, like sealcoating, property managers and homeowners can take to extend the useful life of their asphalt. Timely repairs are also extremely important. If you notice a crack, pothole, or other form of asphalt damage, it is important to have it repaired quickly to avoid the issue worsening. This is why you need to pick up the phone and call PTG Enterprises at the first sign of damage. The asphalt paving experts at PTG have managed hundreds of Maryland, DC, and Virginia pavement projects and have the experience you need. You can expect a fair proposal, professionalism, and quality work. A good contractor is hard to find!

Trust your asphalt to a contractor with a proven track record of success, a contractor like Patrick Gillen of PTG Enterprises.

If you have any questions about Winter Asphalt Maintenance or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tags: Winter asphalt maintenance
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Winter Concrete Paving

January 3rd, 2014

If last night’s snow storm didn’t tip you off, winter is in full swing here in Maryland. This means more cold weather and, of course, more snow. And while this may be great news for children across the state (who doesn’t love a snow day?), business owners need to do their best to ensure their storefront is safe. The last thing you can afford is a lawsuit becomes someone slips and falls in front of your business. So you have the parking lot plowed, you shovel the sidewalk, and you quickly repair any winter damage to your concrete walk.

Wait! Isn’t it too cold to pave? Actually, no. It just means that you need to take extra special care when paving. Just let the snow melt first.

Winter Concrete Paving

Cold weather causes fresh and newly-hardened concrete to lose moisture and heat incredibly fast, which could negatively affect the concrete’s strength and life expectancy. To counteract this, your pavement contractor must observe proper design of mixes, proper mixing and transporting, proper placing, and proper finishing practices.

If just one of these steps is neglected, the integrity of the concrete could be in jeopardy.

Winter Concrete Paving Tips

Have the proper equipment and manpower needed to get the job done right.
Plan for bad weather and ensure the working environment and concrete maintains proper temperatures.
Low slump concrete can be a great alternative for cold weather flatwork.
Consider using concrete mixes containing accelerated admixtures or Type III Hi-Early cement, which require shorter protection time from freezing.
Utilize a heated mix or order 100 lbs of extra cement for each cubic yard of concrete to help develop early strength.
Trust PTG Enterprises!

PTG Enterprising excels when it comes to Winter Concrete Paving

Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size, scope, or weather conditions. The concrete paving experts at PTG have managed hundreds of Maryland, DC, and Virginia pavement projects and have the experience you need. PTG Enterprises performs concrete work for: Industrial parks, Business parks, Retail centers, Commercial centers, and Multi-family dwellings.

If you have any questions about Winter Concrete Paving or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tags: Winter Concrete Paving
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Winter Driving Tips for Maryland Motorists

December 30th, 2013

No matter who you are or what you drive, driving during the winter is always going to be a stressful, dangerous, experience once that snow or ice hits ground. It is the season with the most non-fatal and fatal auto-accidents. This year keep yourself as far out of harm’s way as possible by practicing some winter driving tips.

Keep your energy high. Driving in slow moving, snowy conditions, will make you fatigued to begin with, so it is very important that you don’t get behind the wheel when you’re already tired. Make sure you don’t bundle yourself up too tight in clothes, or have the heat on past the point of comfort.
Keep your tires inflated. Having reliable tires is one of the most important things when it comes to driving on snowy or icy roads. Make sure to check to see if you need new tires entirely because you will never need them more than this season. If you don’t, then you should regularly check to see if they’ve deflated at all.
Do not use cruise control. Using cruise control when driving on icy or snowy roads can be very dangerous. Your cruise control cannot account for the dangers of sudden stops on these roads, and it takes your concentration away from your own car and from the other cars.
Focus on other cars. It is never more important to drive defensively than during the winter. Cars may be driving too slow, or too fast so they can get out of the dangerous scene. Also, many accidents during these times are chain accidents, so be aware of getting too close to a pack of cars.
Accelerate and decelerate slowly. It is all about gaining traction with icy or snowy roads. The best way to do this is to slowly accelerate, and build up to your normal speed. Losing traction by accelerating too fast is what causes more than half of these winter auto accidents.
Be careful when going up hills. Going up hills is one of the most dangerous parts of driving during the winter. The first tip is to never power up the hill. It is very likely that you will lose traction, and descend down the hill if you try applying the gas to heavily and powering up the hill. Moreover, you should never lower the gas when going up a hill. By steadily going up a hill, and then slowing down, you are losing even more traction.

If you have any questions about Winter Driving Tips or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tags: maryland, Winter Driving Tips
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Preventing Potholes, Cracks, and Other Asphalt Damage

December 20th, 2013

Asphalt is durable and resilient. That is why it is one of the most popular paving materials around, used on roads, parking lots, driveways, and more. However, over time, even the toughest asphalt will start to deteriorate. This is most likely because of one of three reasons: age, improper maintenance, and improper construction.

Preventing Potholes, Cracks, and Other Asphalt Damage

Age: Asphalt begins to deteriorate the moment it is laid. Over time, liquid asphalt binder, the glue that holds the pavement together, begins to lose its natural elasticity and starts to break down. When this happens, cracking, potholes, and other forms of deterioration are not far behind. If not repaired, these cracks will allow water to penetrate sub-base and base layers, causing them to lose their ability to effectively bear traffic loads. Complete asphalt pavement to failure will not be far behind.
Improper Maintenance: There are several preventative maintenance tasks, like sealcoating, property managers and homeowners can take to extend the useful life of their asphalt. Timely repairs are also extremely important. Remember the old adage “a stitch in time saves nine?” The same holds true for asphalt. It is far easier to repair a single, small crack than it is a web of larger cracks.
Improper Construction: When asphalt is installed properly and well maintained, it can last for 25 years or more! Improperly installed asphalt, meanwhile, can be a large reason for the premature deterioration of your pavement. Failures in construction can include: improperly compacted base, over or under compaction of the asphalt, improper temperature during application, poor drainage, and so much more.

To prevent further erosion of your asphalt pavement, or to fix a problem so it does not get any worse before winter, call PTG Enterprises for a property evaluation. You can expect a fair proposal, professionalism, and quality work. A good contractor is hard to find! So trust your asphalt to a contractor with a proven track record of success, a contractor like Patrick Gillen of PTG Enterprises.

If you have any questions about Preventing Potholes, Cracks, and Other Asphalt Damage or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tags: Asphalt Damage, Preventing Potholes
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How does Salt affect the Road and my Car?

December 12th, 2013

With this past snow storm, you have undoubtedly noticed all of the salt on the roads. You know it is there to help melt the ice, providing better traction, but how does it work? How does salt affect the road? And if it is so powerful, how will salt affect my car?

How does Salt affect the Road?

The salt you see on the road is, at least in terms of its chemical composition, almost the exact same stuff you’d find on your dinner table. Both are primarily composed of sodium chloride. Table salt, however, also contains some iodine. Tock salt, the salt found on roads, is also not as refined as table salt.

So how does salt affect the roads?

Salt and snow do not mix. Salt lowers water’s freezing point, causing any ice already formed to melt. This is true even when the temperature is still below freezing. The melted ice, meanwhile, forms a brine solution which flows under the ice, breaking the bond between the two.However, salting the roads does have one drawback. If salt has such a profound effect on the road, just imagine what it will do to your car.

How does Salt affect my Car?

Unless you take the proper precautions, salt can wreak havoc on your car, causing major body and undercarriage damage.

Wash your car in the fall and apply a coat of wax and wax sealant. This will help shield your car from the salt.
Seal the undercarriage. You can buy a product to do this, or you can have it done professionally.
Take your car to the carwash often, especially after it snows. It is important to wash salt off as soon as possible. Be sure to have your car re-waxed and sealed, as well.

If you have any questions about How Salt Affects The Roads or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tags: How does Salt affect my Car, How does Salt affect the Road
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Is 50 Degrees Warm Enough to Sealcoat?

December 5th, 2013

Fall is in full swing. The weather may be dropping quickly, but we still have weeks, like this one, where the weather is around 50 degrees or even 60 degrees, like today. So business owners and property managers everywhere have one question on their minds, “Is 50 Degrees Warm Enough to Sealcoat?”

The answer is a resounding yes! All sealcoat manufacturers have a recommended minimum temperature requirement of 50 degrees. So, as long as the temperature remains above 50 degrees for several hours after application, fall sealcoating is still a possibility. Pick up the phone and call your local, Baltimore sealcoat contractor before time runs out.

“The best time to sealcoat is from daylight savings time to daylight savings time,” explains Patrick Gillen, owner of PTG Enterprises, a full service asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Of course, as long as the temperature remains above 50 degrees long enough, it is not too late to sealcoat. So pick up the phone and call PTG Enterprises today.

“Give me the opportunity to impress you,” said Gillen. “I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.”

Since 2001, PTG has set the standard for quality asphalt work in the Baltimore area, paving thousands of miles of asphalt lots. Unlike those other asphalt contractors, PTG cares about you and your business. In fact, when you hire PTG, you’ll work with owner Patrick Gillen from start to finish, from the initial site visit and pre-construction meeting to the final walk-through. Those other asphalt contractor won’t do that!

If you have any questions about Fall Sealcoating or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tags: Baltimore, Fall Sealcoating, Is 50 Degrees Warm Enough to Sealcoat
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How to Combat Winter Asphalt Damage

November 25th, 2013

Here in Maryland the holiday themed snow shows up when it pleases, melts when it pleases, and leaves as much winter asphalt damage as it pleases. It is a simple process of the driveway soaking up water, freezing up throughout the winter, resulting in deep cracks that can destroy parking lots, roads, and driveways. When the cracks are noticeable, that’s when the process has been repeated several times, resulting in a need for more intensive asphalt repair.

Winterizing Asphalt

To keep your driveway safe from the fickle snowfall, it is imperative to focus on asphalt maintenance early this season. Paving your driveway before the first snow fall might be your last chance to seal out winter and spring runoff and keep your asphalt smooth and reliable. Shoveling your driveway as frequently as possible and avoiding that thin layer that gets pressed down by your car as you head to warmer more exciting pastures, will decrease the amount of damage you’ll have to face. While the cracks are not dangerous, they will certainly build up over the years.

Asphalt Repair

If you miss your moment of preparation, or would like to beef up your asphalt before the winter is at its height, there are many asphalt repair options. Rubberized asphalt filler can be used to mend any cracks and holes that are less than a half inch in size. For holes larger than this, you will have to fill them first with gravel. In addition to this you should apply a sealant to the flawed areas of your asphalt at least every three years.

PTG Enterprises will always help.

Any questions on how best to go about preparing or repairing your asphalt to keep safe against winter asphalt damage should be directed to the professionals PTG Enterprises. The winter’s effect on asphalts hasn’t changed since our opening in 2001, and our capabilities to assure asphalt safety have only increased.

If you have any questions about Pavement Deterioration and Maintenance or if you are looking for an asphalt contractor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click heretoday! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Sources:

http://boston.nearsay.com/avoid-water-salt-damage-your-driveway-winter-preventative-treatments

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/repair-winter-damage-to-your-asphalt-driveway#b

Tags: Asphalt repair, Winter Asphalt Damage, Winterizing Asphalt
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Fall Sealcoating. It’s not too late!

November 22nd, 2013

As we explained in last week’s blog, “Is it too cold to lay asphalt?” there is still time to sealcoat. But that time is quickly running out. Sealcoating should only be applied if both ambient temperature and pavement temperature are above 50°F and below 85°F.

“The best time to sealcoat is from daylight savings time to daylight savings time,” explains Patrick Gillen, owner of Baltimore-based PTG Enterprises, a full service commercial asphalt contractor.

While we may no longer fall into that daylight savings to daylight savings time frame, that does not mean sealcoating is out of the question. There are still plenty of days that fall between 50°F and below 85°F. However, those days are quickly becoming scares. So you better act fast.

Fall Sealcoating. It’s not too late!

“There are many more options available to property managers and owners today than there was when I started in the industry,” explains Gillen. “This works to the advantage of the property and to the pavement.”

Depending on the current condition of the asphalt, we now have the ability to recommend several different options depending on the condition of the lot, previous maintenance schedules and budgets.