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Is it too cold to lay Asphalt?

November 13th, 2013

Is it too cold to lay Asphalt
 

Fall is in full swing and winter is right around the corner. And before the temperature drops below freezing, business owners everywhere have one question; “Is it too cold to lay Asphalt?”

The Answer: Not Exactly…

You see, paving in colder temperatures presents certain challenges not present with warmer weather. The primary challenge is laying and compacting the hot asphalt before it cools. It takes an organized and experienced asphalt crew, like the one found at PTG Enterprises.

So, is it too cold to lay asphalt? It all depends on who you call. Asphalt contractors that are not set up to work fast will run into problems.

Is it too cold to Sealcoat?

Sealcoating, meanwhile, should only be applied if both ambient temperature and pavement temperature are above 50°F and below 85°F. For these reasons, early fall (March to early November) is typically considered the perfect sealcoating season.

“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.

Of course, it all depends on the temperature.

Sealcoating and Asphalt Paving from PTG Enterprises

PTG Enterprises is a full service commercial asphalt contractor in Baltimore, Maryland. Since 2001, we have set the standard for quality asphalt work in the area, paving thousands of miles of asphalt lots. Unlike those other asphalt contractors, we care 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.

Pick up the phone and call PTG Enterprises today.

If you have any questions about Sealcoating and Asphalt 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!

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Asphalt: The Entire Package

November 10th, 2013

AsphaltThe parking lot of your business can say a lot about you. If your asphalt is cracked or badly weathered, it can severely detract from your business. PTG wants to help you make sure that not only does your pavement look great for aesthetics and safety purposes, but that the experience of having your asphalt repaired or renewed is a special and easy one. Read on to see how PTG works to make laying your asphalt a stress free process.

  • Careful grading – If your grading is incorrect, you can find yourself with unwanted water pooling in unwanted places. PTG follows drawings as accurately as possible to accommodate the unique grade of your parking lot.
  • Stone Installation – PTG will make sure that the right type of stone goes in for the type of ground you have. Though sometimes setbacks happen involving undercutting and other surprises, PTG will work hard to keep your construction on schedule. We know it’s important for you to be able to have your business up and running ASAP.
  • Concrete Curbing and Flatwork – Keeping the curb at the right grade for rain management is very important. Avoiding the chance of rainwater beginning to pond or stand will help keep your parking lot safe and water free. We also know how important sidewalks are and will make sure that the sidewalks are strategically placed.
  • Installation – Both the equipment and the man behind the equipment are vital when it comes to installation. PTG takes pride in hiring people who are hard workers and know what they’re doing. The team will work together carefully to ensure that your pavement is perfect.
  • Striping, Signage, and Wheel Stops – This is what your customers will notice the most. There is nothing quite as nice as fresh paint on brand new asphalt. PTG will make detailed, geometrical drawings of the parking lot before actually striping to make sure that the parking lot looks appealing.

For new asphalt as well as asphalt maintenance, PTG will work to give you a top-notch product that you can be proud of.

If you have any questions about Asphalt: The Entire Package or if you are looking for an asphalt contracting 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!

 

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Hiring a Professional to Build Your Retaining Wall

November 1st, 2013

Looking along a red brick wall.Retaining walls are used when you want to keep earth from shifting and water to stay where it belongs. You can see where this could cause a problem if you decide to make your retaining wall into a DIY project. If you make any kind of wrong assessment or use the wrong types of materials, you may find yourself in a worse mess after building the wall than you were to begin with.

One of the biggest problems that DIYers encounter when building a retaining wall is the angle at which to build the wall. Usually you’re trying to keep soil from sliding into your house or other areas where it is not desired. If you build the wall at the wrong angle, the wall will not be doing its job. It is also important to have the correct drainage system included with your retaining wall so that you can avoid flooding or other water mishaps and damage that can come from not knowing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. The water could even end up flooding neighbors’ properties, which is never good.

PTG offers masonry services with a specialty in retaining walls. We really know how to “hit the bricks” when it comes to masonry work and retaining walls. We know just how devastating it can be if the earth or water that you are trying to keep at bay somehow slips through the cracks. We’ll prepare the site and make sure to install your retaining wall at the right angle. PTG works quickly yet efficiently and we pride ourselves on cleaning up after we install your retaining wall.

If you have any questions about Hiring a Professional to Build Your Retaining Wall or if you are looking for an asphalt contracting 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!

Source: Why You Should Hire A Professional to Build Your Retaining Wall

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Pavement Deterioration and Maintenance

October 25th, 2013

Pavement Deterioration

Over time, even the best pavement begins to deteriorate. That is just the way it is. Between the weather, water infiltration, freeze-thaw effect, beating sun, and normal wear and tear, your pavement – all pavement – takes a beating. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of all asphalt roads in the United Sates have significant problems due to the deterioration of the base and sub-base material because of water infiltration. However, with proper maintenance your pavement can be saved.

 

Pavement Deterioration

Pavement Maintenance

Remember, pavement begins deteriorating as soon as it is laid and maintenance can begin at any time, not just when visible damage is present.  For beginners, you can sweep your pavement from time to time to remove debris and other materials that may damage your concrete or asphalt. Another effective maintenance method is sealcoating, which helps preserve the natural black color of your asphalt while also delaying eventual deterioration.

Even when damage is visible, in the form of cracks and potholes, there is still hope for your pavement. Crack filling, pothole repair, and asphalt patching can help prolong the life of your pavement and prevent premature pavement failure. Conversely, failing to maintain your asphalt is like signing a death wish for your pavement.

When not filled properly, cracks allow water to penetrate the base and sub-base, deteriorating your pavement from the inside out. Once water enters the base, the aggregate (limestone) absorb the water expand in volume and become soft, thus causing internal stress which accelerates the development of more and larger cracks.

Pavement Maintenance from PTG Enterprises

Since 2001, PTG Enterprises, a full service commercial asphalt contractor in Baltimore, Maryland, has set the standard for quality asphalt work in the area, paving thousands of miles of asphalt parking lots. We know a thing or two about asphalt maintenance, too. So do yourself a favor the next time you have an asphalt project. Call PTG Enterprises, the asphalt contractor that cares about you, the customer.

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.

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 here today! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Asphalt Maintenance 101

October 15th, 2013

Asphalt Maintenance 101

Extending the life of your asphalt is as easy as keeping up with your maintenance. There is no better way to ensure long lasting life on your asphalt than to always keep an eye on your routine maintenance and have a Baltimore Asphalt Contractor work with you to stay up to date. What in particular needs to be done on a regular basis, you ask? Read on for more details!

  • Basic Maintenance  – The best and most common maintenance jobs are sweeping, crack filling, pothole repair, and periodic line striping. These will help keep the asphalt up to snuff as well as keep it safe for everyone who utilizes the surface. Extending the life of the asphalt while maintaining its safety are both very important.
  • Seal Coating Asphalt – Because of the chemical makeup of asphalt, it can easily change color and appearance if products such as gasoline or oil get on it. Seal coating helps to avoid the changing colors of the asphalt as well as the eventual deterioration that can happen with time and wear. Seal coating is an involved process that can do more harm than good if done improperly. You’re best off trusting a professional Baltimore asphalt contractor to seal coat your asphalt.

Benefits of Routine Asphalt Maintenance

  • Improve Aesthetic Appeal – Curb appeal is important. A seal coat and routine maintenance can make sure that everything looks good right up to the curb. The asphalt will be nice, shiny, and dark, with a freshly installed look.
  • Resist Future Expensive Problems – Your color will stay the right shade for longer since maintenance and seal coating help protect asphalt from gas, oil, UV rays, and pressure washing. You’ll save money in the future by keeping up with routine maintenance now. It’s a great way to avoid emergencies and keep your asphalt safe and beautiful for customers.

If you have any questions about Asphalt Maintenance 101 or if you are looking for an asphalt contracting 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!

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The Four Steps of any Asphalt Project

October 11th, 2013

When you hire an asphalt contractor in Baltimore, Maryland, you want to be sure you hire the best asphalt contractor in Baltimore, Maryland. You want to feel like you are in good hands. You don’t want to be constantly checking up on the project. You want your contractor to proactively handle everything. And that is what you get when you hire PTG Enterprises.

Four Steps of any Asphalt Project

 

PTG Enterprises is a commercial asphalt contractor located in Baltimore. Our crews are highly skilled and extremely familiar with all types of asphalt paving. In fact, we have set the standard for quality asphalt work in the area, paving thousands of miles of asphalt parking lots. When you hire PTG Enterprises, you can be rest assured that the end result will look professional and last for years to come. Best of all, we promise to work closely with you every step of the way to ensure the project is completed to your exact specifications and all timetables are met.

The Four Steps of any Asphalt Project

  1. Pre-Bid: This is the initial meeting where we assess the project before placing our bid for the job.
  2. Pre-Construction: At this meeting we will go over the particulars, such as dates, times, etc.
  3. Progress Meeting(s): We schedule projects ever week to go over the project and make sure everything is on track and up to par.
  4. Post-Construction: Our final meeting is our walk through and exit interview. Is everything completed to your standards?

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.

If you have any questions about The Four Steps of any Asphalt Project or if you are looking for an asphalt contracting 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!

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What is the Asphalt Institute?

October 3rd, 2013

You may have heard someone reference the Asphalt Institute before. Obviously it has something to do with asphalt, but what? What is the Asphalt Institute?

Well, the Asphalt Institute (AI), which was founded in 1919, is the international trade association of petroleum asphalt producers, manufacturers and affiliated businesses. Its mission is to “promote the use, benefits, and quality performance of petroleum asphalt, through environmental, marketing, research, engineering and technical development, and through the resolution of issues affecting the industry.” AI serves its members by providing the latest on health, safety, and environmental matters.

Additional benefits of the Asphalt Institute include:

  1. AI promotes petroleum asphalt as a safe and environmentally friendly construction material.
  2. AI’s network of engineers provides members technical support through on-site job visits, consulting, training, presentations and information gathering.
  3. AI is a leading the way in asphalt industry research, testing and analysis.
  4. Asphalt Institute publications, such as Asphalt magazine, reach more than 18,000 industry professionals.

The Asphalt Institute’s members account for 90% of the liquid asphalt produced in North America.

PTG Enterprises, a Commercial Asphalt Contractor in Baltimore, Maryland

Whether it’s laying down a new layer of asphalt, rehabilitating or sealcoating an entire parking lot, PTG Enterprises has you covered. Since 2001, PTG Enterprises, a full service commercial asphalt contractor in Baltimore, Maryland, has set the standard for quality asphalt work in the area, paving thousands of miles of asphalt parking lots.

What is the Asphalt Institute?


If you have any questions about the Asphalt Institute, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

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What is the American Concrete Institute (ACI)?

September 27th, 2013

“Provide knowledge and information for the best use of concrete.”

You may have heard of the American Concrete Institute before. Or maybe you have heard someone reference ACI. Either way, you probably do not know what ACI is all about. So, what is the American Concrete Institute?

Founded in 1904, ACI is a nonprofit technical and educational society and one of the world’s leading authorities on concrete technology. ACI provides concrete contractors, like PTG Enterprises, a forum to discuss concrete technology, innovations, and best practices. ACI conducts this forum through conventions and meetings, publications – such as the ACI Structural Journal, the ACI Materials Journal, and Concrete International – and chapter activities.

The strength of the American Concrete Institute is its members. For ACI to be an effective organization, each member must be willing to contribute from his or her training and knowledge to the benefit of the public at large.

What is the American Concrete Institute

PTG Enterprises is a Commercial Concrete Contractor in Baltimore, Maryland

PTG Enterprises is a commercial concrete contractor located in Baltimore, Maryland. Our crews are highly skilled and extremely familiar with all types of concrete paving. When you hire PTG Enterprises, you can be rest assured that the end result will look professional and last for years to come. Best of all, we promise to work closely with you every step of the way to ensure the project is completed to your exact specifications and all timetables are met.

If you have any questions about the American Concrete Institute, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

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Is Thick Sealcoat better?

September 20th, 2013

PTG Enterprises is a full service commercial asphalt contractor in Baltimore, Maryland. Since 2001, we have set the standard for quality asphalt work in the area, paving thousands of miles of asphalt parking lots. Unlike those other contractors, we care 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. We are also more than happy to answer any asphalt questions you may have, questions like “Is Thick Sealcoat better?”

Is Thick Sealcoat better

Sealcoat has many benefits: it protects the pavement from the elements and re-beautify the parking lot with a fresh jet-black look. And this is just the beginning. Additional benefits of sealcoating include:

  1. Stain Resistant: Not only can gasoline and oil stain your asphalt parking lot, but they will also soften the pavement. Sealcoat helps prevent this from happening.
  2. Slows Fading: Ultraviolet rays from the sun break the links between carbon bonds within asphalt, both fading and damaging the asphalt. Sealcoat helps shield your asphalt from the damaging rays of the sun.
  3. Ease of Maintenance: Sealcoat makes it much easier to wipe up spills and maintain your asphalt parking lot.
  4. And so much more!

However, none of the above benefits will come to pass if the sealer is not applied properly. So, is think sealcoat better? Quite simply, no!

Bigger is not always better. Sorry Texas. Sometimes, less is more. This is especially when it comes to sealcoat. Sealcoating is not meant to be applied in thick patches and will not provide your parking lot with more protection. It actually has the opposite effect. Thick sealcoat doesn’t cure evenly; is prone to tracking, which can lead to surface cracks; takes longer to cure, which can lead to degradation; and reduces the life of your sealcoating.

Sealcoating from PTG Enterprises

Pick up the phone and call PTG Enterprises today. Our experienced crews use only the best commercial grade sealers and always follow “Best Practices” for application. You can be assured you are receiving a “Top-Notch” job with PTG.

If you have any questions about Sealcoating, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

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How Cold is too Cold for Sealer?

September 13th, 2013

If you have ever read our blog, you have probably noticed an article or two about the benefits of sealcoating. They are numerous. For starters, freshly laid sealcoat gives your asphalt lot a dark black color while also preventing staining and fading, greatly improving your parking lots aesthetic appeal. But more than that, sealcoating helps slow oxidation and water penetration, thus extending the life of your asphalt parking lot. So when was the last time you had your parking lot sealed? Is there still time? How Cold is too Cold for Sealer?

Sealcoating should only be applied if both ambient temperature and pavement temperature are above 50°F and below 85°F. For these reasons, fall is typically considered the perfect sealcoating season.

How Cold is too Cold for Sealer?

“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.

Your window is typically March to early November. However, there are still instances during this stretch of time where conditions are not ideal for sealcoating, when the temperature is either below 50°F or above 85°F. This is why, as we said earlier, fall is the best season for sealcoating. During the fall months, the temperature tends to fall within the proper threshold more often than not.

Fall Sealcoating from PTG Enterprises

Over time, your asphalt parking lot will deteriorate. There is nothing you can do to prevent this from happening. Even the best asphalt pavement will eventually crack and fail. There are, however, several steps you can take, from preventative asphalt maintenance to timely asphalt repair to sealcoating, to ensure that your asphalt parking lot looks great for as long as possible.

So do the right thing for your parking lot and have it sealcoated every 2-7 years, or as needed. Pick up the phone and call PTG Enterprises today. Unlike those other asphalt contractors, we care 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.

If you have any questions about Sealcoating, please contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!

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