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Posts Tagged ‘Driveways’
Friday, March 24th, 2017
Asphalt driveways are excellent choices; stylistically, they match almost any homestyle and landscape. They’re long-lasting, durable, and are easy to care for. However, not every asphalt driveway is created equal.
Asphalt driveways are excellent choices; stylistically, they match almost any homestyle and landscape. They’re long-lasting, durable, and are easy to care for. However, not every asphalt driveway is created equal. Some are better than others, and it all has to do with construction and quality. When you invest in an asphalt driveway, you want to make sure it’s the best driveway you can have. To find out if your driveway is top-notch, read on for the best qualities of an asphalt driveway.
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Tags: asphalt, Asphalt driveway, Driveway maintenance, Driveways
Posted in Asphalt Driveway Repair, asphalt installation, Blog | Comments Off on What Makes a Great Asphalt Driveway?
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
It doesn’t matter is you call it asphalt pavement, blacktop, tarmac, macadam, plant mix, asphalt concrete, bituminous concrete, or just asphalt, today, it is everywhere! Asphalt is used in everything from shingles and sidewalks to driveways and, of course, roads (and more). But where did asphalt come from?
Asphalt Timeline
- Asphalt occurs naturally in asphalt lakes and in rock asphalt and the first recorded use of this natural asphalt was in 625 B.C. when the Babylonians used the material to build their roads.
- Even the ancient Greeks and Romans used asphalt. In fact, the word asphalt comes from the Greek word “asphaltos”, meaning “secure.” The Romans, who used asphalt to seal their baths, reservoirs, and aqueducts, later changed the word to “asphaltus.”
- In 1595 Sir Walter Raleigh wrote about using natural asphalt to re-caulk his ships.
- Still, hundreds of years passed before asphalt was widely used as a building material.
- In the mid 1800’s John Loudon McAdam used broken stone and hot tar to bond the stones together.
- In the late 1860s, “asphalt” came to America! The first bituminous mixtures were used for sidewalks, crosswalks, and roads.
- In 1852, French Highways utilized natural asphalt pavement.
- Then in 1870, Edmund J. DeSmedt laid the first true asphalt pavement in America, a sand mix in front of the City Hall in Newark, New Jersey.
Since that time, asphalt has taken off. Today, over 750 million tons of asphalt is poured and rolled every year…JUST in the USA.
If you have any further questions, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need. So contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!
Give me the opportunity to impress you. I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope.
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!
Sources:
History of Asphalt
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Posted in General Asphalt Advice, Maryland Asphalt Contractor, The History of Asphalt Pavement | Comments Off on The Interesting History of Asphalt Pavement
Friday, November 11th, 2011
Cracks in your asphalt parking surface are an immediate cause for alarm. If left untreated, cracks will allow water to penetrate the surface, softening the stone base and leading to alligator cracking, spider webbing, pot holes and other forms of parking lot degradation. And as the weather quickly begins to cool this time of year, these problems are compounded. The freezing and thawing cycle can turn even the smallest of crack into a big problem.
If you don’t attack cracks while you have the chance, you may find yourself paying for premature and costly resurfacing. Crack filling may be your best solution. It can reduce pavement deterioration by restricting water penetration into the base and sub-base layers.
Crack sealing/crack filling of your asphalt pavement – driveways, parking lots and roads – is a necessary preventative maintenance measure, extending the useful life of your pavement and yielding long-term financial savings.
However, to experience the best results possible, you should leave your asphalt maintenance to a proven pavement professional with a track record for quality work, like PTG Enterprises, Inc.
“Properly crackfilling your parking lot is the single best thing you can do to maintain its life,” says PTG Enterprises owner, Patrick T. Gillen III. “Left untreated, small cracks will allow water in and become big cracks eventually penetrating through the asphalt and contaminating the sub-grade.”
So don’t wait until it’s too late! Contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today!
I can be your one stop ‘Pavement Guy,’ for any pavement project regardless of size or scope. Give me the opportunity to impress you.
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!
Sources:
The Basics of Crack Filling
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Posted in General Asphalt Advice | 15 Comments »
Friday, October 7th, 2011
At PTG Enterprises, we get tons of questions about asphalt pavement. What is it made from? Can it be recycled? Is it cost-effective? Well, we will answer those questions and more. Below you will find the most Frequently Asked Questions about Asphalt Pavement:
Q: What is Asphalt Pavement made from?
A: Asphalt pavement is made from heated Asphalt cement mixed with crushed, dried stone called aggregate.
Q: Isn’t Asphalt pavement made entirely of price-sensitive petroleum products . . . crude oil.
A: No. Only about 5-6% of asphalt pavement is actually petroleum based.
Q: Is Asphalt Pavement cost-effective?
A: Yes. When compared to other pavement types, asphalt is the economical choice in both the short and long run. When you combine asphalt’s strength and durability with its affordable installation and maintenance, asphalt just blows other pavements away.
Q: Does Asphalt production contribute to greenhouse gases and global warming?
A: No. Asphalt has the smallest overall carbon footprint of any pavement and neither the asphalt itself nor its production are major sources of green house gasses.
Q: Can Asphalt pavement be recycled and reused?
A: Yes. It is by far the most reusable pavement material in the U.S.
Q: Is Asphalt good for anything other than roads?
A: Yes. Asphalt can be used for parking lots, airports, sidewalks, driveways and basketball courts…just to name a few of its uses.
If you have any additional questions, contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy by calling 410-636-8777or click here today!
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!
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Posted in General Asphalt Advice | Comments Off on Asphalt Pavement Frequently Asked Questions
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Even the best pavement will crack and deteriorate after time. But there are ways in which you can extend the life of your pavement. One of these ways, as this article from PaveManPro.com explains, is Pavement Sealer.
Asphalt hardening is an oxidation process and is a function of its exposure to air on the surface and within the pavement. If circulation of air through the interconnected void spaces in the pavement can be prevented or reduced, the rate of hardening of the asphalt will be slowed and the life of the pavement extended. Pavement sealers are used to do just that – close the surface pores to lengthen the life of the pavement.
Pavement sealers come in two basic formulas: Refined Tar-Based Sealer and Asphalt Based Emulsions.
Refined Tar-Based Sealer
Refined tar is a by-product of the distillation of crude coal tar. Refined tar differs from crude coal tar in that during the distillation process, the lighter end oils are removed from the refined tar. Refined tar based sealer is resistant to attack from petroleum based products. This property makes it ideally suited for parking lots or other locations where concentrations of oil and grease leaks are common. Refined tar-based sealer is also highly resistant to ultraviolet light bleaching. It is stable, homogeneous, easy to apply, and has been handled safely by professionals and do-it-yourselfers for decades. Refined tar based sealer has traditionally been used at gas stations, truck and bus terminals, airport aprons and taxiways as well as on residential driveways and commercial parking lots.
Asphalt based emulsions
Asphalt-based emulsions have many of the same beneficial properties as refined tar- based emulsions, but they are less resistant to corrosion by petroleum-based products, ultraviolet bleaching, and salts. An asphalt emulsion is a mixture of liquid asphalt and water. Manufacturers add special chemicals and pigments to the asphalt emulsions to improve performance but they remain susceptible to the damage caused by petroleum products.
Pavement sealers allow homeowners and businesses to maintain their asphalt effectively and economically. Research has shown that when asphalt pavement is maintained properly, the owner can extend the life of their pavement and delay costly reconstruction.
If you have any questions or if you think asphalt pavement might be right for your next project, contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy by calling 410-636-8777 or click here
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!
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Posted in General Asphalt Advice | Comments Off on Benefits of Preventative Maintenance Pavement Sealers
Thursday, June 30th, 2011
If you are thinking about having any surface re-paved – driveways, parking lots, roadways, airstrips – asphalt pavement is the way to go. Known for its durability and resilience, asphalt pavement is the best option for most all paved surfaces. If laid properly by a professional pavement company, asphalt pavement should last between 25 and 35 years. But what is asphalt pavement?
This article from PavemanPro.com explains.
Asphalt pavement is made up of a combination of stone (aggregate), sand, additives and liquid (petroleum) asphalt. This mixture is about 90% aggregate and sand and 10% asphalt. This combination forms a highly durable material that still maintains superior flexibility, allowing the surface to adapt to changing conditions produced by weather and the constantly changing surface beneath it. On top of its superior flexibility, asphalt pavement is also highly resistant to water, making it even more durable.
Steps involved in laying asphalt pavement:
1. Preparation: Unless the asphalt is being laid over existing asphalt (overlay), it is the preparation of the ground beneath the pavement that is the most influential factor in the life of an asphalt pavement surface. Proper clearing, excavation, ground compaction and base materials require a great deal of expertise. Base materials can be compacted stone and/or an asphalt base with it’s own unique recipe. Regardless, without proper groundwork the life of the paved surface is greatly reduced.
2. Spray a thin coat of liquid asphalt binder (hot tack) onto the surface using an asphalt distributor. This helps the newly paved surface create a greater bond between it and the surface beneath it.
3. Lay the asphalt pavement using an asphalt paver and compacted using asphalt rollers.
4. A minimum of 24 hours is required for the asphalt mix to solidify before it can be used. If enough time is not allowed for solidification, then it will result in poor a quality pavement.
5. Asphalt maintenance – including cracksealing, pothole patching and sealcoating – can all be used to protect and extend the life of the already long life cycle of asphalt pavement.
If you have any questions or if you think asphalt pavement might be right for your next project, contact PTG Enterprises by calling 410-636-8777 or click here
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!
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Posted in General Asphalt Advice | Comments Off on Why Asphalt Pavement?
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
It is so hard to find your father a descent present. After all, all you dad really wants for Father’s Day is some peace and quiet and a little relaxation. But how do you give him that?
In a recent poll done by Harris Interactive, 80% of fathers admitted they wanted gifts related to home improvement. So instead of buying dad another tie or some socks, get him something he really wants, a new driveway. Let your father relax as you have your driveway professionally re-paved.
And who better to do the work than PTG Enterprises, a company that has completed well over 2,000 driveway projects. They will deploy an entire team of professionals to quickly install your brand new driveway.
The paving machine, paired with an experienced operator and a trained crew, will make paving look easy – it’s not. Assuming fabric was not in the scope of work, than the paving team will have a man designated to either spray or spot apply tack coat material. Another ground personnel will be responsible for controlling the movement of trucks. It’s crucially important that the trucks stay in order and the next one up is always ready to go. The hotter the asphalt, the easier it is to work with, hence the longer a truck sits, the cooler the asphalt gets. The asphalt is dumped from the truck to the paver where two men control each side. One man is responsible to make sure the joint lines up with the previous paving pull and the other side is responsible for determining thickness, grade, pitch and fall. Accompanying the paver are usually two ground personnel known as “Lute men”. They take direction from the paving foreman and will spread / rake high and low spots out of areas that were just paved but need minor adjustments. Finally, there is the roller man. He is responsible for the compaction of the freshly laid asphalt. Usually this person will work the roller and also plate tampers and hand tampers in the tight areas where pavers cannot go.
So give your dad something he really wants this Father’s Day – a new, professionally installed driveway and some relaxation. If you have any questions, contact PTG Enterprises by calling 410-636-8777 or click here
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!
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Posted in General Asphalt Advice | Comments Off on A Father’s Day Driveway
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
If you are going to put up the money to install a brand new driveway, or if you are just unhappy with the way your current driveway looks, why not try to add a few accents to make your driveway really standout? It is a lot easier than you may think. As this article from eHow.com explains, there are several ways you can turn that boring driveway into the perfect an eye-catching addition to any front yard.
- If you have a long driveway, make it curved instead of a straight line. Installing curves in the driveway to follow the natural contours of your yard can also soften the appearance.
- Place stone or brick edging along the edge of the driveway. This will add the perfect accent to your driveway.
- Install flower beds along the edge of the driveway. This forms a natural boundary between the driveway and the lawn, and planting flowers can brighten the driveway with an array of colors.
- Plant trees along the edge of the driveway. This works better for longer driveways because you have more space to plant trees. One drawback is that it will be years before the trees are fully grown, but once grown the trees provide a shaded canopy over the driveway. Anytime you plant trees near pavement, place them far enough from the pavement that the root system will not grow underneath the pavement and dislodge it.
- Install lighting along the driveway. While this doesn’t do anything to soften the appearance of the driveway during the day, it can provide dramatic effects at night. The lighting can be as simple as a post light near the end of the driveway or as complex as lights placed in trees along the driveway that cast their glow down onto the driveway. Another option is to place path lights along the edge of the driveway. Using many lights can provide a runway effect; using a few path lights spaced far apart can mark the edge of the driveway without making you feel like you’re landing a 737 in front of your house.
Now that you know what to do, you can go liven up your front yard. If you have any questions, contact PTG Enterprises by calling 410-636-8777 or click here
Tags: adjust, Asphalt driveway, Asphalt installation, asphalt maryland, Beautifying Your Driveway, breaking, Brick driveway, cheaper to maintain, cold winters, Concrete installation, Concrete Maryland, conform, contract, Cost, Cracking, driveway, Driveway installation, Driveway maintenance, Driveway maintenance tips, Driveway tips, Driveways, Ease of Repair, expand, Flexible Material, Flower bed, Flower beds, Home, hot summers, House, Improving the look of your driveway, initially cheaper, Landscaping your driveway, less cracking, liquid asphalt emulsions, maryland, move, My Pavement Guy, no-brainer, pavement, Pavement installation, PTG Enterprises, Residence, rigid concrete, settle, solid cold patch, Stone driveway, sway your opinion, tar mixed with fine gravel, The Benefits of an Asphalt Driveway, Weather Resistance
Posted in General Asphalt Advice | Comments Off on Beautifying Your Driveway
