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Posts Tagged ‘experienced asphalt company’

Sealcoating: Is 50 Degrees Really Warm Enough?

Friday, April 13th, 2012

Most (if not all) sealcoat manufacturers recommend a minimum application temperature of 50 degrees. And I know what you are thinking; “is 50 degrees really warm enough?” Well, yes and no.

50 degrees should be the minimum temperature you BEGIN sealing at. And this is only acceptable when you have at least 3 hours of sunshine and the temperature will stay above the 50-degree mark during the application process. Otherwise, you risk complications.

Remember, 50 degrees is a MARGINAL starting point only. If you have any doubt about the weather or temperature before you begin sealcoating, be safe and do not begin the application process!

To ensure that your sealcoat project is performed correctly, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises.

Asphalt parking lot maintenance is important. But of all the precautions you can take to ensure your parking surface lasts for a long time, sealcoating is perhaps the most important. So do the right thing for your parking lot and have it sealcoated every 2-7 years, or as needed. This will protect your asphalt surface and greatly minimize the need for constant maintenance and repairs.

If you have any further questions about Sealcoating or have a Sealcoating Project that you need completed, then contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today! The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need.

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!

An Overview of the Different Types of Asphalt

Friday, February 10th, 2012

Asphalt is the most versatile pavement material, with mixes designed to handle any size load (from passenger cars to heavy trucks), absorb noise, reduce splash and spray during rainstorms, and even to help treat rainwater. The different types of asphalt pavement include:

Warm-Mix Asphalt: This is the generic name of the technology that allows producers of hot-mix asphalt to lower the temperatures at which the material is mixed and placed on the road. This afford asphalt contractors many benefits, including:

•      Increasing safety for asphalt workers

•      Cutting fuel consumption

•      Decreasing the production of greenhouse gases

•      Better compaction of pavements

•      Extending the paving season

•      And the potential to be able to recycle at higher rates

Quiet Pavement: Today’s busy world is filled with more noise than one typically cares to deal with. But quiet pavement actually reduces the noise experienced both inside and outside homes and businesses. Resurfacing a noisy road with stone-matrix asphalt (SMA) or open-graded friction course (OGFC) mix can reduce noise by 3 to 5 dB(A) or more (the same as doubling the distance between you and the noise source).

Porous Asphalt: These pavement surfaces allow rainwater to drain through the asphalt into a stone recharge bed and then into the soil, eliminating potentially harmful standing water.

Perpetual Pavement: This advanced, multi-layer paving design process (along with routine asphalt maintenance) extends the useful life of a roadway.

Whether on the road, in a parking lot, or at an airport, asphalt pavements add up to the best value for your pavement needs, with the lowest life cycle cost and the highest residual value. 

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:

Types of Asphalt Pavement

The Interesting History of Asphalt Pavement

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

Recycled Asphalt Pavement: What You Probably didn’t know About Asphalt

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Here is something you probably don’t know about asphalt. It is America’s most recycled material. That’s right. Not aluminum cans or plastic bottles…asphalt! In fact, asphalt pavement is now being recycled and reused at a rate over 99%. In 2010 alone, asphalt recycling conserved over 20.5 million barrels of asphalt binder.

Here are a few highlights from the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s (NAPA) report titled, Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010 (NAPA Information Series 138):

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP): With 96% of asphalt contractors and asphalt companies using RAP, the amount of RAP used in asphalt pavement was 56.0 million tons in 2009 and 62.1 million tons in 2010. This represents over 3 million tons of asphalt binder conserved over that time.

Warm-mix asphalt (WMA): Total tonnage of WMA is estimated at 19.2 million tons in 2009 and 47.6 million tons in 2010, a 148% increase in that one year alone.

RAP and WMA conserve raw materials; conserve energy; cut emissions from production and paving operations; and improve conditions for workers.

To view/download the full report Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010click here.

To view/download State-by-State Use of RAP and WMA, click here.

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:

New FHWA Survey Finds Asphalt Recycling Reaches 99 Percent; Warm Mix Usage Skyrockets National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)

Commercial Parking Lots, Paving Contractors, and Your Business

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Your business parking lot is the first point of contact your customers/clients have with your business. It is what they will base their first impressions on. Because of this, it is important to keep your parking surface free of oil stains, debris, cracks and potholes. But all the asphalt maintenance in the world won’t make a difference if your asphalt pavement was not properly installed by a qualified pavement contractor.

But before you call a potential asphalt contractor, educate yourself on the important qualities of any good commercial parking surface. These include:

  1. Smooth Integration: If you are expanding an existing parking lot, you want to be sure that your new parking surface blends seamlessly with the old asphalt. Feel free to ask your potential parking lot contractor for photos of a similar job he already completed.
  2. Good Base: Without a proper gravel base, your business parking surface will collapse under the weight of traffic.
  3. Drainage: Water and asphalt are not friends. Proper drainage prevents standing water and long-term damage to your parking lot.
  4. Attention to Detail: A good asphalt professional pays attention to the tiniest of details, ensuring that your parking surface is installed properly.

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:

4 Keys to Quality Commercial Parking Lot Paving

Maryland Sealcoating Service: The Benefits of Sealcoating Your Asphalt Parking Lot

Friday, January 6th, 2012

Asphalt parking lot maintenance is important. But of all the precautions you can take to ensure your parking surface lasts for a long time, sealcoating is perhaps the most important. If applied properly and at the right time, sealcoating provides the following benefits:

Slows Oxidation and Water Penetration: Over exposure to oxygen will harden asphalt binders, resulting in brittle pavement prone to cracking. And cracking allows water to seep into the asphalt sub base, further weakening the entire parking surface. This leads to more cracks, potholes, and eventual total parking lot failure.

Sealcoats fill surface voids, reducing exposure to oxygen and water and prolonging pavement life.

Protects Pavement Against Ultraviolet Rays: The sun’s rays can break the links between carbon bonds and your asphalt. Sealcoat prevent ultraviolet rays from further damaging the asphalt pavement.

Protects Against Spills: Gas and oil spills can soften asphalt, making it more susceptible to other damage. Sealcoating reduces the depth to which oil or gas can penetrate.

Easy to Clean Pavement: Sealcoating results in a smooth, even texture allowing for much easier cleaning.

Increased Pavement Flexibility: Sealcoating keeps your parking lot black. This attracts more heat from the sun, which, in turn, makes your parking surface more pliable and increasingly able it is to withstand traffic volume changes without cracking.

Beauty: Well, this one is a given.

Cost Effective: It is far less expensive to sealcoat your parking lot every few years than it would be to overlay or completely replace your parking surface.

If you have any questions, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement sealcoat 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!

There are many different options available to property managers and owners today than there were when I started in the Industry. This works to the advantage of the property and to the pavement. Now, depending on the current condition of the asphalt, I have the ability to recommend several different options depending on the condition of the lot, previous maintenance schedules and budgets. The cost of sealcoating is only pennies a square yard versus repairs and rehabilitation which can be as much as twenty times higher.

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:

Asphalt Pavement Maintenance 101

Benefits of Sealcoating Asphalt Parking Lots

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Sealcoating is a crucial process in the preventative maintenance of any parking surface. There are many benefits to sealcoating, including:

Aesthetics: A fresh new sealcoat gives your asphalt a dark black color, greatly improving its appearance. Sealcoating will also make your asphalt look cleaner, as rain can more easily wash dirt and debris away.

Preservation: Sealcoating will preserve the resilience of your asphalt parking surface and will keep small cracks from becoming big structural problems.

Visibility: Sealcoating will make your traffic lines more visible.

UV Rays: The sun can greatly damage your asphalt surface. Sealcoating protects your parking lot from harsh UV rays.

Chemicals: Sealcoating will protect your parking lot from the effects of chemical spills, like gasoline or oil.

Waterproofing: Sealcoating locks moisture out. And, as we all know, moisture and asphalt do not mix…especially with winter right around the corner.

Save Money: Sealcoating costs pennies per square foot. Asphalt repairs cost dollars per square foot. You do the math.

So do the right thing for your parking lot and have it sealcoated every 2-7 years, or as needed. This will protect your asphalt surface and greatly minimize the need for constant maintenance and repairs.

If damage still occurs to your asphalt parking lot and it is in desperate need of a little TLC, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement repair 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:

Benefits of Sealcoating

Asphalt Parking Lot Maintenance

Friday, December 9th, 2011

While your parking surface may look rugged and indestructible, it’s not (trust us). This is why regular asphalt pavement maintenance is important. Without such maintenance, your asphalt surface will slowly begin to crumble away. On the other hand, with proper asphalt maintenance, your parking lot will last for years (maybe even decades) to come.

Preventative asphalt maintenance tasks include:

•     Preventing the surface and underlying infiltration bed from becoming clogged with fine sediment.

•     Your parking lot pavement surface should be vacuumed at least twice a year with a vacuum sweeper.

•     If routine vacuum sweeping proves ineffective, wash your pavement with clean, low-pressure water followed by immediate vacuuming.

•     Maintain the landscape surrounding your asphalt. This will hopefully prevent soil washout onto the parking surface.

•     If soil washout occurs, clean up immediately.

Winter asphalt maintenance:

•     Never use sand or abrasives because they will clog the pores of your asphalt. Instead, use deicing materials.

•     When plowing, set the blade an inch higher than normal. This will prevent unnecessary damage.

If damage still occurs to your asphalt parking lot and it is in desperate need of a little TLC, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of repair 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:

Parking Lot Maintenance For Porous Asphalt Pavement

The Importance of Parking Lot Striping and Re-Striping

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Like the cover of a book, the exterior of your building and your parking lot are what your customers base their first opinions on. I know, I know…don’t judge a book by its cover. Well, guess what? People still do. That is just the way it is. And you only get to make one first impression, so it is important to make it a good one. After all, who wants to lose business because their parking lot is a mess?

New paint, signs and wheel stops give your parking lot a “WOW” factor. Unfortunately, this wow factor doesn’t last forever.

Your parking lot striping wears away over time, which is why re-striping is the most common and routine type of asphalt maintenance. As soon as the paint is applied to your parking surface, it begins to deteriorate. This deterioration is sped up by such factors as severe weather, the amount of traffic coming in and out of the lot, and the thickness of the paint.

So how often should you re-stripe your parking lot?

Because of the deteriorating paint, the relatively low cost of re-striping, and the instant curb appeal it provides, it is recommended that you re-stripe your parking lot every 12-18 months. And as long as the temperature is above freezing, striping can be performed year-round.

So if your parking lot is in desperate need of a little TLC, contact an experienced asphalt company today – a company like PTG Enterprises. The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of these 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!