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Posts Tagged ‘tar mixed with fine gravel’

A Father’s Day Driveway

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

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Beautifying Your 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.

  1. 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.
  2. Place stone or brick edging along the edge of the driveway. This will add the perfect accent to your driveway.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

The Benefits of an Asphalt Driveway

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

It is time to resurface your driveway, but you have no idea where to start. Who do you call? What do you need to know? What are your options? At least picking the materials is easy, right; isn’t concrete your only choice? Actually, there is another option – asphalt.

This article from DoItYourself.com explains the four biggest benefits of asphalt driveways over concrete.

1. Weather Resistance

Unlike concrete, asphalt can expand and contract in harsh climates without breaking or cracking. So if you live in an area with extremely cold winters or hot summers, then asphalt might be a no-brainer for your home.

2. Flexible Material

Asphalt has the ability to expand slightly while under pressure or in high or low temperatures. Asphalt has the capacity to adjust and settle, move and expand and contract and conform – meaning less cracking than a rigid concrete driveway.

3. Ease of Repair

Even if your asphalt driveways does crack or settle in an unpleasing way, repairs could not be easier. Refill and level these depressions easily with liquid asphalt emulsions. Fix cracks quickly with a solid cold patch, or tar mixed with fine gravel.

4. Cost

If the first three benefits did not sway your opinion, then this last one will certainly make you an asphalt enthusiast. Asphalt driveways are initially cheaper than concrete driveways and they even take less time to install.  They are also resistant to oils and other stains, making asphalt driveways cheaper to maintain.

If you have any questions, contact PTG Enterprises by calling 410-636-8777or click here today!