By admin Construction • • • • 0 Comments

How to find the best concrete maintenance contractors?

Hiring the best concrete maintenance contractor is not always simple. You want a contractor who is honest, dependable, and qualified for the job at hand. Make sure you are asking the right questions when you interview a company. If you don’t, you could be paying more than expected, and the job may take longer than you want.

Here are 5 ways to choose the right concrete maintenance contractor for the job.

  • Ask to see their portfolio. When you are doing your research, make sure to check the contractor’s portfolio. The right contractor will be able to show you a gallery of photos. You will have the chance to see their most recent work and get a better idea of what they can offer you. You will be able to check their services and get an idea of what to expect from a final project. Their portfolio will allow you to visualize what they can do for you and your home, and maybe even give you some new ideas.
  • Look for a contractor with experience. Generally, you should look for a contractor with at least five years of professional experience. This will demonstrate that they are reliable and will provide you with quality work. Additionally, experienced contractors will be able to offer you suggestions to help you get the results you are looking for. They will explain how one concrete option is better for your space than another.
  • Check their reputation. Take a look at the contractor’s reviews. You should be able to find them on Google, Yelp, Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, or Facebook. Do the reviews say the company is reputable? Are they easy to work with, friendly? Look at the bad reviews and see if the company responded and tried to rectify the complaint or offered a solution. You may also want to ask friends and family if they know of a contractor, or if they know anything about the company you are considering.
  • What does their insurance cover? It’s very important to know up front what, exactly, a contractor’s insurance covers. If there is any type of mishap on the job, you want to make sure you won’t be liable for it. Find out how the contractor’s insurance protects you and your property from things like on-the-job accidents and damages. Typically, a reputable contractor will have general liability coverage and worker’s competition policies. You can also choose to contact the contractor’s insurance company directly to verify they have coverage and what it covers.
  • Finally, make sure to get an estimate. When you speak to each contractor, request an estimate for the project. Make sure they have included everything; the cost of the base materials, the thickness of the concrete, reinforcement, coloring, sealer, and the down payment. Then collect these estimates to compare with other contractors. Look at what each contractor offers. What will you be paying for with each one?

Make sure you talk to several contractors before you make your choice, and make sure to read your contract carefully before you sign. When you make your final decision, look at each of these factors and weigh them. One contractor may charge a little more but will offer better quality and better customer service. Look at what you will be getting for the price and make sure the contractor offers everything you need. And finally, don’t pay your balance upfront. A reputable company won’t ask you to. Contact Superior Aggregates today for an estimate! Let us help you with your concrete needs.

By admin Construction • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

5 Different Ways to Get the Best Value from your Concrete Contractor

Whether you’re looking for concrete poured for a parking area, patio, or other project, you want to be sure that you’re getting the best value. How? Look for experienced professionals who will respect your time and financial budget while still bringing their expert opinion. This may sound like a tall order, but you can pull it off in five straightforward ways:

1: Do Your Homework

Research contractors in the area to help you narrow down a potentially large field of experienced businesses. See if you can find online reviews or talk to references.

Once you move on to getting a quote from the top contenders, do a little more digging. Do they have experience with the specific job you have in mind? More importantly, do their qualifications check out?

Unfortunately, some unscrupulous companies exaggerate or invent qualifications that they haven’t earned. This could mean:

  • poor results that don’t hold up to the elements
  • features not up to code
  • an expensive headache as another contractor tries to fix the mess

2: Get On the Same Page

Once you’ve decided on a concrete contractor, make sure that the two of you are on the same page about the project. Explain clearly what you want and listen to the contractor’s expert recommendations. Discuss any concerns you may have, for instance with zoning laws or requirements for home insurance. Finally, read through the written contract itself. If there are any areas that you don’t understand, bring them up before you put your signature down.

3: Beware of Cutting Corners

The price tag for this job matters, but it’s not the only important factor. Watch out for contractors who trim costs by using low grade materials or rushing through steps in the pouring process. It’s also not a good idea to cut corners time-wise. Over the long term, rushed jobs tend to have poor results.

On a related note, be careful with concrete curing times. Don’t continue your project until that surface is completely cured. You could cause a lot of damage to the concrete itself.

4: Be Prepared to Compromise…

On your schedule, that is. Experienced, in-demand concrete contractors may have their workdays planned for weeks in advance. If they aren’t available for the day you were counting on, see if there’s another date that could work for you. It may be worthwhile to shuffle your renovation schedule around a bit.

You may also want to compromise on small details of your project. If your concrete contractor strongly advises that you adjust something, there’s probably a good reason. Remember that you hired them in part for their expertise. Most contractors genuinely want you to get the best possible result and enjoy your concrete features for years to come. They are your partners in this stage of the project, so hear them out and make your best judgment call.

5: … But Know When to Stick to Your Guns

Ultimately, you know what you’re looking for and what your budget looks like. Your contractor may suggest a variety of upsells. These could include stamping patterns into the concrete surface or some fancy new sealant. Extra features aren’t necessarily a bad idea. In fact, they could potentially raise the value of the property and increase the longevity of the concrete. However, if your budget or vision for the property doesn’t include them, put your foot down. Ultimately you have the last word.

 

By admin Asphalt Paving • Construction • Paving • • • • • • • 0 Comments

4 Ways Asphalt Paving in Colorado Helps the Community

Asphalt paving is a vital part of the transportation infrastructure for Colorado. This type of pavement provides a safe, cost-effective and environmental friendly for the roads, bridges and parking areas. It plays a significant role in the Colorado community. Asphalt pavements is a combination of aggregates of stone, gravel or sand that are bound together using some asphalt cement, which is derived from crude oil.

A large percentage (94%) of American roads and highways are paved with asphalt. Construction and maintenance of these smooth asphalt pavements is cost-effective, eco-friendly, and completely recyclable. They offer a safe and long-lasting surface for all types of transportation modes such as foot trails, bike trails, roads and airport runways.

Some benefits of asphalt paving are:

1. Quieter Roads

Noise pollution is everywhere. One of the best ways to lower road noise is to deal with the issue at its source. By using asphalt pavements on roadways, noise in residential areas and businesses can be lowered significantly. Stone Matrix Asphalt can reduce road noise by 3-5 dB(A). Using asphalt to combat highway noise is even more effective than noise barrier walls.

2. Recyclable

Asphalt pavement and processing facilities have very low carbon footprint. Asphalt Pavement Alliance says that production of asphalt pavements emits less greenhouse gases compared to other concrete pavements. Asphalt pavements are highly recycled in America. 100 million tonnes of this type of pavements are reclaimed every year, and out of that, more than 95 percent is recycled or reused, thus saving the taxpayers money and less use of landfills.

Sustainability is very important in today’s society. Asphalt can be used over and over again, like an infinite life cycle. This one of the biggest reasons why asphalt is popularly used across the country. Most companies strive to use environment friendly materials; the recyclable nature of asphalt makes it a great product.

3. Create new jobs

A career in the asphalt industry means job security. Road construction is always happening in Colorado; new roads are being installed while existing roads require regular maintenance to enhance safety. From repairing potholes, to filling cracks, asphalt contractors are always busy trying to keep the Colorado roads clear, smooth and safer for drivers. Furthermore, construction of new business buildings means a need for parking lots installation as well as regular maintenance, which means job security in this field is great.

The asphalt pavement industry offers: local jobs that are usually pay well and last for long, heightened community transport infrastructure, improved standards of living for the local people, eco-friendly products, and economic development.

4. Asphalt is great for winter roads

Winter can be hard on pavements; the freezing, thawing, deicers, plowing and the immense weight of plow trucks contribute more to the damaging effects of the cold weather. However, some pavements can hold up better than other during this season.

Extreme winter weather can ruin paved surfaces. Asphalt pavement is not only quick to install, but is resistant to harsh weather too. Asphalt roadways can be able to withstand cold temperatures during weather in both the low traffic and high traffic areas.

Hot-mix asphalt is the best when it comes to ensuring that the roadways are free of potholes and cracks during winter. It is asphalt pavement that is poured immediately after mixing aggregates of sand and stone with petroleum on to the road while the mixture is still hot. The hot-mix asphalt is strong and long-lasting, resistant to freezing and thawing, not affected by deicing agents, flexible, cost-effective, and needs little maintenance.

By admin Asphalt Driveway • Asphalt Paving • Construction • • • • • • 0 Comments

3 Variables To Consider When Determining Asphalt Paving Costs

Asphalt pavements are made from a mixture of stones, sand, and liquefied asphalt cement at 300°F. Upon cooling, the mixture forms a hard surface that is capable of accommodating heavy weights including vehicles. When computing asphalt paving costs, key among the factors to consider include soil, usage, and size. It is essential that you consult an experienced constructor to give you a quote before commencing on a project to ensure that your budget is capable of executing the task to completion.

Soil

The type of soil in the area to be paved plays a vital role in influencing asphalt paving costs. The kind of soil has a direct impact on the type of subgrade that will be used to support the load which will be transmitted from the pavement. The cost of paving increases with the increase in subgrade thickness. The subgrade is the working platform upon which the construction equipment is supported and is also the foundation to the pavement structure for supporting and distributing the traffic load. It is, therefore, critical to evaluate the how strong the subgrade should be before embarking on a pavement’s structural design. Failure to provide the required subgrade thickness can result in deflection rendering your work to be useless. Different soil types have to vary (texture) support capabilities which influence the depth of the subgrade. Soil texture is the average size of its mineral particles, and it defines how a type of soil can be used. Usually, most natural soils are made of different particle sizes which are used to distinguish one type from the other. Soils can be categorized into three main classes based on texture: Light, medium, and heavy-textured or fine grained. The three categories can further be classified as gravels, silts, sands, or clays.

Usage

The core function of an asphalt pavement is to distribute the weight on the wheels to the supporting subgrade. Asphalt paving costs vary with the type of load that will be accommodated on the pavement. Axle load can be classified into single, tandem, and multiple and can weigh up to 50,000 pounds. Asphalt pavements for use by tandem and multiple axle loads experience reduced load effects and thus, have a long lifespan. Asphalt pavements for use by single axle loads lack a diminished load effect and are thus, costly to pave due to the high-quality requirements to lengthen their lifespan. The volume and distribution of a load play a critical role in estimating the anticipated life of asphalt pavement and consequently, its cost. Usage of asphalt pavement can be predicted based on historical traffic records and truck percentage. To determine the effect of traffic, you require to establish the total volume of the two-way Average Daily Traffic (ADT). You can estimate a road’s ADT by use of a traffic map or a pneumatic tube on the road for some days. Traffic weight can have a dramatic effect on asphalt paving costs. Design differences have a direct impact on material, labor and equipment costs.

Size

The size of the area to be paved also impacts on the cost of asphalt paving. Size differences can be in parameters such as the gradient of the area to be paved, the extent of ground clearance required including the removal of physical barriers such as trees and buildings. Also, the cost of paving can be affected by whether the pavement will be flat or will have peaks and depressions to control the movement of storm water.

By admin Asphalt Paving • Construction • • • 0 Comments

Why You Should Be ADA Compliant In Your Parking Lot

Improvements to your parking lot aren’t an expense, they’re an investment. Those simple changes can pay for themselves.

They’re also the law. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has specific guidelines and requirements to accommodate those with disabilities. For your parking lot to be ADA compliant, it must be accessible and have no barriers, among other requirements. A full list of requirements can be found here. It is a common misconception that parking lots constructed before 1990 have been grandfathered in and don’t need to meet ADA requirements. As of 2012, that isn’t true. All businesses are required by law to be ADA compliant.

Here are some of the ways you’ll benefit:

1. More Customers

ADA compliance is designed to make it easier for people to access everyday businesses. You’ll open opportunities for more people to visit your store or office, bringing in a whole new set of customers or clients.

People with disabilities make up the largest minority in the nation, and they represent more than 12 percent of the population. With the growth in the aging population, that’s a lot of potential new customers or clients!

2.  Tax Benefits

The IRS offers tax advantages in the form of credits and deductions for businesses that can help with the cost of making your parking lot ADA compliant. According to the ADA website, the credits can be up to $5,000 a year for businesses with less than one million in revenue “to offset the cost of undertaking barrier removal and alterations to improve accessibility” and the deductions can be up to $15,000 a year for all businesses for the cost of these improvements. Check with your accountant for more information.

3.  Higher Property Value

It’s hard to predict the future, and you could outgrow your current location. Making your parking lot ADA compliant may increase your business’s property value because potential buyers would not be saddled with the cost of improving the property, yet will still benefit from the upgrade.

4.  Competitive Advantage

If you’re ADA compliant and your competitor is not, you are likely to draw in more consumers. The aging population – which makes up a large percentage of those with disabilities – holds half of the discretionary income in the nation, Even people who aren’t disabled respect the needs of others and will patronize businesses that are accessible to their friends and family members with disabilities. This holds true for employees as well, and your competitive edge can extend to potential new hires.

5.  Community Spirit

While more difficult to quantify, making your parking lot ADA compliant tells your community “we care” by respecting the needs of others. Today’s consumer looks for businesses that are socially responsible. Consider the needs of people with disabilities and the difficulties they face in everyday activities. By showing consideration, you are telling the public you are a company to trust. If you are thinking of the public, the public is thinking of you.

Simple yet important changes to your parking lot can affect your bottom line, offsetting the cost of those improvements. Those improvements can be seen as more than a business expense, but rather, a marketing tool.