By admin Asphalt Paving • • • • • 0 Comments

Concrete Crack Hazard Removal

Do you have concrete on your property? Would you like to prevent it from cracking? One of the most common complaints business owners have is that their concrete is starting to crack. They may think that the initial contract or may not have done a very good job; however, concrete is like everything else on your property. You need to take care of it if you would like it to last. How can you prevent concrete from cracking? What should you do if you notice that your concrete is starting to crack? There are several important points to consider.

Why Does Concrete Crack?

There are several reasons why concrete might be cracking. Some of the most common reasons include:

  • There might be too much water in the concrete mixture. Concrete does not require a lot of water in order to achieve its maximum strength. Excess water can reduce the strength of the concrete, leading to shrinkage. As concrete begins to harden, it shrinks. This is because excess water is evaporating. Excess water leads to more shrinkage, literally pulling the slab apart.
  • The concrete might be drying too quickly. If concrete is drying too quickly, it might not be cured properly. It is important to reach out to a professional contractor to make sure the concrete is not drying too fast.
  • There might not be any control joints in the concrete. Control joints are put in place to help the concrete crack where it should. If there aren’t any control joints, the concrete might end up cracking.

These are just a few of the many reasons why concrete might crack.

How Can You Prevent Concrete from Cracking?

There are several ways to prevent concrete from cracking. Some of the top methods include:

  • Install control joints. This will prevent the concrete from cracking in vulnerable places.
  • Always cure the concrete properly. If the concrete does not cure properly, it may begin to crack.
  • Check the water to cement ratio again. The water to cement might need to be reduced to prevent excess shrinkage.

In order to properly address this issue, you may need to reach out to a trained contractor.

What Should You Do if You Notice Concrete Cracks?

If you noticed that your concrete is beginning to crack, the first thing you should do is mark the concrete hazards. That way, people do not enter the area unknowingly, which can prevent serious injuries and accidents from taking place. Concrete crack hazards are dangerous and should be treated as such.

If you can do so safely, take a close look at the crack. Try to remove any debris that might be present. You may need to use a wire brush in order to appropriately clean the crack. You may also want to use a pressure washer if you know how to use one safely.

If you are familiar with concrete, you may be tempted to fill the crack yourself. Even though you might be able to temporarily patch it, you should rely on a trained professional for a permanent repair job.

Reach Out to Trained Professionals for Help with Concrete Cracks

Do everything you can to prevent concrete from cracking. If you work with an experienced professional, you should be able to get as much life as possible out of your concrete. If you notice cracks in your concrete, reach out to a trained professional for assistance. That way, you know the repair job is completed appropriately the first time around.

By admin Asphalt Paving • • 0 Comments

3 Things to Know About De-Icing

While snow can create the perfect scenery, icy winter asphalt opens the door for potential hazards in more ways than one. Not only can an icy driveway cause a safety risk for you and your family, but a slick walkway can open you up to liability. If someone else visiting your home were to slip and fall, you could find yourself on the undesirable end of a lawsuit.

Fortunately, you can protect your family and your guests by properly deicing your walkway and/or driveway. However, deicing involves much more than throwing salt or any ice melt all-around your driveway — this may not properly complete the task. Instead, there are several things you should know about deicing to do it properly. Continue reading to learn our top three things you should know about de-icing winter asphalt.

Get Rid of the Snow First Is the First Step to De-icing Asphalt

Even though this may seem painstakingly obvious, it’s critical you get rid of all the snow prior to starting the deicing process. Shovel as much ice and snow off of your driveway as you can. You can also try to break the ice up with a shovel to help make removal easier. If you find you can’t remove the ice through the shoveling method, lay down a deicer, which can be found at almost any hardware store. As you are choosing deicers, make sure you consider where you will be putting it. Some deicers are hazardous to pets, plants, water supplies, and masonry. This means that some deicers could require you to call an asphalt company for repairs over extended use. If you have any concerns, look for a more environmentally-friendly deicer.

Ice Evenly & Correctly When De-Icing Asphalt

If you are fortunate enough to have a handheld spreader or wheeled spreader, you can save a lot of time and effort by using it. This piece of equipment will evenly coat the ground with ice melt or salt and will take much less time than doing it by hand. However, if all you have are your hands, that will have to do — unless you have a cup, and everyone has one!

Even if you’re deicing with a cup, you should still wear gloves because most deicers are made up of chemicals. You can also use a bucket, so you don’t have to lug a big bag of ice melt or snow around. In either case, spread it evenly. If you place too much in one area, simply grab some water or a broom to spread it out. Besides, using more deicer in one area will not make the snow melt any quicker. And the more deicer you unnecessarily use, the more likely you are to cause damage to your landscape. Keep in mind that snow does not melt ice. It does, however, lower the boiling point of water. Because the majority of ice does have a thin layer of water, the salt mixture will cause a chain reaction that helps expedite melting ice— even in cold temperatures.

Sand and Gravel Can Help with Icy Winter Asphalt

Sand and gravel are also regularly used on driveways that are icy. It’s important to understand that sand and gravel will not actually melt the ice. It will provide a safer environment by increasing traction for drivers and walkers. Although this can be a very effective solution, the best way to protect your home and property is to remove the ice completely. Many people who are concerned about the environmental impact of deicers choose to combine the sand with the deicer to make a mixture. In doing so, you can reduce the impact of using deicing chemicals alone.

By admin Hauling & Delivery • • • 0 Comments

Superior Aggregates Local Delivery & Hauling

Superior Aggregates is one of Colorado’s most experienced aggregate suppliers and now offers timely delivery services. We can deliver what you need, whether the task is paving an entirely new road, patching and repairing and old one, or installing a new landscaping design at a commercial or residential property. Our aggregate offerings and timely deliveries ensure you can get work done quickly, efficiently and affordably by contacting Superior Aggregates to get the job done.

Support for Local Landscaping Services

Many local landscaping services send crews with trucks to go collect aggregate, which means a lot of work is not getting done while out getting the materials needed for the job. Our local delivery service removes the need for local landscaping services to waste time obtaining the materials they need when we can send them directly to your work site.

We can deliver a wide range of commonly used hardscaping and aggregate materials, including:

  • Concrete and masonry sand for walkways, edgings and other landscaping architectural elements.
  • Pea gravel, river rock, crushed granite and similar materials for a variety of landscaping needs.
  • Fill dirt, soil products and compost for installing yards and doing smaller outdoor landscaping projects.
  • Mulch, bark, woodchips and other bedding items that enable drainage while suppressing weeds.

You can schedule one or more loads and have them arrive before you need them so that your work crews always have the landscaping material needed to get the job done correctly and quickly. That maximizes your profit potential while reducing your need for trucks and workers to dive them to and from our aggregate site.

Local Hauling Services

We have a full range of great trucks with lift beds that can handle any aggregate load you might need. Our drivers are licensed and trained in CDL procedures and can bring your aggregate order to your work location and deposit it exactly where you need it with our convenient local hauling services. That saves you a lot of time by keeping your workers onsite and busy while the materials you need arrive when and where you need them.

When we do the hauling to your site, you do not have to worry about potential accidents and related costs. No catastrophic accidents will cause your business to suffer a potentially devastating financial setback, and you do not have to cover the costs of commercial truck insurance for the loads that you have delivered. We take care of all of that while eliminating your business risk.

Commercial and Residential Support

It does not matter what the purpose of your project might be. We have the type of aggregate you need to do it right. Someone paving an asphalt parking lot, installing a driveway or rebuilding a public road can benefit from the right aggregate arriving at exactly the right time to keep your crews continuously working and onsite. We can deliver recycled concrete, recycled asphalt, road base and concrete mix to any road-building project or similar commercial project and help you to save money while getting the material you need for the task at hand.

Contact Superior Aggregates for Your Sand and Gravel Needs

You can call Superior Aggregates, send up an online message or stop by our office in Lafayette to learn more about al the great aggregate material and delivery services that we provide. We proudly serve the greater Lafayette area and nearby communities.

By admin Construction • • • • 0 Comments

5 Planning Tips for Property Managers

Managing real estate can be a great way to earn a living. While there will always be a demand for property managers in the real estate industry, there are many important tasks that a property manager has to keep up with. One very important task that they need to follow is to keep up with the maintenance and repair for their concrete. While a asphalt and concrete can last for a long time, it does require some upkeep along the way. Eventually, the property will need either a new overlay or repairs to the existing concrete. There are five planning tips that a property manager should follow when going through this process.

Schedule and Prepare for the Consultation

If you have a property that you are looking to improve or notice that there are cracks or other wear and tear in the paving, it is important to have it checked out by a concrete and asphalt paving company as soon as you can. When you have one of these companies come out they will be able to provide a full consultation. This will include providing an assessment of the condition of your pavement and an analysis of what forms of remediation are available.

Once you have scheduled the consultation, you will need to prepare for it. This process will include clearing the pavement as much as possible and walking it to identify areas of concern that should be inspected. You should also questions prepared to ask your consultant when they arrive.

Review and Hone Your Budget

The cost of pavement projects can vary considerably from one to the next. It is important to have a good sense of what your project and future maintenance costs will be. You should assess your property budget regularly to ensure there are reserves available to pay for these costs.

Devise a Long-Term Maintenance Schedule

A maintenance schedule for any asphalt or concrete surface should also be put in place. Some forms of maintenance that are needed will include cleaning and reapplying sealer, cleaning up any spilled oil or stains as soon as possible and using chemicals that will not harm the concrete. Doing all of this will extend the life of your pavement.

Schedule Regular Site Inspections

Even if you stay current with your maintenance needs, you should stil inspect it regularly. A concrete inspector will be able to carefully check over your concrete to see if there are any cracks or other areas of concern. Based on these inspections, you may notice deferred maintenance items that can be fixed before turning into larger problems.

Choose the Right Commercial Paving Contractor  

One of the most important tips that you can follow for any pavement job is choosing the right contractor. There are likely a variety of asphalt and concrete companies in your local area to choose from. When you are looking for a contractor, you should do some research online to get a sense of consumer reviews. It would be a good idea to get a sense of their reputation for quality work, staying within budget, getting the work done on time and providing good customer service.

When researching contractors, you should also meet with at least a few different options. This will allow you to get multiple opinions and quotes, which could then be compared to select the best deal. Prior to signing any contract you should also get a current copy of their license and insurance.

Effects of the Colorado Cold on Asphalt
By admin Asphalt Paving • • 0 Comments

Effects of the Colorado Cold on Asphalt

With the temperature starting to drop outside, there are a lot of people in Colorado who are wondering how this is going to affect their pavement. Cold weather and freezing precipitation can damage asphalt without proper preparation. Therefore, by understanding how cold weather can impact asphalt, you can prevent damage from happening. Take a look at some of the helpful information that we have put together below!

Freezing Temperatures Cause the Asphalt To Contract

First, the freezing temperatures are going to cause the asphalt to contract. This means that the molecular structure of asphalt is going to become tighter. As asphalt contracts, cracks may start to form on the surface. If cracks form, this is going to shorten the life expectancy of asphalt. Because it is so cold outside, it is possible that repair processes will be less effective. Therefore, it is a good idea to do everything possible to ensure the integrity of the surface before the temperature starts to drop.

The Impact of Rock Salt

Anyone who has lived in the Colorado area has probably seen rock salt all over the roads. It is possible that rock salt might also damage asphalt. Rock salt is made out of sodium chloride. Sodium chloride can accelerate asphalt deterioration as precipitation freezes and thaws throughout the winter. As a result, this could shorten the lifespan of concrete and asphalt paving materials as well.

Winter Weather Can Impact Asphalt

During the winter, hail, snow, and freezing rain are all common in Colorado. All of this has the potential to damage asphalt. As ice, sleet, and range strikes the surface, it often freezes overnight. When it freezes, it impacts the molecular structure of asphalt, leading to damage. Then, even though it thaws during the day, it may refreeze during the next night, creating more damage. The good news is that there are specialized types of asphalt, such as porous asphalt, that can withstand this type of precipitation.

The Impact on the Paving Process

Cold weather is also going to impact the paving process. Paving during winter months is a bigger challenge than during the warmer months; however, it is not impossible. During the winter, asphalt tends to dry much faster than it does during warmer months. Wind speed, air temperature, and surface temperature all play a role in how quickly asphalt dries Therefore, it is important for asphalt pavers to use specialized tools that are able to get the asphalt in the proper position quickly before it dries.

Preventing Asphalt Damage During the Winter

Finally, it is also important to address asphalt damaged during the winter. Proper maintenance of all asphalt surfaces is critical. By sealing asphalt properly, this will create a surface layer that will provide consistent protection from winter weather and cold temperatures. By limiting the damage of precipitation during the winter, it will extend the lifespan of asphalt by preventing holes and cracks from forming.

Rely on the Help of Trained Professionals from Colorado Asphalt Companies

These are just a few of the most important points that everyone should keep in mind if they are looking for Colorado asphalt companies. We are here to make sure that you get the most use possible out of your asphalt. Give us a call today to learn more about the impacts of winter weather on asphalt!