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Top 5 Tips for Working with Concrete

Concrete has revolutionized operations in the construction industry. It allows both contractors and DIY enthusiasts to easily build walkways, driveways, and other projects without dealing with sophisticated storage procedures. Although working with concrete may seem intimidating to newbies, it is simple and straightforward if you adhere to best practices. Here are the top five tips that will ensure that your concrete project looks great and lasts longer.

1. Include an Additive to Make It Easier to Mix

You don’t have to spend a lot of money buying the most expensive concrete to achieve better results. As a DIY enthusiast, you can begin with the affordable concrete bag from your local hardware. You can stick to the typical mix concrete for simple projects since it doesn’t require additives.

However, if you are working on a large and sophisticated project, add a plasticizer to your concrete since it helps the cement to mix and flow easily. This ensures that the concrete mix gets into all the desired areas. Keep in mind that there is no magic when it comes to drying your concrete. Do not add anything to speed up or slow down the drying time since it may be catastrophic in future. If you’re working in areas that experience hotter temperatures, use a tarp to cover up your mold as it dries.

2. Use Proportionate Amounts of Water

When mixing your concrete, pour a small amount of water into the mixture first and mix for a few minutes until the whole amount of water is absorbed and add more water gradually as you mix. If you add an excessive amount of water at once, the mixture will become runny and hard to deal with. You should also spare a small amount of dry concrete just in case the mix becomes too thin.

You should use either a spade or a flat shovel for mixing. Add water to one side of the mixing tray or wheelbarrow and pull the concrete into it a little amount at a time to ensure that all particles get absorbed. Resist the urge of using a hosepipe to spray water on your mix.

3. Choose the Right Molds for Better Results

Mold materials that produce the best results are usually made out of melamine. Avoid using cardboard as mold since water tends to seep under creating a rough finish. However, in a melamine material, the water can’t escape since it’s non-porous. Instead, your concrete will mimic the melamine’s smooth and attractive look resulting in a perfect finish. No matter the kind of material you choose, just make sure that you make a mold that is strong enough to sustain the heavy concrete.

4. Remember to Wear PPE Before You Start Working with Concrete

Personal protective equipment is essential when working with concrete. It should have both elbow and knee pads, waterproof gloves, dust masks, goggles, and knee-high footwear. Make sure that you put on long pants and long-sleeved shirts when handling wet concrete. Keep in mind that exposure to damp concrete may result in third-degree burns and severe irritation if you aren’t protected adequately.

5. Choose the Right Finish to Make Your Project Look Impressive

Most people tend to think that they have limited options when it comes to the overall appearance of their concrete. However, the truth is that there are lots of simple solutions that can make your concrete project look more attractive, custom, and expensive. Concrete dyes, stamping, and acid stains can all create that impressive look. Polish your concrete with an orbital sander for a smooth finish.

pros and cons of asphalt and concrete
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Pros and Cons: Asphalt vs. Concrete Commercial Parking Lots

Commercial parking lots must be designed to withstand large volumes of traffic, seasonal weather conditions, and heavy vehicle loads. These factors must also be weighed against the anticipated lifespan of the commercial parking lot, the disruption that maintenance will cause, and the amount of money that can be spent building and maintaining the area. While, asphalt companies and concrete companies are both quick to point the benefits of their products, it is important to also consider the possible cons.

The Pros of Concrete Installation
There are several benefits to building a commercial parking lot with concrete. These pros include:

  1. Better Suited For Hot Weather. — Concrete commercial parking lots tend to be better suited for hot weather. Unlike asphalt parking lots that can soften and become oily in extreme heat conditions, concrete lots often feature a lighter color that results in cooler temperatures during the summer. Its surface is also less likely to expand or change during the hot summer months.
  2. Less Maintenance. — One of the biggest benefits of concrete parking lots is that they don’t require regular maintenance.
  3. Longer Life Span. — Concrete commercial parking lots tend to last longer than asphalt. In fact, in the right conditions a concrete lot can last for more than 40 years.
  4. Additional Customization Options. — Concrete parking lots are available in a wide variety of colors, textures, and design options.

The Cons of Concrete Installation
One of the biggest things to consider when choosing between a concrete and asphalt parking lot is the climate. In fact, many of the cons of concrete installation are centered around its reaction to below freezing temperatures.

  1. Subject To Frost Heaves. — Concrete parking lots are unfortunately subject to frost heaves. Frost heaves not only create uneven surfaces, but they often require immediate maintenance so that the area can remain safe for daily use.
  2. Susceptible To Salt Damage. — The salt used to melt ice and snow can cause long-lasting damage to concrete.
  3. More Expensive To Install. — Concrete might be easier to maintain than asphalt, however it is more expensive to install.
  4. Long Curing Time. — Concrete can take up to seven days before it is properly cured and ready to be used.
  5. Water Runoff Management. — Unlike asphalt, concrete is not permeable, which means that businesses will need to implement a water runoff management plan, especially in areas that are susceptible to extended periods of heavy rain.

The Pros of Asphalt Installation
Asphalt installation offers many potential benefits, including:

  1. Easy Installation. — An asphalt commercial parking lot can be laid, cured, and ready to use in as little as two days.
  2. Not Affected By Cold Temperatures. — Unlike concrete, asphalt is typically not affected by below freezing temperatures. Its surface doesn’t deteriorate from extended salt use during winter months.
  3. Materials Are Readily Available. — Asphalt is a material that is readily available, which means that commercial parking lot projects can often be completed more quickly.
  4. Less Expensive To Install. — Asphalt parking lots are significantly less expensive to install.
  5. Easier To Repair. — While asphalt does require more maintenance than concrete, these repairs are often inexpensive and easy to complete.

The Cons of Asphalt Installation
Asphalt parking lots do have a few potential drawbacks, including:

  1. More Preventative Maintenance. — Unlike concrete that requires minimal maintenance, asphalt does require quite a bit of preventative maintenance. The additional level of maintenance can make asphalt more expensive than concrete in the long run.
  2. Surface Damage From Gasoline. — Gasoline stains and leakage can cause damage to the surface of the asphalt commercial parking lot.
  3. Shorter Lifespan. — While asphalt can last for 15 – 20 years, concrete is known for lasting between 30 and 40 years.
  4. Negatively Affected By Heat. — Asphalt parking lots can be affected by extreme heat. Higher temperatures can cause the surface to shrink, expand, and produce an oil sheen.
  5. More Permeable Surface. — When compared to concrete, asphalt has a much softer and more permeable surface that is more susceptible to excess damage from snowplows during the winter months.

Concrete vs. Asphalt: The Choice Is Yours
Both asphalt and concrete installations offer a wide variety of benefits. Selecting the right choice for your business is made easier when you work with a trusted concrete and asphalt company, who will help you to weigh the pros and cons. Whether you want to save on the initial upfront costs of asphalt or prefer the design options associated with concrete, it is safe to say that either option will create a good commercial parking lot.

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What are the Side Effects of Paving Asphalt over Concrete?

Many people who are looking for a new asphalt surface for their parking lot or driveway will simply pave over an existing concrete service. This can save time and money. However, many experts do not recommend it for a wide variety of different reasons. Asphalt paved over concrete tends to crack and be bumpy to the point where it could be dangerous for pedestrians and damaging to vehicles. This article lays out several reasons why you should consider having a concrete removed before the asphalt poured. To learn more about why professionals recommend the concrete be removed in the first place, read on.

The Surface Will Not Be as Smooth

The first and most obvious negative aspect of paving asphalt over concrete is that the surface will not be as smooth. You have no doubts seen when asphalt has been laid on over concrete and is bumpy and uneven. Even the best professional paving companies will likely end up with results that don’t meet your expectations due to the bumpiness of the surface. If the concrete itself has been poorly laid and is bumpy and cracked, this effect will be greatly exaggerated.

The Asphalt Will Be More Likely To Crack

Asphalt laid over concrete is also much more likely to crack. This is due to two main reasons. Number one, if the concrete is cracked or damaged below the asphalt it will not provide a stable surface and will likely cause cracks in the asphalt in the same places. Number two, concrete is known to expand and contract based on the weather conditions. This will cause cracks in the concrete as well as in the asphalt on top of it.

The Costs of Maintenance May Be Higher In the Long Run

The two above points, in effect, will cause the cost of maintenance to be higher in the long run. Maintaining asphalt is normally relatively cheap and not time-consuming at all. However, cracked and uneven asphalt will require a great deal more maintenance. While you may save a little bit of money by laying down asphalt over concrete in the first place, your cost will likely be higher in the long run.

The Surface May Actually Be Dangerous for Pedestrians

These days many businesses and even private citizens are worried about how dangerous surfaces could be a precursor to lawsuits. There is a small subset of people that are always looking for an opportunity to file a lawsuit. A poorly maintained or otherwise dangerous surface that causes a fall for a pedestrian could easily be the source of a lawsuit, as many different businesses have found out. For this reason and many others, you want your surface to be as even and smooth as possible.

The Asphalt May Have To Be Torn Up

Not only will maintenance of asphalt laid over concrete be higher in the long run, you may even have to tear up the asphalt due to damage from the underlying concrete. If this is the case, you will also have to tear up the concrete at the same time. This can be a very expensive proposition. This could easily be avoided by having the concrete torn up in the first place.

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4 Things You Should Know Before Your Commercial Asphalt Job in 2018

The new year brings brand new opportunities for professionals in the commercial asphalt industry. The slow, but steady five percent growth trends of prior years are expected to continue through 2018. As a result, you might be seeing an influx of work opportunities coming your way. When the work comes in, you will want to be ready to outperform your competitors and become the best asphalt company in Colorado. Thankfully, you can attend to the four following areas to make sure you are prepared for your upcoming commercial asphalt jobs.

Partner Strengths and Weaknesses

Your business partner is your greatest asset and also your greatest liability. You must know your partner’s strengths and weaknesses to make sure you can collaborate on all your projects. Assess your partner’s abilities along with your own to ensure your company can meet the challenges that come your way. If you cannot create a balanced team, consider restructuring your commercial asphalt companies before moving on with large-scale commercial asphalt jobs.

Lot Location and Restrictions

Numerous challenges can arise due to the lot size and location, so it is important to clearly understand the project limitations from the beginning. Look at all the possible scenarios and make sure to have several contingency plans on hand in case any of the identified potential challenges actually arise. You should also research the building restrictions in your target work areas to understand how to proceed with your projects. If you start jobs without paying attention to local regulations, you may end up having to redo portions of the project or even halt your work altogether.

Job Size, Start to Finish

You must adequately plan for small and large-scale projects to complete your jobs by the deadline. You can provide quality work for projects of all sizes by finding a way to easily scale your operations. You should have fluid access to a workforce and materials to projects of any size moving forward as expected. Open up your network of asphalt maintenance companies and professionals to have overflow workers available when the job demand extra hands.

Seasonal Weather Patterns

As an asphalt professional, you must pay close attention to seasonal weather patterns to avoid project disruptions. Adverse temperatures and conditions can affect the quality of your finished product, so you must know how to proceed when those situations arise. You can look at weather patterns from prior years to see when it would be best to start your outdoor projects. For this area, you also need to have contingency plans in case weather conditions rapidly change in the middle of your projects.

Starting Your Commercial Asphalt Job in 2018

By addressing the above issues ahead of time, you can achieve great results on all your commercial asphalt jobs in 2018 and beyond. Remember to readdress each category at the start of every project you receive to ensure you are on the right track. In the end, you will never be caught off guard and unprepared to complete the job by the deadline by taking a measured approach to your business activities. If you are ready to acquire support for your company’s endeavors, contact Superior Aggregates today.

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6 Tips to Protect Your Asphalt Driveway During the Winter

Winter is fast approaching, and as you no doubt already know, winter can be very hard on asphalt. If you have an asphalt driveway, you should take precautions to protect it before the winter comes. Of course, you should also take certain precautions during the winter. These precautions include repairing all the cracks, covering the driveway with sealants, patching holes, estimating the traffic, and clearing debris off the driveway. To learn more about protecting your driveway during the winter, read on.

Repair All Asphalt Cracking

If you have any cracks in your driveway that have not already repaired, you should repair them before the first snow of the year. If snow and ice gets in the cracks, that may make the problem worse. This is especially true if the snow melts, then refreezes in the cracks. It will make the cracks worse and possibly destroy the asphalt completely. If this happens, you’ll have to replace the entire driveway, which can be quite expensive.

Protect Driveway with Sealants

If you haven’t already, you should apply a sealant to your driveway. This sealant will protect your driveway from snow, ice, water, dirt, and debris. You can have a commercial asphalt repair professional apply the sealant. This may be the most effective way to go about doing this. However, you can also purchase sealant yourself at the local hardware store and apply it on your own. This will save you money, but you will Iikely not be able to do it as effectively as a professional.

 Patch Holes

Just as you want to repair any cracks before winter comes, you should also patch any holes in the driveway. If you don’t, you may see similar negative effects to not repairing cracks, only worse. The weight of the snow and or ice on your driveway can cause the holes to become worse to the point where they go completely through the asphalt. If this happens, you will likely have to replace your driveway’s asphalt entirely or get commercial asphalt resurfacing.

 Estimate Increased Traffic

Most of the damage caused to your asphalt driveway is wear and tear from normal use. It’s always a good idea to estimate more traffic then you actually expect to get. This means that you’ll be prepared if there actually is an increase. You can prepare for increased traffic by applying heavy-duty sealants and patching holes and repairing cracks thoroughly with the highest quality materials. If you do this, there is a lesser chance that your driveway will sustain serious damage if traffic does actually increase during the winter. Of course, this will help extend the life of your driveway far beyond the upcoming winter, as well.

 Clear Debris Before Winter By Shoveling  Regularly 

Clearing debris off of your driveway before the cold weather hits is one often overlooked aspect of preparing your asphalt for the winter. It is important to clear the debris off for several reasons. First of all, the debris may become frozen to the driveway when it gets cold, which will make it impossible to remove. This could result in permanent damage to the driveway if the debris contains chemicals that can eat through asphalt. You should also make sure to clear debris during the winter by shoveling it off your driveway on a regular basis.