What is Asphalt? Often people think of Asphalt as a sticky and black liquid used as a binding material in construction of roads. Asphalt is a heterogeneous mixture of binding material, aggregates and fine aggregates. The ratios of these substances in asphalt mixture can be increased, decreased or altered depending upon the project it has to be used in, strength or its utility for the job. Asphalt is a durable and economical building material which requires minimum effort. It gives a smooth finish and is flexible, meaning it can be twisted and turned to reach in angles and places where concrete can’t reach.
There is a lot of Asphalting service providers on the market. here are a few things to consider before choosing the right one for your project or design:
1. Inviting proposals and quotes from different vendors:
It is wise to get multiple proposals, bids and quotes from different asphalting service providers. This helps you to compare prices, the services provided by different vendors, after sales and maintenance service and warranties offered. Usually, people prefer to go with the vendor which quotes the lowest price but that is not always the best option. Vendors with lower prices usually won’t offer other services like maintenance or warranty in most cases. It is advisable to go for an asphalting service provider which is decently priced and provides warranty, maintenance and customer support services.
2. Experience:
People usually in a rush to get the service at the lowest price don’t take into consideration the experience the asphalting service provider has. If a contractor is new in the business he would offer low prices to entice the customers, but he might not be equipped to provide the best of services to the customer. It is important to take into account the number of years the contractor has been in business while selecting a contractor. An experienced contractor is well equipped to resolve the problems that might arise like getting the right mixture, strength required for the project, weather conditions and safety measures to be met etc.
3. Equipment:
The reason most people choose asphalt over concrete is because it does not require heavy equipments. Asphalting can be done both by hand and also with the help of equipment. It is highly recommended to go for asphalting service providers which use equipments for the project. The technology behind the equipment makes asphalting more efficient and durable. Asphalting done by hand will not provide the same quality and finish as the one done by equipment.
4. Type of material used:
As we know asphalt is highly recyclable. Contractors who use high volume of recycled asphalt in their mixture are likely to offer low quality of asphalt. It is advisable to go for service providers which use less percentage of recycled asphalt in their mixture. Using recycled asphalt can affect look and durability of the pavement.
5. Labor Employed:
Usually if the asphalting service providers are big players they will have sufficient crew and a sizable team to finish your project in time. They will ensure your work gets over in time and any sick leaves or any other work hazards do not hamper your development. However if they have small teams and deploy only 3-4 men on a project then it can cause issues in the future like being understaffed or labor turnover etc.
6. Insurance:
Before selecting the asphalting service provider check whether he is insured or not. It is better to ask upfront before rather than dealing with the consequences later. He should have a general insurance liability, workers compensation, auto liability insurance and an umbrella policy.
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