Hereunder we will cite the main advantages of asphalt shingles and then we will take a look at their disadvantages. In this way a spherical view of asphalt shingles could be obtained.
ADVANTAGES OF ASPHALT SHINGLES
1. Asphalt shingles are suitable for a wide temperature range: -50oC to +90oC.
2. They provide an economical – but not cheap – roof covering solution.
3. They resist temperature shocks. These shocks could be at a level of 30oC on daily basis.
4. The high percentage of overlaps provides reliable waterproofing.
5. Their minimal water absorptivity make them safe against frost attack.
6. They are lightweight: 10-11 Kg/m2 and thus dead loads on the roofs are reduced.
7. Application procedures are quite simple and prices are very logical. Productivities are quite high: 150m2/day/team of two experienced workers.
8. Aesthetics is considered to be high. There are a lot of options. The big number of colours, shapes etc. permits personalized solutions.
9. Asphalt shingles can cover every type of roof however complicated it might be. They can satisfy even extreme architectural choices.
10. Possible damages are easily repairable.
DISADVANTAGES OF ASPHALT SHINGLES
1. Shorter functional life: Their life is shorter than other traditional materials as cement and clay tiles, slates, metallic tiles etc. A functional life of 15-20 years for a good quality asphalt shingle seems to be logical.
We have seen guarantees for 30 years or more. These are marketing exaggerations at least for the european market. The most respected european firms issue a 10-years warranty that conforms to the european norms.
2. Asphaltic shingles usually attract big amounts of heat which are then radiated downwards. Big amounts of heat influence shingles in a negative way, reducing their life-span.
3. Substandard application techniques make asphalt shingles prone to wind uplift. Choice of nails – never staples – should be very strict and nailing procedures meticulous.
4. Asphalt shingles are prone to mechanical damage when walked on – particularly if temperatures are high.
5. Project soundness and aesthetics relies heavily on sustrate faultnessness.
6. Colour fading is not unusual, however the phenomenon is less pronounced with lighter granule colours.
7. Colour inconsistencies – shading – are usual phenomena, predominantly with dark shades.
Chris Strogilis
http://maconwaterproofing.blogspot.com
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2nd part
Read here 1st part: ASPHALT ROOFING SHINGLES: INSIDER TIPS (1)
Exposure to rain
It seems oxymoron to recommend protection of asphalt shingles from rain, doesn’t it?
It is surprising but asphalt shingles depend on the roof slope to bring off their mission with success!!
If asphalt shingles lay flat (zero slope), the water will permeate the asphaltic mass and cause problems exactly as with every porous material.
Exposure to freezing temperatures
Exposure of asphalt shingles to freezing conditions will induce cracking if installation is made under cold temperatures.
Of course shingles will be more prone to cracking if they need to be bent (ridges etc.).
Poor storage conditions: many pallets stacked atop one another
Some manufacturers recommend two pallets high shingle stacks. Others only one.
The thing is that many suppliers due to lack of storage room, store asphalt shingles in 3,4 or 5 pallets high shingle stacks.
This is totally unacceptable, especially when they don’t use plywood panels to separate the pallets.
The weight is excessive and considerable deformations/distortions may occur. These distortions will be dramatic if pallets are stocked outdoors.
When you buy this deformed shingles, it’s nearly impossible to achieve a nice, flat appearance on your roof. Deformations will be apparent if not conspicuous and the phenomenon will be rather irreversible.
It is also probable that some self sealing strips will not be activated due to lack of contact.
In case of high temperatures the shingles will stick to each other, becoming thus unsuitable for use.
TIP no 2
Check the age of shingles
As we have already remarked asphalt shingles age while stored.
Organized suppliers rotate the stock and they don’t keep shingles for more than one year. One year is – let’s say – a safety margin for the use of shingles. If they are stocked for a biggest time span their quality is compromised. This compromisation could be severe depending on the storage conditions.
Check the adhesive label or the imprint on the bundle wrapper and you will find the production date. Asphalt shingles should be preferably used within 12 months from the production date.
However, if the storage conditions are impeccable, this time span could reach 24 months, which is very important for all non moving items (special colors and shapes).
TIP no 3
Beware of color variations
Asphalt shingles from different lots have usually distinguishable color variations (shadings).
This is despite the improved blending procedures that many manufactures use for the blending of different nuance granules.
If you have a big project, make sure that you buy asphalt shingles from the same lot. Make this crystal clear to your supplier that you won’t tolerate shadings especially if your project is of great aesthetical importance and highly visible.
Another thing you have to do is to check if there is enough stock to cover your needs in case of unforeseen events.
A prudent action is to buy some bundles more and keep them for future interventions.
It is most probable that you won’t find supplementary material when you will need it and this may be for a thousand reasons.
End of 2nd and last part
Chris Strogilis
Civ. Eng. – MBA – DipM
http://maconwaterproofing.blogspot.com/
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There are many different things that you need to concern yourself with when you’re in business and one of those things is the overall appearance of your store. That’s why one of the things that you need to look at is asphalt repair.
Now that might sound a little strange but really it’s not. Just stop and think about it for a minute. Say you’re out driving around in San Diego looking for a business that sells something that you need. You see two places and the first one has a parking lot striping layout that’s messed and cracked because tree roots have grown through the asphalt and no one has bothered to fix them.
Asphalt Driveway Repair Is Good Business
Then the next business you pull into has all the lines clearly marked and the parking lot striping paint is still pristine. Of course that’s the place you’ll want to go to. The point here is simple.
In the competitive world of business, it’s not just enough to have great commodities inside your store you need to be able to lure the customer in with an attractive appearance from the outside as well.
And that means that you should consider having the right asphalt repair facilities on your side. Now you need to look for a provider here that has a few different things going for them including:
Experience. These people need to understand all the nuisances of the job that includes working with a parking lot striping layout that is ada compliant. You need to look for a firm that can show you they’ve been in the business for a long enough time that they understand theses requirements. Flexibility. You need to get together with a place that can cover all your needs in other areas beyond asphalt driveway repair. The place that you select needs to be aware of your scheduling as well. They need to be sensitive to the fact that you might not be able to close the parking lot off while they work.
Keeping the parking lot that borders your business in good shape is part of what makes for a good business. You need to watch for the company that will work with you and follow up with any asphalt repair that’s needed on a constant basis if necessary so that you parking lot can help increase sales for your firm.
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Your driveway or parking lot is a significant investment in your property. To beautify you establishment and protect your investment as long as possible, you want to protect your asphalt from the damaging effects of certain natural elements including moisture and ultraviolet oxidation. Natural and man-made elements can cause cracks half way into the asphalt, little as 5 years. Small cracks act as miniature storm drains after a good rain and cause raveling between the asphalt over time. Larger cracks and potholes can appear within the base as early as 8-10 years unless certain precautions are taken. Protecting asphalt with sealcoating basically has the same benefits as sun block has to protect your skin, or varnish on wood.
What causes asphalt to break down? Standard asphalt is very susceptible to natural and man made elements such as sun, wind, rain, snow, frost and ice. These elements cause oxidation to the pavement, drying out the asphalt. Man made elements such as fuel, oil, antifreeze, and salts break down the oils and cohesive properties in the asphalt.
As new asphalt age’s small open cracks are formed between the asphalt, from oxidation and rain. These small cracks permit water, salt, fuel, oil, and ultraviolet rays to penetrate into the base leading to greater damage, unless repaired properly. Water is said to be the most damaging agent to asphalt. This leads to larger cracks, eventually collapsing into the eroded voids, causing potholes. Alligator cracks and potholes should be cut with a saw, and replace before sealing asphalt.
What are the Benefits of Sealcoating? Sealcoating protects your investment, extending the life of your asphalt, saving you money in the long run. Asphalt sealer beautifies and enhances your driveway or parking lot, giving it a dark black color to the pavement making it look and wear like new. A dark black parking lot offers a positive image of how clean a company, or residential home is.
-Asphalt Sealer slows down oxidation and water penetration, blocking out natural elements such as, sun, wind, rain, snow, frost, and ice.
-Asphalt sealer resist harmful man made element spills such as fuel, antifreeze, oil, and salt. Find a sealer that is made from a coal tar emulsion that isn’t soluble in oil or gas.
-Asphalt sealer fills small voids in asphalt reducing exposure to oxygen and water and extending pavement life.
How often should you Sealcoat Asphalt? You should sealcoat your new asphalt as soon as it begins to turn grey or 90 days after installation. If you have already sealcoated your asphalt in the past, it is recommended to re-apply sealer every 3 to 4 years depending on the wear of the previous applications. If you sealcoat too much voids will be created in the sealer causing cracking later on. You need to let the old sealer wear off before applying new sealer. Talk to your local contractor before making any serious decisions.
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Now that you’ve gone through the process of getting a Striping San Diego company to look after your parking lot striping needs, it looks like you’ll need to expand the business and get an even bigger parking lot striping layout to suit the new enterprise.
When You’ve Got The Right San Diego Parking Lot Striping Company
When the machines come in to expand your building and you find after they’ve gone there some damage to your parking lot, you don’t need to worry if you’ve picked the right San Diego parking lot striping company. These people will have asphalt repair as part of the services they provide to their clients.
These experts know that even tree roots can grow up through existing asphalt and cause damage over time. They understand that one of the best ways to run a great Striping San Diego company is to give the clients superb follow-up which includes asphalt repair.
Sign Installation Is Important Too.
The best of these firms know that they have to follow through all the different aspects and that parking lot striping is only one component of the complete package. They know for example that sign installation is important as well. Especially when it comes to critical aspects of your parking lot like ADA compliance, it’s critical that you get the signs installed in the right locations and that they say exactly the right things.
You need to look at the reputation and experience of the place that you are considering as well. Remember that not all Striping San Diego companies will be the same in quality and customer care. By taking a good look at a company’s website, you can see the testimonials from satisfied customers that they have had in the past. That way, you’ll be able to get a good idea of the kind of workmanship and follow-through that you can expect from the Striping San Diego company that you finally settle on.
You need to look at the inventory of the kind of things they can do as well. A great company will be able to do a variety of different jobs like seal coating and asphalt repair, and everything they will do will be ADA compliant where necessary. While asphalt repair keeps a parking lot looking great, there are other components that make a Striping San Diego firm special.
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ASPHALT PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE METHODS AND APPLICATIONS
Properly maintaining an asphalt pavement surface is essential to the durability and the life of any asphalt pavement. Performing routine maintenance such as seal coating and ***** filling will extend the life of the pavement and decrease the need for pavement repairs. Once the asphalt pavement surface is showing signs of distress or deterioration, it is critical to perform maintenance or make repairs to minimize future costly repairs or replacement.
The most common asphalt maintenance procedures include asphalt patching, ***** sealing, seal coating and resurfacing with an asphalt overlay.
Asphalt patching is appropriate for potholes, depressions, “alligator” cracking, slippage cracks & rutting. Once the asphalt begins to ***** in a concentrated area it will become “alligatored” and eventually become a pothole. When longitudinal and transverse cracks in the asphalt pavement become more concentrated in a particular area, it is time to make repairs to minimize the impacts and salvage the pavement surface as much as possible. The correct and more permanent way to repair the concentrated cracking is with a full depth asphalt patch. Beyond the limits of the damaged asphalt, the existing asphalt should be completely removed to the base rock. The base rock should be properly compacted prior to asphalt replacement and the vertical sides of the patch should be coated with a liquid tack coat to assure proper adhesion with the new asphalt. The new asphalt should be placed within the patch in lifts no greater than 3” thickness at a time and properly compacted flush with the existing surrounding asphalt surface.
Crack sealing is critical to extending the life of an asphalt pavement surface. ***** sealing prevents water from infiltrating through the asphalt surface and into the base rock and sub grade. Once water is allowed through the asphalt surface it will weaken the underlying pavement structure and thus compromising the asphalt surface leading to further cracking and pavement failures. Prior to installing the ***** sealer, the existing cracks must be cleaned and dried to allow for proper adhesion between the sealer and the asphalt pavement.
Seal coating is also essential to extending the life of an asphalt pavement surface. Direct sun exposure and ultraviolet rays from the sun will create oxidation of the asphalt allowing essential liquid chemicals in the asphalt to escape and leave the pavement vulnerable to raveling and cracking. Seal coating is appropriate for weathered and worn surfaces, small and minor cracking in the asphalt, and segregated or raveling surfaces. By sealing the existing asphalt pavement through seal coating, the essential elements are locked into the existing pavement while keeping water and other elements from infiltrating the surface of the asphalt pavement surface thus extending its life.
Resurfacing with an asphalt overlay is a way to salvage and strengthen an existing asphalt pavement surface. If the pavement defects in the existing surface are not a result of base or sub grade failure, the existing pavement surface can be resurfaced with an asphalt overlay. This will repair and correct minor deficiencies in the existing asphalt pavement as well as prolonging the life of the pavement structure without major replacement costs.
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As oil prices hit a new high, increased costs are evident in every facet of our lives. Most people first notice the pinch to their pocketbooks as they’re filling up their gas tanks. For homeowners, the costs of general home maintenance and upkeep are certainly on the upswing as well. For those homeowners with asphalt shingle roofs considering a roof repair, more cost increases may be on the way.
The rising costs of roof repairs can be attributed to several issues. As with any business, transportation costs have greatly increased, meaning that transporting supplies and daily driving are taking a significantly larger chunk of roofing companies’ operating expenses. In Georgia for example, many Atlanta roofers have tried to hold off on passing that increased cost of doing business on to the consumer.
Oil – A Roofing Company’s Double Burden:
However, roofing companies actually have a double burden to bear. Not only have their transport costs risen, but the cost of one of their main supplies is quickly increasing. Most Atlanta roofing companies rely on asphalt shingles to complete their work. Asphalt shingles are made up of several layers, including an inner reinforcing mat, a hard asphalt and mineral coating, a mineral granule surface, and a mineral dust coating on the back. It takes two different kinds of asphalt to create a shingle: a soft asphalt in the mat, and a harder asphalt for the outer surfaces. Since asphalt is created from crude oil, the cost of asphalt shingles is directly tied to that of oil. As oil prices rise, so must the price of asphalt shingles.
Despite rising prices, asphalt shingles are still the most commonly used in roofing today. Even as they become more expensive, they’re still a great value and tend to cost less than other options like copper or slate. They wear well and are less expensive to replace as they age. Asphalt shingles are also available in a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes to fit any home.
The Impact to the Atlanta Roofing Industry:
However, now that their prices are continuing to increase, Local Atlanta roofers are put in a tough position. In order to stay in business, they must continue using asphalt shingles, despite the rising costs. Their increased cost combined with the increased costs of gasoline to power trucks and roofing equipment adds up to a much more expensive job than homeowners may have been looking at in the past. Atlanta roof repair companies have no choice but to pass a portion of the costs along on to their customers.
For some Atlanta roofers, this has meant fewer jobs at a time when their expenses are jumping. Roofing companies both large and small are shaking from the painful blow dealt to them by the rising prices of gasoline, via oil. Some companies have increased costs by the bare minimum amount, meaning that they barely turn a profit on most jobs. Smaller increases in pricing can be better understood by the customer. Since about 85% of homes are covered with asphalt shingles, for many, it won’t be a choice of whether or not they should have roof work done, but how urgent the situation is. Those with serious roof problems will need repairs or even reroofing, regardless of price. Those who are considering a new roof for aesthetics will most likely put the project off for another time, probably waiting until gas prices drop.
The trickle down costs of increased oil prices are a surprise to many homeowners. Despite the increased costs of roofing supplies and materials, for many Georgians a roof repair in metro Atlanta will not be an option, but a necessity.
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Asphalt is an construction company. It has too many useful tools that are very essential to construct any large projects like- bridge, over bridge, big buildings and many other large infrastructure. Today whole world is growing very rapidly. Today each and every country wants to have so many number and quality products of asphalt construction tools. Because it is being the symbol of developed country. Which country will have more and effective newly construction tools that country will rapidly can grow their infrastructure. It is going to become a scale to measure the quality of infrastructure of that country. So, it has been become the symbol of woo.
Asphalt is one of the most fundamental tools which are used in creating of the top class road and rail network like roads, bridge, over bridge, shopping molls and many other large projects which are constructed on larger basis. Asphalt Mixing Plant is made up of various parts such as 4 bin feeder, vibrating screen, slinger conveyor, dryer drum, multi cyclone exhaust, bitumen tanks, control cabin, LDO tanks, and load out conveyor. All such parts assemble together for making of such a vital equipment i.e. Asphalt Mixing Plant.
Today you can get different categories of Asphalt Mixing Plant in the market which are implemented with good quality parts offered by various branded manufacturers. Asphalt Drum Mix Plant, Asphalt Batch Mix Plant, Mobile Hot Mix Plant, and Mobile Concrete Plant are some of the categories of Asphalt Mixing Plant which are also used for construction of strong Infrastructure on larger basis.
Asphalt batch mix plant is another class of Asphalt mixing. It weighs the raw aggregates into a heater drum, where the batch is then heated up to temperature. The hot aggregate is discharged into a mixing drum where (dry) filler and binder are added. The blend is mixed and discharged either directly into the delivery vehicles or into a small weighing and collecting hopper. To increase throughput, the heater can be heating the next batch while the previous is being mixed. Capacity is usually of the order of tens of tones per hour. Best products are for developing roads.
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There are a number of things to consider when deciding which is the best material for your driveway. What is your climate like? How long do you want the driveway to last? What kind of maintenance will be required? And of course – how much will it cost up front, and in the long run?
Asphalt and concrete are the two most popular types of material for paving driveways. They both have advantages and disadvantages. Whether you chose asphalt or concrete, be aware that asphalt driveway repair and concrete driveway repair can both be handled with polyurethane repair products. Asphalt repair can be done quickly and easily using FloMix and concrete repair can be handled with FlexSet.
Asphalt
Asphalt-paved driveways are typically cheaper to install but need to be sealed on a regular basis. If the first seal is completed too soon, it will remain soft forever. Asphalt driveways typically last 25-30 years. If you live in a cold climate this may be the material of choice. If you live in a particularly hot area, asphalt can become soft in the hot sun and can become rutted or cracked.
Concrete
Concrete tends to last longer, sometimes 50 years, but is more expensive to install. It is susceptible to salt damage, a material frequently used to de-ice roads in cold weather parts of the country. If you live in a cold climate and are considering a concrete driveway you need to be certain the driveway base is heavily laid with gravel and is well-compacted, otherwise the driveway will run the risk of cracking from seeping water causing frost heaves. The slope of the driveway should also be considered when because over time, concrete driveways can shear off of the foundation they are poured on which can lead to cracks and crumbling.
Foundation
Both asphalt and concrete driveways require a solid foundation to be laid on. If not laid on a solid foundation, both will ***** over time, especially in cold weather. Asphalt and Concrete will both eventually break down and can both be repaired with polyurethane products.
Asphalt Driveway Repair
Polyurethane repairs can be done in most any weather. Provided the asphalt driveway can be dried before you begin, there is no need to worry about temperatures. FloMix can be ordered with a catalyst for use in cold weather. With FloMix, your asphalt repair will set up in under an hour regardless of humidity or cold.
You will need FloMix, a push broom, compressor or blower, a drill with an egg-beater style pail mixer and a trowel or lute. First ensure that the damaged area is clean and dry. Sweep or blow out cracks so there is no loose debris. Using Roklin’s FloMix asphalt repair material, carefully pour contents of bottle “a” into provided 5-gallon bucket then add special sand. Next, shake thoroughly and pour bottle “b” into sand mixture. Mix with pail mixer, using a drill. When mixture is completely wet, pour FloMix onto damaged asphalt repair area and use a trowel or lute to smooth material into cracks. When area becomes smooth, toss topping sand by hand over repaired area to create a uniform look and feel. Your driveway can be ready for vehicles in about an hour.
Concrete Driveway Repair
With FlexSet, your concrete repair will set up in under an hour regardless of humidity or cold. As long as the concrete driveway is dry before you begin, the temperature is not an issue. FlexSet can be ordered with a catalyst for use in cold weather. Just as you would with FloMix and asphalt repair, make sure the damaged area is clean and dry. Pour contents of bottle “a” into provided 5-gallon bucket then add special sand. Next, shake thoroughly and pour bottle “b” into sand mixture. Mix with a paddle-mixer, using a drill. When mixture is wet, pour FlexSet onto concrete repair and use a trowel or lute to smooth material into cracks and hand toss topping sand over repaired area for a smooth finish.
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People often think of dream homes as those neat, crisp-looking houses with brick walls and triangular roofs. Such is a classic picture of what people imagine homes should be like. And this effect can be achieved with a home roofed with asphalt roofing shingles.
Asphalt shingles have become quite so popular when it comes to roofing options for homes. Their versatility and economic value have proven to be so attractive that they now cover as much as 80 percent of the market. Asphalt shingles are quite inexpensive and easy to install. They come in a great array of quality and style and are compatible with a wide range of roof pitches. They can be installed with different roof features, from roof edges to chimneys and wall terminations to vent flashings. Most of all, they are highly attractive and can really give a house that homey effect.
There are basically two types of asphalt shingles available in the market: the organic-mat shingles and the fiberglass shingles. Both of these are of course made of asphalt, but the difference lies on the reinforcing mat – the fiberglass variety of uses fiberglass while the organic variety uses a wood-derived mat made of cellulose fiber.
The organic type of mat requires two coatings of asphalt – a soft asphalt for saturation and then harder asphalt for protection. Meanwhile, the fiberglass type only needs one hard asphalt coating. People choose fiberglass for its light weight, thinness, ease of transporting and high fire rating.
There are those who still prefer the organic type because they are more durable and they are more flexible especially during cold weather. As such, fiberglass shingles are more popular in the central and southern parts of the country while organic shingles predominate the market in the northern parts as well as in Canada.
Buying Considerations
One of the major considerations when buying asphalt shingles is its service life. Warranties for asphalt shingles usually come as longs as 20 to 45 years. However, it is important to choose a particular brand not only for its warranty period as they do not really reflect the actual lifespan of shingles. There have been reports of asphalt shingles failing far earlier than the expiry date of their warranties, and a lot of homeowners have complained that the payouts did not really cover the replacement or repair costs as they should.
But this does not mean that one should completely shun asphalt shingles as a roofing choice with the right mindset in buying, you can still get quality shingles that last long.
When buying asphalt shingles what you need to look at is how much a particular brand meets industry standards, instead of the warranties. For fiberglass shingles, you should make sure that the product meets the standard known as ASTM D-3462, which means that the shingles can withstand tests such as nail withdrawal and tear-strength. In the past decade only a few products have passed this standards and you need to make sure that the one you buy are up to this standard. Shingles are inspected by Underwriters Laboratory and those who pass come with the UL logo and a certification.
Organic mat shingles, on the other hand, should meet the standard called ASTM D-225. Organic shingles usually have greater nail-pull and tear strength resistance compared to asphalt shingles and thus their standards are also higher. A good lose rule of thumb is that heavier organic shingles are sturdier than lighter ones. This may not always be true for fiberglass shingles, though.
As expected, shingles that fulfill the industry standards are more expensive than shingles of low quality. But aside from the quality of the shingles themselves, there is also the factor of installation when the roofing cost is being considered. You may opt to use cheaper nails, but it may be rather wasteful to install good quality shingles using low-grade nails.
Different Looks
What people usually consider when they want asphalt shingles is their appearance. Shingles comes in different styles and colors that can really bring out the beauty of a home. With the right kind of asphalt shingle you can achieve different looks for your dream home.
Asphalt roofing shingles are the roofing materials of choice for many homes and even commercial buildings. With its superb form and function there is no wonder why this has become quite popular when building dream houses.
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