Buyer Beware

Commercial and residential  customers all have one thing in common, you are both spending your hard earned money to save on expensive future repairs. Unfortunately there are unethical contractors looking to take advantage of you. Here are some tell tale signs and tips to look for when in the market for asphalt/pavement maintenance.

1. "Left over" materials. - A reputable contractor is knowledgeable in his field and strategically calculates materials. There are rarely left overs
   
2. Method. - Spray, brush, or squeegee which is best? A contractor with a brush will say brush and a contractor with a squeegee will say squeegee. A knowledgeable sealcoater will identify the application by pavement type and have the means to apply all 3. Each have pros and cons but pavement condition will dictate what application to use not the equipment type.
3. Material type - There are 3 basic asphalt sealer types; coal tar emulsion, asphalt emulsion, and gilsonite (oil based) sealers. A-1 Asphalt Services prefers the use of coal tar due to the lifespan and durability compared to that of an asphalt emulsion. Coal tar is more resistant to automotive leaks and other deteriants harmful to the surface. We will use asphalt emulsion upon request but have found through a lot of trial and all error a west coast product does not hold up in an east coast climate. Due to failure to meet federal specs, outlawed in most states, and harmful characteristics of an oil base sealer, gilsonite will never be used. Never do business with anyone selling an oil based sealer. 
   
4. Working out of state. - It is not uncommon to travel for commercial work due to a larger lot sizes and we at A-1 Asphalt Services hold multiple state licences for that reason,  however you should be very leary of an out of state vehicle tag if you are a homeowner. Chances are if someone has an out of state license plate selling driveway sealcoating they have worn their welcome out in a neighbor state and are looking for new victims.
   
5. Know your measurements. -  Pricing is calculated by square footage/yardage and not by gallons. We include a GPS outline of your project highlighting your measurement that calculates your price. 
   
6. Equipment. -  A quality job requires quality materials and equipment. Asphalt sealant  requires consistant agitation to suspend sand and other additives that make the product durable. These tanks are round, made of steel, and do not look like the plastic squares picture below. Plastic tote tanks are extremely inadequate and have no way agitate product, yet they are very cheap and are highly used by unethical contarctors.
   
7. Insrance / License. - Always check for liability insurance, if not you could be responsible for accidents that could happen..... even on your own property.
   
8. References. -  Ask for them and contact them. 
   
9. Estimate Sheets. - Quality contractors use bid forms that itemize work and materials.
   

These are just a few on a list of many but important indicators to influence your decision when hiring an asphalt maintenance contractor. We here at A-1 Asphalt Service are happy to answer any of your questions so call or email us at anytime with the links below.

This tank is extremely ineffecient and is a tell tale indicator that the product being used is inadequate. The pump attached to these tanks have no ability to handle any type of sand load which gives the sealer its non-slip ability.

Projects NOT completed by A-1 Asphalt Services

A-1 Asphalt Services charges for material, time, and skills. We strive to keep our prices low however we can't always be the lowest bidder and provide a quality / satisfactory job. When selecting a bid always ask to see the contaractors portfolio to avoid a non-compliant or unsatisfactory project. The photos below are examples of what A-1 Asphalt Service does NOT provide. You can view photos of our projects on the gallery page.