“Two Accused of Asphalt-paving Scam” This headline found in the Des Moines Register is all too familiar. Read how to prepare yourself for such an attempt at relieving you of some of your hard-earned money.

Imagine the thrill of the open road on your Asphalt Smooth Rider motorcycle! Visit www.smoothrider.org to purchase your tickets for a chance to win this one-of-a-kind custom chopper. Everyone who buys a ticket is a winner though, because the proceeds from the sale of the tickets will support the asphalt industry by helping purchase lab equipment for the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT). Raffle conducted by the National Asphalt Pavement Association Research & Education Foundation (NAPAREF), a 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Service Code. This activity is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Registration #CH25645.

Play Speed Paver™ - the Game
Help Speed Paver pave roads to the Asphalt Institute and learn some interesting facts about asphalt in this exclusive online game. To play, click here

From the Desk
of the E.V.P.
Environmental Sustainability has the attention of our nation, no wait, the world. Not that we haven’t made efforts in the past to minimize our impact to the environment through recycling of waste products (i.e.: cans, bottles, paper, etc.). Not a day goes by however that we don’t hear from specialists, scientists, and others through the radio, on the television, or on the internet it’s not enough!



Antigo Construction Receives International Recognition
APAI Member Antigo Construction, Inc. received the 2006 Global Road Achievement Award in the category of Construction Methodology for its work on the Kandahar-Heart (K-H) Highway in Afghanistan. 



Consecutive Diamond Achievement Commendations
Since our last asphalt Report the following companies have applied for and received their Diamond Achievement Commendations.

“Two accused of asphalt-paving scam” This headline found in the Des Moines Register is all too familiar. Headlines like this may be found not only in Des Moines but across the state and nation. Please read onward to see how to prepare yourself for such an attempt at relieving you of some of your hard-earned money.

The Itinerant Paver
Itinerant pavers are those who travel from place to place doing work. Commonly referred to as “gypsy” or “transient” pavers, they usually wander from one county or community to another offering driveway paving or sealing services. Often they will approach you when you are working in your garden, or mowing your lawn, or they may even come knocking on your door.

These persons, most likely, will tell you they have been working down the road on a blacktopping project, and that they have some asphalt left over, and, for a low price, would be more than happy to pave your driveway. These door-to-door salesmen will make it seem that you are doing them a favor for taking this material off of their hands, and that in return they will be doing you a favor by paving your driveway for much, much less than the producers who operate in your area. They may even associate themselves with a legitimate local asphalt contractor.

Should you agree to allow these persons to do the work, they will often try to get you to carry on with what you are doing, so that you do not stay around to watch what they are doing. What they are doing is not doing the proper site preparation, not making sure that the slope of the driveway is correct, or putting down asphalt that is not at the proper temperature to be placed correctly.

Upon completion of the work, because no papers were signed, the price of the project has gone up. Why? The asphalt needed a sealer upon completion, or aggregate was needed to be placed before they asphalt could be laid, or any other of a host of excuses.

Don’t let this happen to you!
The Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa and the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division of Iowa would like to offer you smart suggestions on how can you avoid this scenario.

1. Don’t be pressured into having the work done immediately. This is a signature tactic used by these scam artists! They are masters at this. They may even begin unloading the paving equipment and backing the truck into your driveway as you are being pressured to make the decision. SAY NO!
   
   
2. Ask for a business card. In many cases the itinerant paver will not have one. If there is not a business card available, ask the person to leave. If they produce a business card or some document with the name of a business on it, contact the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa to see if they are recognized by the organization. You can contact the Association at 515-233-0015.
   
   
3. Request references and check them before agreeing to have the work done. All reputable contractors who seek your business in good faith will provide references and phone numbers of satisfied customers.
   
   
4. Ask for a written estimate with clear details of all of the work to be done. This is most critical! After receiving the estimate, tell them you will get back with them. Contact your local paving contractor for an estimate, and compare the prices. Without a written contract, the original low estimate may grow to hundreds or even thousands of dollars once the work is completed. If you do receive a contract, ensure that there is a guarantee included. This will allow you to have flaws corrected at their cost, not yours.
   
   
5. Notify your local law enforcement agency of any suspicious activity, or to report any individual who will not leave your property when requested to do so.
   
   
6. Also as with any unknown salesperson, do not let them into your house. It is not unheard of for these front persons to work in pairs: one will be talking to you at the front door and another may be at the backdoor slipping in unheard and just “looking around.”

Beware of a contractor…

1. Who happens to be in the neighborhood with out-of-state license plates.
   
   
2. Who offers leftover materials at a low price.
   
   
3. Who doesn’t offer a written contract.

Remember the old adage: If it sounds too good to be true … it probably is!

If you are approached by any suspicious individuals, and you are able to get a company name, inform your local law enforcement agency or the Consumer Protection branch of your local State Attorney General’s office. In Iowa, you may call 515-281-5926 to reach this office, or you may go on line to www.iowaattorneygeneral.org to file a complaint

How to Hire a Paving Contractor:
Your home is one of the largest investments you will make in your adult life. It goes to figure that you will try to maintain it and make it look good to the best of your abilities. For a long time you are satisfied with a rock driveway, but when the time arises to finally pave it, what do you do?

Once you have decided to have an asphalt driveway installed what steps should you take?

1. Contact a local asphalt producer to see if they are available to do the work required. Sometimes the asphalt producer is unable to do the work because of schedule conflicts. If this is a case, ask if they can recommend a non-producing contractor in the area to do the work. The difference here is that an asphalt producer manufactures the hot mix asphalt (HMA), and owns /operates the equipment that can lay the driveway. While the non-producer contractor has the equipment and the crew to install a blacktop drive, and will purchase the asphalt from the local producer.
   If you are unsure about a contractor or a non-producing contractor, contact the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa (515-233-0015) to see if they are recognized by this organization.
   
   
2. Once you have contacted the HMA producer or non-producer contractor, request that they come out for an estimate. This is done free of charge. The contractor will evaluate your site as to soil type, condition, and intended purpose of the pavement and measure the area that you want paved. Depending on the existing sub-grade conditions, the contractor may recommend some type of stabilization to ensure an appropriate foundation for the new pavement to sit on. From this they will be able to give you an estimate in writing. When you have the estimate in hand you will be able to see how much material is really needed for your drive. In general, the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa recommends the thickness for an asphalt driveway to be no less than 4 inches. Much less than this amount, the pavement structure may have difficulty withstanding the loads put on it, and the conditions that might affect the pavement from underneath.
   
   
3. Once you have one contractor’s estimate, try to get another one. With the second estimate you will know more what to do and what to expect. Remember you are the customer. The contractor would like to do the project right.
   
   
4. If an estimate is within your budget, you may schedule to have your driveway paved by a professional team. It is asked that you not expect this work to be done the next day, as contractors often have large projects that have been planned months in advance. Your project will be done as soon as the contractor is able to do it. Sometimes though the contractor’s schedule is such that the project will take too long to get to. In that case, ask the contractor if he knows of another firm in the area that would be able to do the work.
   
   
5. Check with your local contractor for maintenance suggestions, once your new asphalt drive way has been installed.