Parking Lot Sweeping Services

Sweeping services are an important part of a facilities maintenance plan in that they remove debris from your parking lot. Hiring a sweeping service can eliminate the need to hire additional staff and ensure your parking lot is kept clean and in good repair. Doing so not only extends the life of your asphalt pavement. It also provides long-term benefits to your facilities maintenance program – for instance, a sweeping service can alert you to asphalt cracks, pothole repairs that are needed, and other maintenance issues before they become a huge problem.  

Why Sweep Your Parking Lot?
There are many reasons to sweep a commercial parking lot:  

Appearance - The appearance of your facility has a direct impact on the behavior of the visitors to your business. Not only does parking lot sweeping help maintain a clean image and attract new customers, it also encourages visitors not to be untidy themselves.
  
Safety - Debris like broken glass, paper, leaves and other lawn waste accumulate in a parking lot over just a few days. Not only does this type of debris create an unsightly appearance, but it can also pose a safety hazard to pedestrians and their vehicles.  

Environmental Concerns - State-of-the-art parking lot sweeping machines help remove unsightly trash, and clean up sand, dirt, rocks and other items. If left untouched, this manmade and natural trash causes a series of problems for not only a commercial property, but also the environment. In a facility parking area, when it rains -- and in Florida, it rains a lot, as the rain water runs-off it will pick up these items causing drains to clog. This can allow water to sit on your asphalt, cause erosion issues and, additionally, these items, along with oil and grease can cause pollution of our streams and lakes.  
What Areas Should Be Swept?
Any surface where dirt and debris collect in your facility’s parking lot can be swept. These areas include, but are not limited to:
• Parking Lots
• Sidewalks
• Entrances
• Loading Docks
• Dumpster Enclosures

Tip: A commercial sweeping company should spend more than half of their time out of the sweeping machine to hand pick trash or hand sweep any hard to reach areas. This added measure will assure that your parking lot is in top notch shape.

In conclusion, remember that regular parking lot sweeping is an important part of your parking lot maintenance program. It:
• Maximizes Curb Appeal
• Extends Life of Asphalt Pavement and
• Minimizes Runoff Pollutants.
You will definitely see that taking the time to schedule a little parking lot maintenance, like sweeping services, goes a long way!  

About American Facility Services

Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. AFS General Contracting, a division of AFS, is a State Certified General Contractor. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS offers a wide range of including: general contracting, tenant improvements, build-outs, renovations, new construction, facility maintenance services and more. AFS provides a complete range of services, so our clients have the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Commercial Painting

Commercial painting is an important part of any facilities maintenance plan. It helps keep a building looking fresh and inviting while protecting the structure from damage, with minimal expense. A commercial painter can offer the following services:

• All Phases of Prep Work
• Interior Painting – including walls, window casings, base moldings, ceilings, doors and door trim, cabinets, wainscoting, chair rails, and even floors.
• Exterior Painting – using commercial grade paint.
• Preserving
• Sealing
• Caulking
• Clean Up Work  

Benefits of Hiring a Commercial Painter
Although most facilities personnel could probably paint a room or two in a pinch, for a professional and lasting finish, it’s best to leave the painting up to the professionals. Here are some benefits to hiring a commercial painter:

• A professional painter knows how to prep the surface before painting.
• Commercial painters know what paints to use for what surfaces – and what brushes!
• Hiring a commercial painter saves you and your staff time and energy.
• They use low odor (low VOC) paints to allow normal business operations to continue without interruption.
 • Practice does make perfect! Commercial painters have many, many hours of painting experience under their belts. Their lines are straight, they can evenly apply coats and their work is lasting.  

How to Hire a Painting Contractor
• Ask for referrals. Talk to other facilities managers about whom they use for their commercial painting needs.
 • Do your research! If you’re hiring someone off the internet, once you narrow your selection, ask your contractor for referrals. A qualified painting contractor will have many to share!
• The cheapest bid isn’t always the best price. Keep this in mind -- what seems like the best bid ends up costing more in both time and money, not to mention stress and frustration.
 • Are they state licensed? In the state of Florida, it’s best to make sure your commercial painter is more than a handyman. You want a state licensed contractor. If your handyman does any damage to your facility, you won’t have any recourse.  

How You Can Help Your Painting Contractor
Although some commercial painting contractors will do all the prep work, there are some things you can do to make their job easier, less time consuming, and less expensive. For example:
• Take everything out. Clear away furniture, throw rugs, lamps, and any other knickknacks that can be easily moved – or accidentally damaged. Bigger pieces of furniture can usually be left in a room, moved to the center and covered.
• Dust baseboards, door jambs, sweep floors and remove any bulk debris.
• Remove doors, light fixtures, and outlet covers.  

About American Facility Services

Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. AFS General Contracting, a division of AFS, is a State Certified General Contractor. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS offers a wide range of including: general contracting, tenant improvements, build-outs, renovations, new construction, facility maintenance services and more. AFS provides a complete range of services, so our clients have the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://www.afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Thermoplastic Line Marking

Thermoplastic line markings are one of the most common types of applications used to mark travel lanes in parking lots and roadways.

 Line striping and pavement markings applied using thermoplastic create a wear and crack-resistant road signage. Even with asphalt pavement that experiences high traffic volumes, thermoplastic line markings are very durable. Additionally, the highly reflective quality of thermoplastic line markings makes for an excellent choice for road marking especially for nighttime visibility.  

What is Thermoplastic?
Thermoplastic is a road surface coating that consists of binders such as waxes, resins, anti-settling agents and plasticizers. The mixture also includes glass beads, pigments and filler material such as calcined flint, calcium carbonate, or silica.

Thermoplastic markings are applied using a specially designed vehicle at temperatures ranging from 180 to 200 degrees. Immediately following the application of the thermoplastic to the roads surface, additional glass beads are embedded into the hot material before the plastic hardens. These beads, aided by the pigment, provide the thermoplastic with its reflective qualities. As the marking wears during regular traffic use, beads are lost; however, the beads mixed within the binder are then uncovered providing long-term reflectivity.  

Discover the Benefits of Thermoplastic Line Marking
Thermoplastic line markings have many benefits:

Safety Considerations – Traffic and pedestrian safety is at the top of the list of factors to use thermoplastic line markings. Adding a level of safety, especially at night and in wet conditions, the glass beads offer reflectivity for night time visibility as well as skid and slip resistance for pedestrian safety.

 Image Quality – There are few, if any, problems with chip marks, cracking or impact shattering of the image or line.  

Durable – The thermoplastic mixture is applied a temperature of about 180 to 200 degrees. When applied, the formula physically melts in the top layers of the asphalt’s surface forming a strong and long lasting thermal bond. Additionally, grease and oil do not have any effect on the line markings.  

Reflective – Thermoplastic line marking offers a highly reflective performance. When glass beads are combined with yellow or white pigment, the most common colors for thermoplastic line markings, the line markings are highly reflective.  

Environmentally Friendly – Thermoplastic has been used since the late 1950s. The mixture lacks VOC (volatile organic compound) solvents and has been deemed safe for the environment.  

Quick Application – Thermoplastic can be quickly and accurately applied to a variety of surface choices.

Whether you’re looking to mark parking lot spaces, designate special purposes spaces for disabled parking spots, loading and unloading zones, or time-restricted parking areas, thermoplastic line markings are an ideal choice.  

About ABC Paving and Sealcoating With more than 20 years of experience, ABC Paving and Sealcoating is Florida's leading paving contractor. ABC Paving and Sealcoating provides commercial organizations with the highest level of customer service, professional workmanship and services including: asphalt paving, asphalt repairs and prevention, pothole repairs, sealcoating, line striping and marking, thermoplastic, crack filing, signs and safety devices, concrete sidewalks, concrete curbs and site preparation. We use our experience and the latest equipment available to get the job done right the first time in a timely, cost effective manner. For more information about ABC Paving and Sealcoating, visit our website at http://pavingandsealcoating.com or call 866-934-7623 for a free estimate.

Why You Need an Asphalt Sealer on Your Parking Lot

Asphalt sealer makes a huge difference in the visual appeal of a parking lot and the entrance to any business. Driving into a parking lot that has had a fresh coat of asphalt sealer recently applied gives the appearance of a clean, well-kept establishment. But, that’s not all sealcoating does! Asphalt sealcoating protects a parking lot surface from the elements and from erosion.

Asphalt pavement is a pliable surface which makes it more forgiving than concrete. Taking years to fully cure, during the first couple of years, especially on hot sunny days, minor scarring can occur from tractor tires and other heavy vehicles making sharp turns. While these dents don’t necessarily hurt the structural integrity of the pavements surface, what you should look out for are cracks. Asphalt cracks can indicate a serious issue.  

Asphalt Cracks and Water
If you begin seeing asphalt cracks in your parking lots surface, they deserve a closer look. Water that seeps into asphalt though cracks causes damage. As water runs over a parking lot its constant wear and tear breaks down the asphalt, eroding away the smaller pieces. This erosion leads to a bigger problem, foundation erosion. Left untreated, a small crack penetrated by water will turn into a pothole and into a large repair bills.  

First Layer of Defense
High-quality, commercial grade asphalt sealer should be applied to a new asphalt parking lot after the surface cures, which will take approximately 90 days. After the initial sealcoating, a good rule of thumb to reapply another coat of asphalt sealer is two years. This time frame can vary slightly depending on a few factors such as climate, amount of wear and tear from traffic and other environmental issues. In general, when the surface of the asphalt begins to fade, it’s time to sealcoat.

Sealcoating does exactly what it sounds like it should do. It seals the surface of the parking lot. Once sealed, water will roll off your pavement instead of soaking in to the substructure.  

Asphalt Parking Lots Deserve the Best Care
In Florida, with the hot sun, asphalt sealer will dry quickly. In some regions, quick drying additives can be used to speed drying times. However, in most cases, traffic can return to its usual drive patterns within twelve hours.

Installing an asphalt surface can be quite an investment for a commercial property. Protecting such an investment with asphalt sealer just makes good financial sense.  

About ABC Paving and Sealcoating With more than 20 years of experience, ABC Paving and Sealcoating is Florida's leading paving contractor. ABC Paving and Sealcoating provides commercial organizations with the highest level of customer service, professional workmanship and services including: asphalt paving, asphalt repairs and prevention, pothole repairs, sealcoating, line striping and marking, thermoplastic, crack filing, signs and safety devices, concrete sidewalks, concrete curbs and site preparation. We use our experience and the latest equipment available to get the job done right the first time in a timely, cost effective manner. For more information about ABC Paving and Sealcoating, visit our website at http://pavingandsealcoating.com or call 866-934-7623 for a free estimate.

Tribute Video Clip ‘A Stream of Memories’ Added to Frazer Consultants Tribute Center

Nature lovers will appreciate this peaceful, water lily-filled video scenery created for use with Frazer Consultants Tribute Center video creation software.  

Waunakee, WI., August 5, 2013 – Another powerful and personal tribute video clip has been released by Frazer Consultants, a personalization, technology, and consulting company for the funeral industry. The latest release, ‘A Stream of Memories’ can be used to personalize the intro and ending for tribute videos created with Tribute Center.

As a stream gently babbles in the background, the new video, “A Stream of Memories’, fills the screen with serene images of water lilies and personal family photos floating by peacefully in the water.

“’A Stream of Memories’ is an ideal selection for the life celebration of a loved one that grew up on a lake or near stream,” said Matt Frazer, Consultant with Frazer Consultants. “This video will captivate family and friends and makes for a perfect intro and ending for a nature lover’s tribute video.”

Tribute Center puts the power of tribute video creation into the hands of the funeral professional. With no need to outsource, the easy-to-use funeral software is menu driven featuring a point and click system. The user can upload and manipulate photos, add videos, add music, edit text, and burn the tribute to DVD in just minutes.

 The tribute video clips created by Frazer Consultants have been crafted to wholly personalize video tributes. Adding a more personal touch to the introduction and ending of a tribute video, hundreds of clips like ‘A Stream of Memories’ are available in Frazer Consultants online library.

“For a family wishing to create a personalized keepsake, a DVD tribute video is an ideal selection. Not only will the tribute video become a family treasure, it’s something that can be used at a memorial service, it makes good use of family photos and videos. Instead of outdated display boards or photo albums, a tribute video can make family photos come to life. They also can be viewed again and again by future generations,” stated Frazer.

Thousands of other funeral homes are using Tribute Center for tribute videos, funeral stationery, funeral candles, memorial keepsakes, and funeral webcasting. “If your funeral home isn’t already using our software, just give us a call. We’d be happy to demo it for you,” added Frazer.  

About Frazer Consultants

Frazer Consultants primary products and services include interactive funeral home website design, funeral tribute video software, funeral webcasting, funeral candles, funeral keepsakes, funeral register books, personalized funeral stationery, temporary grave markers and funeral holiday remembrance ornaments. For more information, please visit http://www.frazerconsultants.com or call 866-372-9372.

Frazer Consultants Releases ‘Treasure of Memories’ Tribute Video Clip

Elegant new tribute video clip has been expertly created for use with Frazer Consultants Tribute Center video creation software. 

Waunakee, WI., August 1, 2013 – Frazer Consultants a personalization, technology, and consulting company for the funeral industry, recently released a new tribute video clip entitled ‘Treasure of Memories’ for use with the company’s Tribute Center video creation software.

“Each of the tribute video clips the staff at Frazer Consultants creates is meant to enhance and further personalize the tributes that funeral professionals create for the families they serve,” said Matt Frazer, Consultant with Frazer Consultants.

The new video clip, ‘Treasure of Memories’ features a hope chest or memory box filled with family photos and mementos. In the short video, the treasure box opens to unveil the contents as the words ‘Memories are Forever’ scrolls across the screen. This tribute video clip has been expertly created and designed to enhance the overall personalization experience for a family who wishes to honor their loved one with a tribute video.

A completely personalized DVD tribute video can be created for client families utilizing Tribute Centers’ video creation software and the custom clips like the new ‘Treasure of Memories’. The Tribute Center’s robust video creation application features simple click technology. This easy three step process produces a world class video - simply import photos and videos, edit and burn to a DVD.

Using this funeral technology, a funeral professional can interweave one of hundreds of professionally created video clips with family photos and music to personalize a tribute video. “Our library has a wide variety of clips that were created so that you can be assured the tribute video will be a highly personalized memorial keepsake that is both comforting and professional,” said Frazer.

“As we continue to expand our tribute video library, we continue to add more and more truly captivating videos from which client families may choose featuring personalization options matching almost any interest, hobby, occupation or religious background.”

Frazer Consultants’ Tribute Center funeral software is currently being used by thousands of funeral homes for funeral personalization. With this software, death care professionals can not only produce world class tribute videos, but also create custom funeral stationery, keepsakes, and funeral candles and even provide funeral webcasting.

Funeral professionals who are already using the Tribute Center software can download this new video clip from the online Tribute Center library. Those interested in adding tribute videos to the services available to offer client families may contact Frazer Consultants for more information.

About Frazer Consultants 
Frazer Consultants primary products and services include interactive funeral home website design, funeral tribute video software, funeral webcasting, funeral candles, funeral keepsakes, funeral register books, personalized funeral stationery, temporary grave markers and funeral holiday remembrance ornaments. For more information, please visit http://www.frazerconsultants.comhttp://www.frazerconsultants.com or call 866-372-9372.