Make Paver Cleaning Quick

We’ve talked about the importance of cleaning the endgate to get the best performance from the paving operation. You want the ski—or foot—to float perfectly on top of the joint you match, and that requires a clean endgate with springs functioning properly. One way to make sure these parts are clean is with a high-power blower. Doesn’t that sound simple? Yet so many crews neglect to have a blower on the job.

The workers in the background of these two pictures are on their knees to work at cleaning. One uses the leaf blower to reach crevices. The other has to use a putty knife to scrape the tunnels.

The workers in the background of these two pictures are on their knees to work at cleaning. One uses the leaf blower to reach crevices. The other has to use a putty knife to scrape the tunnels.

In the images here, we see this crew using a backpack Stihl leaf blower to dislodge final bits of debris, dirt, leaves, sand, and other crap from the screed, tunnels, and the endgate springs. Take a closer look at each picture and consider how your equipment could benefit from a thorough cleaning, not just so the traveling public sees your best-looking crew on the job, but also so you have the best-performing equipment for your projects.

You can see that the screed is so pristine even the nuts are clean enough you could get a ratchet on them for loosening the bolts. This clean machine makes the crew look professional to the passing public, gives the crew a fighting chance at a top quality mat, and shortens the time for routine maintenance or screed changes.

John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. He provides personal, on-site paving consulting services around the United States and into Canada. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.