Hiring A Sweeper

The process of hiring a street sweeper contractor for your pavement isn’t much different in some ways than hiring any other contractor. Like with other contractors, it is of the utmost importance to find a company that is reputable and knowledgeable. Ideally, you want a company that has the experience to both understand the scope of your project, and the ability to handle the tasks required with professionalism and efficiency. While you consider who to hire to power sweep your paved surfaces, consider these four factors:

Knowledge & Experience

Knowledge and experience with asphalt and other paving surfaces. Pavement is pavement, right? Unfortunately, no. There are lots of different types and grades of asphalt pavement alone. An experienced pavement sweeping company will have a thorough knowledge of various types of pavement and understand exactly what type of equipment will be needed for each unique job.

Porous surfaces are becoming more and more popular, as they are considered an effective way to mitigate stormwater runoff. There are a couple of different types of porous, load-bearing surfaces that of course, require cleaning. The most common surfaces that would benefit from regular street sweeping services include: concrete surfaces, rubber surfaces made with bits of rubber from tires, and asphalt surfaces.

An experienced sweeper will understand the unique needs for each surface type and will work with you to develop the best cleaning plan for your surface.

The Right Equipment

Does your selected contractor have the right equipment for the job? There are multiple types of sweepers with varying sizes and designs. It is of vital importance to have the right sweeper for each unique job.

For example, when cleaning porous pavement, a pure vacuum sweeper is often the preferred choice since it offers the ability to create the high vacuum level of water needed to thoroughly clean and restore the filtration systems.

A mechanical broom sweeper is ideal for asphalt and concrete surfaces, like driveways, parking lots and roadways. This sweeper has improved maneuverability and is often equipped with a third front broom that allows it to get into tight spaces and corners.

Regenerative air sweepers clean surfaces using air instead of brushes. Essentially, they utilize a hydraulic system that pressures dirt and particles up off the street, driving the debris to the center where it then gets vacuumed. Additionally, water is sprayed by the vehicle onto the surface to trap dust and particulates for ease of cleanup. Sweepers are complex machines with a plethora of different features making it important to have the right equipment to meet the demands of your particular pavement sweeping project.

Asks The Right Questions And Delivers Good Service

A reputable street sweeper will know the right questions to ask you, and they will understand how to create a cleaning plan to meet your unique needs. You should expect them to ask lots of questions including:

How often are the streets and/or surfaces are currently cleaned? How often would you like to have them professionally swept? What type of debris is present? What quantity of debris? What is the type of job? Can you describe the specific conditions? e.g., streets and highways, construction, parking lots, warehouses, or communities.

In addition, you’ll want to do your research and a find a company with a solid track record of providing great customer service. How well is the company rated and what do their customers have to say? What sort of safety and maintenance standards do they have in place? Routine maintenance of sweepers is of vital importance, as it directly affects uptime and how well the machines perform sweeping tasks.

Flexibility With Unexpected Setbacks

As with many industries, a reputable street sweeping company draws from knowledge and experience when approaching problems or challenges. The ability to be proactive and prepared for any unexpected events is a great asset. Some pavement issues may become evident while a sweeper is on a job. A knowledgeable sweeper can then inform the client of the situation, and will even make recommendations regarding ways to address a situation before it becomes a larger problem.

If you’re in need of street sweeping services, we hope this article helped you understand some of the issues you might encounter and how to ensure the company you hire will be capable and proactive about handling any issues that arise. For more information, contact us!