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re2econoftnstsuntribonearie0l96 getting your driveway done research paves over problems homeowners having driveways repaired or installed this summer should be aware that a bit of re search can pave the way past many common problems before you sign a contract you should do some digging your self says roberta allan of the ontario ministry of consumer and commercial relations mccr drivewaypaving contracts are complicated making it easy for unethical companies to take advantage of customers she continued bad paving jobs area major source of consumer com plaints every year in an attempt to put disreput able firms out of business mem bers of the paving industry re cently helped the ministry de velop important guidelines for consumers hiring driveway con tractors all pa ved residential drive way s should be composed of two layers a crushedstone base over- layed with an asphalt finish according to industry repre sentatives the base must be a minimum of six inches deep while the asphalt layer should usually be two inches thick once compacted when setting up a contract be sure these depths are clearly listed where applicable its im portant to note that the material depths should be set out in inches after compaction unethical contractors often cheat consum ers by listing depths before com paction the amount of work required will vary with the condition of th driveway itself resurfacing involves the in stallation of new asphalt over the existing driveway and should only be done if the old surface doesnt show any visible defects of course contracts for resurfacing will notlist depths for a new stone base- driveways that have cracked or heaved may need to be re- graded this involves the remov al of the existing asphalt regrad- ing of the underlying stone and re surfacing once the old asphalt has been stripped off the contrac tor should ensure the base stone is six inches deep contracts for regrading should include a clause requiring the paver to provide additional base stone if necessary to give a final depth of six inches once com pacted excavation goes a few steps beyond regrading involving the removal of all existing materials to expose the earth subfloor excavation is indicated if your driveway is too high drainage problems are severe the existing base shows signs of caving in or the materials used originally were of poor quality always get at least three quotes on the job and dont base your fin al choice of a company on price alone be particularly wary of firms quoting prices that are much lower than their competi tors estimates some of these peoplegi vev quotes that dont even cover their costs allan says inevitably they do shoddy work shortchange on materials or disappear without finishing the job sometimes they just take off with the customers deposits without even starting the work all paving companies signing contracts in consumers homes must be registered with the minis try before hiring a firm ask for its registration number and con firm it by calling the nearest con sumer services bureau of mccr once a paver has been picked set up the contract in addition to material depth it should list the type of work required the drive way dimensions definite start and completion dates the quality of materials to be used and prices the companys name and address should be identified along with your own information about any warranties should also be in cluded most good driveway contrac tors offer a one year warranty to help consumers deal more effectively with driveway pavers the ministry has produced a com prehensive fact sheet in co operation with members of the in dustry to obtain a copy contact the nearest consumer services bureau or the consumer informa tion centre at 555 yonge st toronto m7a 2h6 9631111 h a across the miles with care tippetrichardson we are one of north americas foremost moving companies with full service offices in virtually every centre plus regularlyscheduled services to most major points in canada and the usa tippetrichardsons reputation has been built on almost 60 years of exper ience in providing the finest care for your valued possessions our commit ment to service extends to every stage of your move well even visit you after the move to make sure that you have received the quality treatment you deserve and were flexible together well design a moving program that fits your needs and budget whether your next move is local across the continent or overseas go with tippetrichardson call us today at 2911158 tippetrichardson limited member of allied van lines rviv 111 i ii i iii