Once upon a time, every excavator company lived in fear of their backhoe hitting a utility line and having to pay to replace it (as well as shutting down a whole community's power.)

However, with the introduction of air excavation and hydro excavation, tasks like sewer cleaning, catch basin cleaning and high pressure washing have become safer and easier than ever.

However, which method is better for your property? Let us break down whether you should invest in air or hydro excavation services.

Air and Hydrovac: Pros and Cons

With both air and hydro excavation, focused air or water is used to break down soil, which is then sucked up into vacuum trucks without damaging underground power lines or cables. The primary difference between air and hydro excavation is speed; hydrovac tends to be much faster than airvac for tasks like sewer cleaning and catch basin cleaning.

However, the advantages that airvac holds over hydrovac is that whereas the material a hydro excavator sucks up can't be reused and trucks have to bring in new soil to fill in, an air excavator can just fill up the hole with the same debris. Additionally, costs and time can be taken up significantly when vacuum trucks have to travel a long distance to dump their loads of hydro excavator muck.

How Climate Affects Air and Hydro Excavation

One large factor that should affect your choice between air and hydro excavation is where your property is located. While both perform well in warmer climes, hydrovac excels in colder temperatures where the water can thaw and soften hardened, chilled ground.

By the same token, air excavation is better in very wet areas where frequent rain results in mud that hydrovac can't adequately process. That being said, we recommend hydro excavation in the Greater Toronto Area for its year-round applications and more efficient usage.

When you need a hydro excavator and vacuum trucks for tasks like sewer cleaning, catch basin cleaning, and high pressure washing, come to A&G: The Road Cleaners for the best hydrovac services in Toronto! Contact us today.

You wouldn't let the summer go by without power washing your windows, so why would you skimp out on pressure washing your commercial business? There are many benefits of commercial power washing, not the least of which is increasing your commercial building's aesthetic appeal.

More than just beautifying the exterior, our power washing services can add longevity, reduce air pollution, and get rid of salt residue and grime accumulation. Here's how our commercial pressure washing business can make your property healthier and prettier.

Cleaning without Harmful Chemicals

Instead of messing around with hazardous chemicals whose runoff could damage the environment, most grime and debris can be blasted away with commercial pressure washing services. At A & G, we take the environment seriously and ensure our commercial pressure washing business has lowest environmental footprint possible through rigorous testing.

Clear Snow and Ice from Working Areas

Commercial pressure washing isn't just for spring cleaning. If your working areas get snowed in during the harsh Canadian winter, our pressure washing services can get your people back to work quickly and easily simply, through the power of power washing.

Save Money with Competitive Commercial Pressure Washing Prices

If your main objection to partaking in the benefits of pressure washing is the price point, the good news is you can get expert power washing services for less from A & G: The Road Cleaners. While other companies might overcharge for this essential service, our commercial pressure washing prices are customer-friendly.

When you need to keep your commercial building in tip-top shape, our power washing services are available at prime commercial pressure washing prices. A & G: The Road Cleaners are the GTA's leading provider of pressure washing services and will keep your property beautiful and healthy with minimal environmental impact. Call today!

Think street sweeping services are just about making roads look better?

Think again! A road sweeper does so much more than improving aesthetics and reducing road wear. From protecting the environment to enhancing public safety, here are some of the unexpected benefits of street sweeping in Toronto.

Reduce Pollution with Street Sweeping in Toronto

Passing vehicles leave behind a plethora of pollutants in their wake. Gasoline, oil dripping, metal particles and waste end up coating roads over time. This nasty layer of toxicity proves a danger not only to local wildlife, but also to humans if vehicles kick up dust filled with contaminants. Or worse, if it gets picked up by storm water and carried into lakes and rivers.

The American Environmental Protection Agency named street sweeping services as one of the key elements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, which is aimed at protecting waterways from contamination - and it's easy to see why!

Reduce Erosion

Water erodes even the hardest rock over time, and that process happens even quicker when debris blocks off storm drains and gutters. This leads to flooding that puts road wear on overdrive, meaning more frequent road work, and more headaches for road users. Regular street sweeping can add years to the life of pavement by limiting the effects of erosion.

Protecting Cyclists and Pedestrians

Road debris is one of the major dangers on the street for both motorists as well as pedestrians and cyclists. A rusty nail blowing out a tire or a large rock knocking a bicycle over are the sort of unexpected instances that lead to major accidents and even death for the road's most vulnerable users.

One of the most important benefits of street sweeping is removing these pieces of debris before they cause such accidents, thus keeping the roads safe for everyone who uses them.

More than just safety, street sweeping away debris also protects cars from dings and scratches caused by detritus.

Still curious about the surprising benefits of street sweeping?

Contact A&G The Road Cleaners today to learn more about what our fleet of PM10-compliant road sweepers can do for you. We've been street sweeping Toronto for 25 years for clients ranging from municipalities to private organizations.

Dump trucks are one of the most commonly seen construction vehicles on the road. Who didn't have a toy dump truck growing up? However, dump trucks might be going the way of the dodo bird thanks to the popularity of live bottom trailers in recent years.

Rather than "dumping" out a load of gravel or asphalt like traditional dump trucks, live bottom trailers pushes material out the back instead using a conveyor belt bed, which has several advantages over a tandem dump truck.

Live Bottom Trailers and Safety

By simple virtue of not having to lift its whole body into the air in order to unload, live bottom trailers have a much lower risk of rolling over than a tandem dump truck. That factor also means they can be unloaded anywhere, even on uneven terrain. Plus, the risk of an inexperienced driver knocking over power lines when they raise the bed is completely erased.

Live Bottom Trailers and Convenience

Because live bottom trailers don't unload their entire haul at once, but rather discharges it at a steady pace, you can empty out partial loads at different locations. This slower method also ensures an evener spread of materials, making precision tasks like laying down asphalt much easier.

The conveyor belt also means less detritus and residue stick to the bottom of live bottom trailers than a tandem dump truck, meaning that cleaning it out after a job is much faster. It's also easier on whoever drew the short straw at the end of the day.

Advantages of a Tandem Dump Truck

While live bottom trailers are superior to dump trucks in many ways, there are still many jobs you need a good ol' tandem dump truck for.

Tandem dump truck capacity is better suited for transporting dense materials like heavy rocks or tires, making them ideal for carrying demolition waste.

Despite tandem dump truck capacity, one major advantage live bottom trailers have over traditional dump trucks is lower insurance costs because of their enhanced safety capabilities.

A&G The Road Cleaners offers a wide variety of dump trucks and live bottom trailers for rent in the Greater Toronto Area. From a traditional tandem dump truck to live bottom trailers in three different sizes, we have the perfect material transportation vehicles for whatever tasks your job site requires. 

Contact us today to learn whether a tandem dump truck or one of our live bottom trailers is best suited to your needs.

Why Do I need a Water Truck Rental?

Pool season is here! And while you're itching to slip into your Speedo and float on an inflatable chair, you'll need to go through the annual, arduous task of filling up that swimming pool first.

But you've done the hose thing, and filling up the pool with your trusty bucket isn't as fast as you thought it'd be.

If that sounds like you, you and fellow pool owners should consider the easiest way of transporting and delivering tons of water a water truck rental. Water truck services are flexible, and a life saver for both commercial businesses and residential homeowners who may need gallons of gallons of water in a hurry.

Pool Fill-Up

Let's get this out of the way: No, you can't use the nearest fire hydrant to fill up your pool.

If you're looking for a full pool of fresh water, a water truck rental is your fastest and most efficient option. A hose can suffice throughout the summer to top off your pool, but a full fill-up at the beginning of the season ensures you're diving into a fresh start to the summer.

Depending on the size of your pool, it can take up to 4-5 truckloads of water to fill up a pool. Now imagine standing there with a hose in hand waiting for that amount of water to drip out it'll be time to close the pool for fall by the time you're finished.

A water truck rental is cheaper, too. Remember that using your hose means you'll need to pay sewer fees. And if you're living on well water, you'll be drowning in taxes after filling up a 100K+ liter pool. Water trucks have some costs towards delivery, but they're also getting water at a discounted price which are savings passed onto you.

Sod Watering, Irrigation, and Farming

Commercial businesses can leverage water trucks for obvious tasks related to cleaning and flushing street washing, dust control, water main flushing, construction clean-up and ones that aren't so apparent.

The agriculture industry can take advantage of a water truck rental for sod watering, irrigation, and farming.

Renting a water truck from A&G, for example, includes trucks equipped with powerful spray hoses perched on top. The powerful PTO-driven water pump emits bursts of H2O that's well suited for watering a field of crops. Irrigation is no longer irritating, as a water truck makes controlling the amount of water plants need at its intervals very simple.

And the Rest

As we lightly touched upon, water trucks can be used for a variety of applications, but perhaps none better than cleaning and flushing.

In terms of water hauling and dust control, a water truck rental is perfect for construction, mining, pipeline, and oil & gas sites. Tank sizes can reach 20,000 liters, so you'll never need to worry about running to the well no matter the scale of project. Most water trucks come with sprayer bars and controls, and a hose reel for more specific flushing tasks around the site.

Whether you're a construction site manager or a pool owner, don't underestimate the usefulness of a giant truck of water. A water truck rental can be a cheaper, easier alternative for any of your water delivery needs (besides drinking, visit the grocery store for that).

Contact A&G today if you'd like to learn more about our water truck services & rentals.