[site]

When do you stop for winter? Do you work until the frost is too thick?, or do you choose a date? We work until the frost stops us. We try really hard to finish whatever jobs we start.

[jwholden]

I keep going as long as the weather will let me. Last year that was right before thanksgiving.

I still have one good sized job to get done, a couple small projects, and some maintenance work. The second week of December is usually when my luck, or jobs, run out.

I look at work this time of the year as gravy. I know that most of the major expenses are paid and some of the checks will come in after the guys have retired for the winter. I also tend to raise my prices as the year progresses and my workload increases. I really need to do that from the beginning of the year.

[dan deutekom]

I go until the weather stops me. that usually is about the middle of December but one year I made Jan 5th. I don't know why I fight the weather because it just isn't any fun when the material starts freezing on the bed of the truck. I will end up taking 2 yards of sweep in sand instead of one because by the time I get to the job site 1/2 of it is frozen.

[Stonehenge]

We usually go into the second or third week of November - that's the time the ground freezes on us. And if it isn't, we go until the work runs out, which is usually around the same time.

[Nebraska]

I remember once using a jackhammer to break through 10" of frost to build a retaining wall for a builder in January... Never again!!!

[Dale Wiley]

My climate is more temperate that what most of you have..

We have enough work to take us through the end of December, but will probably lose a few days here and there for monsoon rains, snow and that stuff. Damn daylight up here in the north is fairly short from now until Feb.

We have a fair amount of work at upper elevations, so that may be a challenge. Budgets, cost recovery and hour projections all end Nov 30. Anything after that is ALL NET PROFIT

With any luck, we should not lose more than 2 to 3 weeks total between now and Feb 15, when we normally ramp it back up full time.

Oh.... 7 days in Kona Hawaii in January will be missed work... ..damn we deserve that this year...

[scl]

I usually make it to the first week of Dec. When the ground freezes to the point that all you do is slip araound or freeze pallets to the ground thats it. Have made it to the third week one year, have the work for it this year, but I doubt it will let me. I'm ready for some home time anyway!

[Rex Mann]

Year round here

I do not miss the east one bit!

Peace,

Rex

[Stonehenge]

Well, the stop date may be choosing us, rather than us choosing it. Here's a pic from today - we went out and picked up a weed burner and propane tank. after a short while it was clear that it'd be a few hours before everything would be thawed enough to work. And this was after I took the men to breakfast to help the sun do it's job...But nothing doing.

Anybody try anything that works well to thaw out a base prep?

I was thinking about laying geotextile over everything, thinking the black fabric would retain more heat. I had also heard about digging in some coffee cans filled with charcoal briquettes, and letting them smolder to warm up the area.

[dan deutekom]

Over the years I have tried just about everything to extend the season. Once the base freezes, it is over. I have even tried pouring gas on the base and lighting it. Didn't help one little bit For a week or two at the end I will work just on sunny afternoons because the base will freeze at night and thaw at about 11:00 o'clock and be good until about 4:00. I don't know why I try each year I guess you just can't beat mother nature

PS: I have used salted sand and gravel to extend the season. It does work and it didn't seem to cause any long term duribility problems so far.

[Stonehenge]

I was thinking about something with salt in it, but was concerned about it efflourescing. And I did the gasoline trick on the base today. The guys thought that was pretty wild. Short of pouring about 5 gallons over the whole thing, that was also ineffective. Ever try something like windshield washer fluid?

[Paul]

Invest in some concrete blankets, they are water proof and lined with foam. We use them to cover our base, gravel and sand. As long as they arn't frozen when you put them on they will stay thawed until temps stay below freezing.

[jwholden]

What about Pauls Concrete blankets and some form of electric heating cable, like you put on your gutters. Keep it just warm enough to keep the frost off?

Just a thought

[Dale Wiley]

I know a guy up in Canada that sets up a tent and then uses torpedo heaters to thaw it out, keep it thawed, and keep the help dry and wamer.

You get one of those tent set ups in Northern's catalog , set the stands in some pots with concrete, put the top up, use some 8 mil plastic for sides and go to it.

We get a lot of rain up here, and we have a 2000 square foot stone job to do, and we will cover it like this. We won't need the heaters unless it really chills out, because the coverings is like a greeenhouse.

I have 5000 square foot of backyard at rough grade covered in black plastic right now. We can keep it dry enough to work unless it pours all day while were there. We will add soils and irrigation next week get it ready to go, plant and mulch it all in 2 days.

[RyanVT2005]

I think most of you are doing it right. You definitely can't put a date on when to stop work. Doing that limits yourself. For an industry that struggles to keep busy in the winter months, everyone in the industry should strive to find ways to stay busy and bring in revenue at any month of the year.