Lakewood Falls

The Challenge

Rose Paving Company helped Lakewood Falls, the first large-scale single-family home community in Plainfield, IL, protect over 2,300,000 square feet of pavement (or 25 miles of streets) with a double coating of Jennite® asphalt emulsion pavement sealer.

For Lakewood Falls, however, this outcome did not come without some rough patches along the way. Initially, the community’s Board of Directors selected a different contractor; but, it quickly became evident that the workmanship did not meet the Association’s expectations. After just one application, the seal coat started to peel away from the pavement. Work was immediately halted and a new search began for another contractor.

With over 2,400 homes in the community, Lakewood Falls needed a reputable and flexible paving contractor that could schedule and complete work in stages so that the lives of the residents could continue uninterrupted. In addition to doing the job right the first time, the community’s management company and Board of Directors, in an effort to ensure top-notch communication, also expected the contractor to post notices and alert residents prior to beginning work.

Rose Paving was selected because of our true expertise in pavement management as well as for our dedicated team of project managers that are adept at scheduling work, controlling traffic, and providing consistent and timely communication from start to finish.

The Solution

The initial bid was submitted in November and the contract was accepted one month later. Due to the harsh winter conditions in Chicago, work was scheduled for the following spring. In the meantime, Rose Paving met extensively with local police, fire, ambulance, school district, school bus companies, garbage contractors, park district, and, of course, the Lakewood Falls Homeowners Association to develop a work schedule that adhered to county standards, safety regulations, and other restrictions. Residents were notified weeks in advance and notices were posted days before work commenced in June.

Throughout the project, email updates were provided by the Rose Paving project manager twice daily. Vanguard Community Management recorded the updates to a resident phone hot-line and the Board’s Webmaster posted the same information on the community’s Web site. Online, residents could even click on a Google map of the property to see real-time updates of where and when work would occur as well as areas where work had already been completed.

Jennite® sealer was selected because it is extremely durable due to its polymer fortified resin and fiber reinforced, high solids formula. In addition, since Rose Paving is an authorized applicator, the manufacturer offers a two-year warranty on the Jennite® material. Furthermore, this product offers superior protection against the drying action of the sun and reduces raveling, cracking, and deterioration. No harsh chemicals make up its composition and there are no odors associated with the sealant—this was an especially important consideration since over half of the community consists of young children that play outdoors on a regular basis.

The sealant was applied using an International Harvester Crew-Cab truck equipped with a SealMaster® 2,000-gallon, custom-fabricated spray unit.

Rose Paving also performed concrete maintenance on curbs throughout the community and repaired grates covering storm sewer outlets.

The Result

Even with weather delays and minor change-orders, the project remained on schedule. It was completed within specifications, on-time, and within budget in mid-July. Residents of Lakewood Falls as well as Vanguard Community Management are in agreement—the freshly applied sealant has improved the overall aesthetics of the community. Furthermore, the protected roadways provide a reliable surface for residents, visitors, and staff to travel on, which is the most important benefit of all.