Equipment Rentals That Boost Winter Productivity

Just because winter has set in here in the northeastern portion of the country doesn’t mean that construction work has to come to a complete standstill. Even if there’s snow on your worksite and the temperatures are cold, there are ways you can make your worksite more comfortable and safe for your employees. Renting the right equipment will give you the tools you need at an affordable rate without you having to figure out where to store them once winter is over.

RECO Equipment, with locations in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania, is your local construction equipment dealer. Read on to learn more about the benefits of renting certain kinds of winter equipment to make your construction work easier and more productive.

Understanding How Winter Impacts Work

Winter can make your job site a more challenging place to work in several ways. First off, there isn’t as much light available due to shorter days, so you won’t have good visibility when the sun sets early and rises late. Secondly, the cold temperatures can impact both your equipment and your workers, making attachments stiffer and workers less able to tolerate being outside for long periods of time. The cold can even impact your construction materials. Third, heavy winter precipitation can impact your worksite and make it harder for everyone to get around because of thick snow and slippery ice.

Why Rent Winter Equipment?

Not everyone has the storage space or funds available to keep winter-specific machines available all year round until the snow comes again. When you rent these types of machines, you’re saving yourself the worry of maintenance, upkeep, storage and even transport. In many cases, these pieces of equipment can be delivered right to your job site and picked up again later. You’ll save money and time by renting what you need for the duration of your work instead of purchasing it outright.

Heaters

Large heaters are designed to keep the environment warm. While your workers will undoubtedly appreciate a warm and cozy heater for themselves to prevent them from developing frostbite or hypothermia, the equipment and materials you use can also benefit from a heater. For example, concrete that is under 500 psi in strength should not be permitted to freeze, as this can reduce its strength by half. Aggregates and water used in construction also need to stay over 40°F to make them usable.

Choose a heater that will suit the space you’re working in while providing you with the high temperatures you need to keep workers, materials and machines warm. Your options include indirect-fired heaters, direct-fired heaters and hydronic systems that can warm up the ground before concrete is poured. You may need to rent more than one type of heater to suit different purposes.

Light Towers

As noted above, the days become shorter as winter sets in, with the sun beginning to set as early as mid-afternoon in some places. If your work begins early in the morning, this can also be challenging, since the sun may not rise until closer to 8 AM and it won’t be as bright, especially on overcast days. 

Renting multiple light towers will help you to reduce the risk of accidents occurring during construction by providing your workers with sufficient illumination. Everyone will be able to see what they’re doing and avoid obstacles while operating equipment. Light towers have the added bonus of extending the amount of time you can work on a winter day, since they can be very brilliant even after the sun goes down, providing you with plenty of light to work in the evening if you need to.

Generators

Of course, to power these heat and light sources on a job site, you’re going to need at least one generator. A generator offers convenient and portable power for your machines, heaters, light towers and even your mobile office space if you have one. Make sure to invest in a generator that adheres to OSHA regulations for safety and emissions standards. 

There are portable generators that can be carried or towable models that are much larger and able to power many items at once. Renting a generator or multiple generators lets you get the power you need at your job site without a huge investment in a piece of equipment you may not need later.

Snow Removal Equipment

Finally, that heavy precipitation we mentioned earlier can make work very challenging if it isn’t removed. If you come to work and find that several inches of snow have fallen overnight, blanketing your work space and your equipment, then you’ll need to use some attachments or machines to rid yourself of it. Snowblowers, attachable snowplows and snow blades are a few of your options.

Visit one of our many dealership locations to take a look at our vast selection of new and used construction equipment for sale. We also offer a great number of rental equipment options if you just need to use a machine for a short period of time. RECO Equipment proudly serves all our customers in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.