Carpeting & Flooring

By following a three-application carpet care process -- preventive maintenance, interim cleaning and restorative cleaning - you'll see and enjoy these benefits. Great looking carpets all the time. Extended carpet life. A clean, healthy environment.   Who Cleans Their Own Carpets?You can clean like a pro.

Rental solutions take the "hard" out of hardwood floor restoration Hardwood floors are beautiful, charming, easy to care for, and increase the value of a home or property. When you need to refinish or rejuvenate a hardwood floor, your A.R.A.-affiliated rental store has the equipment and the know-how to help you get the job done right.

Cleaning

With rentals, you can get a lot of work done in a short amount of time.When it comes to cleaning up a job site after new construction or demolition is complete, there are myriad tools and implements that can make a seemingly impossible task almost easy. Pressure WashersPressure washers have a dual role in the clean-up process.

Concrete

Why buy when you can rent on an as-needed basisThere's no need to purchase specialized equipment and store it for long periods between use. Rent the right equipment for special concrete jobs from your A.R.A.-affiliated rental house. One visit with your rental professional will give you insight about how rental equipment can increase your job opportunities. Site PreparationYou already may be renting the basic skid-steer loader with a bucket as an all-around workhorse on concrete jobs.

Trailered ready-mix is a fast, clean and efficient way to produce and deliver ready-mix concrete New rental rotating-drum mix trailers are revolutionizing the trailered ready-mix concrete industry with improved quality concrete, greater efficiency and extended travel distances.

Power trowels are becoming more user friendly than ever for homeowners and contractors who don't do floor finishing as a full-time trade. With a short course of instruction from your A.R.A.-affiliated tool rental professional, you can learn to level concrete.

It's smooth sailing when you put a concrete grinder to the task The first step in repairing and resurfacing concrete floors and other paved areas is to prepare the surfaces properly so that new overlays or coatings can bond securely. To do the job right, consult your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional to secure the proper rental equipment and knowledge for your particular application.

That's right -- they're not just for concrete anymore! If you're faced with the challenge of removing a variety of coatings from floors - or even just a coat of paint from your basement floor - your A.R.A.-affiliated rental store has a great solution.

Always remember that safety is paramount when it comes to operating concrete and rebar saws. Be sure you don't err on the side of speed and sacrifice safety. Talk with your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional to be sure you and your crew are up to date on safety and technology trends.

Demolition

What goes up must come down - eventually!Demolition work may seem rougher and less exciting than new construction. Let your area A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional put you in touch with the best equipment to handle the job quickly and efficiently.

Excavation

Get power to places that defy larger machines.These little machines feel like big machines. Compact tractor-loader-backhoes (TLB) are not just skimpy versions of the real thing. They are powerful machines that can handle 75 percent or more of the work you would normally do with a standard TLB.

From compact to large riders, rental trenchers are fast and economical solutions. Contractors, who rent large-models, and homeowners and landscapers who need the compact walk-behind models, find rental trenchers a cost effective way to get their projects done correctly.

Everybody is looking for a better way to get things done these days. Contractors and homeowners just may find the answer in mini-excavators. These machines are so versatile you can do just about any type of construction work with them - from using a hammer to break up concrete to digging holes for landscape work.

Accidental damage to underground utilities is costly and potentially dangerous, and it's a problem that steadily has escalated during the past decade. Intensified efforts to protect the nation's buried utility lines has prompted a growing number of A.R.A.-affiliated rental stores to add electronic locators and portable vacuum excavators to their lines of rental offerings.

From compact to large riders, rental trenchers are fast and economical solutions. Contractors, who rent large-models, and homeowners and landscapers who need the compact walk-behind models, find rental trenchers a cost effective way to get their projects done correctly.

General Information

If you've never rented equipment to take on additional jobs, tackle new construction challenges, or to supplement your equipment fleet, you're probably missing profitable growth opportunities. Renting equipment, rather than buying it, can increase your cash flow, cut equipment costs and free capital without increasing your debt ratio.

by Tom Sweeney, Editor, American How-To ©1996 American How-To Renting a seldom-used specialty tool usually is cheaper than buying one. But that's just the beginning of what you need to know to get your money's worth at your local rental yard.

Generators

Your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional can help you determine the power source to fit the job. Most rental tools require a power source - LP-gas, propane, gasoline-or diesel-fueled engine, compressed air; or electricity - to function. So it's important to know your power-source options, and how and why one option may be better than another for the work you're doing.

Evaluate units to ensure optimal performance and value.Portable air compressors and electric generators are among the top 10 equipment items on the construction site. When renting, be sure you know what to look for to ensure efficient performance, durability and reliability. Quality CompressorsYour A.R.A.-affiliated rental dealer can answer your questions about the compressors available for rent.

Lawn and Garden

Rental equipment helps you plant, prune, trim, cut and chip with ease Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or a professional, tree-care products usually are not tools you use on a daily basis. When trees - whether planting, pruning or removing them - are an issue, renting the right tool for the job is an excellent way to control costs and make tough jobs easier.

Lifts

Need a lift? Rent the right aerial lift for your construction, industrial or institutional maintenance job.Aerial lifts are among the most popular rental items for good reason. They offer huge productivity gains over ladders and scaffolding. Whether for construction or maintenance, lifts enable trained operators to reach everything that's up in the air. Questions to answer before rentingDepend on your area A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional to determine and explain important manufacturers' specifications located on unit model numbers, i.e., a 2033 means the lift has a 20-foot platform height and is 33 inches wide.

New attachments make these job-site workhorses a lot more than just forkliftsTelescopic handlers - also known as telehandlers or rough-terrain, extended-reach forklifts - now are deemed necessities on many construction job sites, and they're changing the way that work is done.

Tools

Not just for concrete anymore. Use: Material handlingTypical Users: Do-it-yourselfers Construction/industrial Landscapers Plant maintenance Need a simple-to-use, cost-effective material-handling device? Consider renting a power buggy. In the past power buggies have been predominantly used for placing concrete, but today's innovative user is using the power buggy for other applications, including landscaping and plant maintenance. This is a superb material-handling alternative anywhere you need to: Get more work done per dollar (or hour) of labor Address site restrictions that prevent easy access for a dump truck   Pick the Right SizeBasically there are three sizes of power buggies Small walk-behind Advantage: Small size and maneuverability allow it to work in tight spaces and restricted areas, including narrow doorways.

Whether it's a big job or a small one, small tools play a big part in getting the job done.Contractors may only need to use small tools occasionally. By renting them when you need them, instead of purchasing and dusting them off for particular jobs, you can get the job done easier and quicker with a better-quality result. Gas- or Oil-Fired Indirect HeatersCommon job-site uses: Curing concrete and drywall Drying fresh paint Warming up work areas Various spot- or temporary-heat applications Cure bridge concrete in cold weather Most common heater rented: 320,000 Btu To eliminate noise and fumes, you can set a heater up outside an enclosed area and bring the heat to where it's needed by attaching some simple ductwork or by connecting to the building's existing ducts.

Tips for the remodeling generalist with varied needs.Are your best friends the circular saw, tool belt, some hand tools and a pickup truck? Don't say no to a remodeling job just because you don't have the right tools. Your area A.R.A.-affiliated rental professionals can help streamline unique or infrequent tasks so you can take on the tasks required to complete the job.

These tools add speed to attachment jobs, but users must be certified. Powder-actuated tools (PATs) are a necessity for contractors and do-it-yourselfers for many types of jobs and projects. Before you buy, however, consider the savings offered by renting these high-powered tools only when you need them.

They're easier to operate than they used to be and get your job done fast. Pneumatic tools save on labor, increase productivity and even give a better finished job, no matter whether you're a contractor or a one-day renter. If the word "pneumatic" makes you think of a beefy guy hanging on to a wild, thudding jackhammer - think again! Manufacturers have tamed these tools down and made them easier for the average person to handle.