5 Reasons To Rent Your Concrete Forms On Your Next Project
With any construction project, the goal is to spend less and get more. However, buying all the materials isn’t always the best idea. Concrete forms can be expensive and time consuming to create and can take up significant space in your storage room.
Why not rent concrete forms instead? Concrete forms come in different materials, which include wood, fiberglass, plastic, metal (steel or aluminum), and resin. The type of framework you choose depends on the type of work. While differing construction projects may require different materials, for home improvement, a basic wood concrete form will do just fine.
All concrete forms are made by following guidelines and specifications set by ASCE Design Loads on Structures During Construction manual, National Design Specification for Wood Construction, or American Plywood Association.
The Top 5 Benefits to Rent Concrete Forms
Here are five benefits of renting concrete forms:
1. Mobility
When you rent concrete forms, they are delivered to your job site. You don’t have to go to the store and buy them. You can discuss with the rental company about the type and size of forms you want, and the right ones will be delivered to you. Some forms will come assembled and the ones that don’t are ready for assembly and can be put together in minutes vs making your own.
2. Storage
You can rent the concrete forms for each job. Once your work is done, the rental company will be on their way to pick up the forms. If you have multiple jobsites going there isn’t any worry about coordination if you there are limited supplies. In addition, if you tend to have some lag time between jobs you don’t have to store these concrete forms anywhere. Just remember to disassemble them before sending them back as a courtesy. Usually, rental companies let you keep the forms for around two weeks, which is a sufficient time frame.
3. Newer
If you bought forms for recurring projects, you would have to keep making new ones according to the demands of the job. Damaged parts of concrete forms also need to change immediately. The same goes for rental companies, but you don’t have to worry about that because it is their job to stay up to date.
Also, rental forms are tested for standards whereas those made on location or at the site aren’t, which leads to errors in design.
4. Cost Saving
Like renting shoring equipment, renting concrete forms can save you money. Investing your time, efforts, and money in making a concrete form can be inefficient. You also have to take care of the renovation and repair needs. Rental concrete forms are cost effective. You don’t have to pay for the materials or the time, the maintenance or the storage. You simply pay for them to be delivered.
5. Time Savings
All you have to do is find a rental company, call them up, and order the type of concrete forms you need. No stress, no time spent in building one. The chances of you making a mistake are zero because you haven’t built it. Concrete forms that you rent are accurate, and so it doesn’t need any adjustments either.
How To Find A Good Concrete Form Rental Company
Hopefully, we’ve convinced you that renting concrete forms is better than buying or building them. Like finding a good shoring rental company, here are some things you should consider before finalizing the rental company:
1. Forms maintenance
Find out how the concrete forms are stored. If they aren’t kept in a clean and dry covered area, avoid renting from the company because exposure to direct sunlight and moisture harms the materials used and break on minimum impact.
2. Logistics
Obviously, in a perfect world all your jobs would be close to where you live and so would the concrete form rental place. However, to be an effective partner in your construction projects, the rental company needs to be able to get the forms to your job site quickly and frankly no matter where you are. Be sure to ask what their delivery radius is before signing up.
3. High quality
There is the difference between a company claiming they use high-quality materials to make the concrete forms and actually using them. On your visit, check if the plywood has holes or cracks in them. If that’s the case, ask the person to show you more. If all of them have similar issues, find another rental company.
4. Skilled knowledge & Customer Service
Every person who visits a rental company expects them to have skilled knowledge in the particular field. The same goes with a concrete forms renting company. If the staff isn’t attending you well or you aren’t getting satisfactory answers to the doubts and questions you ask, it is best to talk to a senior before making your decision.
5. Reviews
The greatest gift internet has given us is the power of reviews. All you need to do is type the company’s name and reviews, and you’ll get a whole list of them. You can also personally talk to the people who’ve previously rented forms from the company to get a better insight.
One Caveat
Renting concrete forms can be a great time saver if you have jobs that change in scope and local. However, if you have a prolonged construction project you might consider buying concrete forms directly (vs building or renting them).