Concrete is an affordable and popular building material you can use in many ways on your property. You can have a contractor put down the concrete or you can have ready mix delivered and spread it yourself. Letting a contractor do the work is probably a good idea if you're putting in something big like a driveway. Here are a few things you may want to know about using this versatile building material to make your driveway.
Concrete Is Often Reinforced
Since a driveway has to support the heavy weight of cars, your contractor will probably put down reinforcements such as rebar or metal mesh first and then pour the cement mixture on top so the reinforcements are inside when the mix has dried. This helps your driveway have a longer life and a lower risk of damage.
The Cement Mixture Is Custom Made
Concrete starts as a mixture of rocks or sand, water, and powdered cement. The ratio of the ingredients is determined by what the contractor is building, and the cement is mixed right before it's needed. The cement mixture hardens fairly fast, so it is kept in a truck that spins to keep mixing the ingredients until the delivery is made. Cement mixtures are made in different ways because a parking lot might need to handle heavy trucks while a backyard patio won't need to support much weight.
Because the mixture gets hard fairly fast, the site has to be ready for the mixture to be poured when the truck arrives. Spreading the mixture and setting it up to cure goes fairly fast. Preparing the base the driveway rests on takes much longer.
Concrete Driveways Need Joints
Your driveway needs to have joints that look like small cracks between sections of the driveway. That's because concrete expands in hot weather and contracts in cold weather. Without joints, your driveway could crack. The joints are made as the cement mixture is poured and spread. The contractor uses a tool to create the joints before the mixture gets too hard.
Concrete Can Be Decorative
Your driveway doesn't have to be plain white unless you like it that way. There are decorative options to consider, such as staining and stamping. Plus, you can have coatings applied that protect your driveway and give it a shiny, clean appearance. Instead of looking like every other driveway in your neighborhood, your driveway could look like it was made from brick or slate, even though it's made out of concrete.
Contact a company that offers concrete services to learn more.
Share23 April 2021
When I first moved into our house, I realized that the place needed a little bit of work. In addition to missing part of the back lawn, there was also an empty RV pad and a missing patio. I thought about what to do, and I realized that the best thing might be to hire a concrete contractor to make things right. After we got settled, we started pricing services. We were able to find an incredible contractor that we knew would do a good job. After he poured the pads, it was amazing to see how much better things looked. Read my blog for ideas on how to finish your property, so that you aren't left looking at an eyesore.