Installing a concrete driveway requires professional experience and proper planning and preparation to prevent any problems and have over budget expenses. When you think about it, a new driveway needs to be installed so that it lasts at least the next 20 years.

It’s not just about forming a path and dropping concrete. The site of the concrete pour needs to be properly prepared and formed. If there is no proper preparation for long term resistance, your concrete can shift or crack.

 Here are the steps that Builtridge takes to install a new concrete slab:

 Prepare the Site

The site needs to be properly prepared, it needs to be installed on solid stable soil, if not it will fail over time which can really cut the life span of your concrete driveway. At Builtridge Concrete we review your site and determine if we need to excavate more and add base material if you have unstable soil to stabilize it. We investigate the type of soil in your region as well in order to make the best decision.

 If we are replacing an existing driveway we bring machinery to break down the old concrete and haul it off for disposal.

 Forming

The next step is to mark out the path of your new driveway. We do this by installing wood stakes along the border of the design of your driveway. We remove whatever is on the top layer of the soil and we dig down about 4inches so that the concrete can be above ground level. We make sure there are no weeds or stones left in the pad and then add the forms, fill it with reinforcement to create a solid base for the concrete and we make sure is well compacted so that the new concrete doesn’t crack as it settles.

 We then put down half inch steel rebar in a grid of squares and place small rebar chairs to lift if off the gravel. We typically use the standard #3 rebar at 16 inches on center of each square.

 Pouring

We order our cement from a local provider and they send a concrete truck. Our crew receives the concrete and they level it ensuring that the concrete is spread evenly along the drive. Once it begins to cure, we finish it with a course of brush to give it the light brush finish which helps with drainage and also provides grip on the surface when wet.

 When is it ready?

We ask that you leave it for at least 72 hours before anyone can walk on it. We also leave the forms and the edges for a couple days to ensure it cures right. Leave it for up to three days, before removing the shuttering away from the edges. We ask our customers to keep everything off the driveway and cars should not be allowed for at least 5 days.

Maintenance

Make sure to check out or blog: “How to take care of my concrete” for maintenance tips!