Beauty and durability for your concrete driveway starts with the proper installation. There are four key areas that determine the success of a new concrete driveway.

Things to Consider – Concrete Driveways:

Subgrade Preparation. In order for your concrete driveway to last, preparing is critical. The subgrade of your new driveway must be evenly compacted and stable to avoid cracking and separation over time. Concrete is then pouring to an even 4″ of thickness; not a varying 3-4″.

Placement of Joints. Stress joints allow your new concrete driveway to expand and contract with seasonal temperature changes. The look of the joints can be incorporated into your design to add additional beauty. Joints should be at least 1/4″ of the concrete’s thickness. A 1″ deep joint should be created in a 4″ thick driveway. Spacing is another consideration when adding joints to a concrete driveway. On a 4″ thick driveway, joints should need to be 8′-12′ apart.

Reinforcement. Wire mesh or steel bars need to be added to a concrete driveway for reinforcement of the material.

Proper Water Drainage. To avoid water puddling, a concrete driveway must slope 1/4″ per running foot away from a home. If a 1/4″ per running foot of drainage is not feasible, a drain must be installed at the lowest point of the concrete to collect and drain water.