In our last post, part one of a two part series on Frequently Asked Questions of Concrete Driveways, we outlined our range of local concrete services, for both home and commercial properties. We are a concrete company that serves Loveland, Fort Collins, Berthoud, Johnstown, Windsor, Greeley, Longmont, and pretty much everywhere in between up and down the Northern Colorado Front Range.
In that post, we answered a few questions that had to do with concrete driveway cost, maintenance, and the duration of your average concrete driveway installation. The main points to take away there are that concrete driveways require a yearly scrubbing along with a sealant. Look out for a future post which describes the best way to go about sealing your driveway. Being consistent about the upkeep will mean you won’t need concrete driveway repair work done – or at least, not as soon.
So, let’s move on to part two of this two part series, so keep reading if you are interested in learning more about what to ask a concrete contractor, and what the actual process of installing a concrete driveway entails!
What Is The Best Way To Find A Concrete Driveway Contractor?
While we can’t pretend that we have a monopoly on truth in terms of saying there is only ONE best way to do it, we can offer a few suggestions that will galvanize your search for the right contractor. The first one is fairly obvious; ask your friends. You could go the extra mile and ask a friend who has gotten some custom concrete driveway work done, if you had something similar in mind. Another option is to walk around your own neighborhood and get the names of the contractor(s) who did a few of the jobs which you really like.
Of course, you could also consult the great oracle – that is, Google. Odds are, you might have already done that by finding this page. Perhaps you typed into your smartphone something to the effect of “concrete driveway contractor near me”, or perhaps you didn’t. We’ll never know.
Regardless, you are already here at Cesar’s Concrete blog, so you might as well learn a bit more about our concrete company in Northern Colorado!
What Should I Ask My Contractor About?
We can’t educate you on every single component of a cement driveway job, but we can give you a working understanding as to what should go into the installation process.
- Subgrade Preparation – Subgrade is the native material underneath a road, or in this case, a driveway. The typical driveway as a subgrade of about 4” in thickness. It needs to be evenly compacted in order for your driveway to last for the good long while that it should.
- Joint Positioning – A contractor will place joints in the concrete to prevent cracking. Ask your contractor about their approach for concealing them, as it is possible to incorporate them into designs within the driveway itself. For reference, joints should be a minimum of ¼ of the concrete’s total thickness.
- Reinforcement – The poured concrete will need to be reinforced somehow – usually with steel bars or wire mesh. While reinforcement doesn’t eliminate the potential of cracking, it helps slow the inevitable process.
- Drainage – the rule of thumb here is that for every foot in surface length, you’ll want ¼” in slope. There should also be some sort of drain installed at the nadir of the installed driveway.
If you are interested in getting a free quote from the top concrete driveway contractor in Northern Colorado, give us a call today at Cesar’s Concrete!
