Understanding The Natural Lifecycle Of A Concrete Driveway
If you are trying to decide between installing a concrete or asphalt driveway for your new home, then it's important you understand as much as possible about each option.
A residential concrete driveway will provide decades of useful service as long as it is properly installed and regularly maintained. This makes concrete the leader among the two for most homeowners.
Before considering a concrete driveway for your new home, first, it is vital you clearly understand the steps in its natural lifecycle:
- planning
- permitting
- site preparation
- ordering cement
- pouring
- curing
- maintenance
- recycling
Here is a bit of information about each stage in the cycle.
Planning
The first step in getting a concrete driveway poured is meeting with concrete contracting companies and obtaining quotes.
Permitting
Once you have quotes and have chosen the contractor you wish to work with, then they will apply for any necessary permits your local government requires prior to the driveway's installation.
Site Preparation
When your driveway permit is approved, then the contractor will start leveling the subgrade and preparing it for the new slab.
Driveway site preparation requires the area to be leveled, compacted, and then topped with either gravel or crushed rock depending on the type of soil the site has.
Once the site is prepared, wooden forms are built and filled with a mat of rebar reinforcement.
Ordering Cement
When the site is prepared and the forms completed, then the concrete contractor will order cement to be delivered in a large cement mixer.
Before ordering, the contractor will make precise measurements to determine exactly how many yards of cement are required.
The calculations need to be exact because otherwise you won't have enough cement to pour the entire driveway or you will have unnecessary costs from unneeded cement.
Pouring
When the cement mixer arrives onsite, the driveway is poured and the cement smoothed out and expansion joints cut into it.
The expansion notes are necessary to prevent the driveway from cracking.
Curing
Concrete driveways need time to cure before they can be used. Concrete curing typically takes at least a week or two to cure but the exact time will depend entirely on the temperature and humidity level where you live.
Maintenance
To extend the life of a concrete driveway, it needs some basic maintenance. It needs to be kept clean. However, you should avoid using a powerwasher or harsh chemicals.
Any small cracks that form need to be fixed as soon as possible before they spread and form larger cracks.
In addition, you can apply a concrete sealant to protect the surface.
Recycling
Lastly, it's important to mention that at the end of a concrete driveway's lifecycle, it can be broken apart and recycled to make more concrete. The steel rebar in the slab is also recyclable. This makes concrete an environmentally-friendly building product and a great option for your new home's driveway.