What to Watch Out For When Concreting Your Driveway
A well-finished concrete driveway will lend unmatched style and durability to any home frontage. Of course, there is nothing like the sense of pride and accomplishment gained from knocking out a successful DIY project and upscaling your digs, but concreting is not as simple as ordering a truck and pouring the mixture in the desired place.
Concrete curing involves a complex process of chemical reactions, which means that correctly reinforcing, pouring and finishing your driveway will require some scientific nous and a nose for the way that concrete behaves. Here, we detail the top mishaps to befall the novice concreter and suggest why it’s ideal to call in an experienced professional for large projects, like driveways.
Misguided & lopsided
It can be a painstaking process to ensure that your concrete driveway will be finished to an even height. In preparation, the work area must be excavated evenly, level pins installed, reinforcements laid, and levels checked meticulously with a laser level. You also need to know the volume of material required to achieve the desired height. Once poured, you’ll need to take care not to overwork the surface, otherwise it may become irregular.
Formwork fails
Formwork constitutes the mould or frame for your driveway project, holding the concrete in place and ensuring it doesn’t spill out of the designated space. Timber or plywood frames the outline of the project area and is removed once the project has set. Formwork must be level and strong enough to bear the weight of the wet concrete. DIY formwork has been known to collapse, causing spillage, and ruin your driveway. This creates one hot, expensive mess, with professional equipment required to dig out the botched concrete, before it can be repoured.
Slipperier than a lawyer (and you may need one of those)
If finished improperly, concrete can assume a sleek surface, which poses a slip hazard. A professional will carefully trowel the surface before it sets, to achieve a non-slip finish. This is followed by sealing with a specialised product, which won’t leave a slick residue. Driveways are unique in that members of the public have free access to them, and any injury that occurs on your driveway is your legal liability. Indulging the urge to DIY this part of your home could result in more than just sloppy aesthetics and a costly second pour, you could end up paying for some poor soul’s medical and physio bills!
Weather sensitive
If it’s a blistering hot day, or bitingly cold, how do you keep that concrete driveway from cracking or slumping? Concrete is so hypersensitive in certain conditions, it should probably see a shrink. While it’s best not to pour at all in extreme temperatures, rain can arrive out of the blue, the mercury can rise swiftly, and cold, miserable days can see your project take hours to set. Skilled concreters select from a range of specialised admixtures to slow or accelerate curing time, hence minimising cracks; they know when it’s time to wet down a driveway that’s drying too fast, and how to cover the driveway if rain arrives, without wrecking the project.
Investing in a concrete driveway? Speak to Adelaide’s finest …
Resurfacing your driveway is a savvy investment. If finished professionally, your new driveway will up the value and street appeal of your home. It is not a project to be taken lightly, as the look of your driveway will influence the appeal of your entire home. If you’re thinking about a stylish new exposed aggregate or pattern pave driveway, Adelaide City Concreting is the name you need to know. With over forty years of combined experience, our friendly local team has the knowledge and skill to get the job done right the first time, avoiding the heartache and expense of DIY nosedives. Call today to arrange for your complimentary, no-obligation quote.