Concrete Installer

Thanks to the prevalence of videos that explain how to do things, many people wonder if they really need a professional concrete installer.

While it's true that some could indeed manage to figure out how to do it on their own and get decent results, the vast majority will find it worth it to hire the pro. Even those who are technically capable will usually hire a service provider because of the amount of work involved.

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Concrete installation is best done by professionals is because you have a limited window to screed, trowel and finish all the concrete down before it hardens. Wet concrete weighs about 2800 pounds per cubic yard. That's alot of back breaking weight to move around. If you make a mistake and miss a spot, that mistake hardens and cannot be corrected without being replaced.

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Professional concrete installers are guaranteed by their bonds give you what you pay for. If you pay for a driveway, you should have a driveway. It should be properly graded and drain where it should.

Here are some of the steps that are typically involved:

First, any existing pavement has to be removed. This can require an excavator, concrete saws, jackhammers, and sometimes even sledgehammer work. The broken up material must then be hauled away. Of course, that usually involves physically moving it to a truck – a process that requires much strength and stamina. 

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Next, the area has to be excavated and graded. The desired angle isn't always flat. If you live on a hill, your driveway will need to follow the slope. This ensures good drainage.

Then, it's time to bring in gravel of the right varieties. This will provide a good, stable surface for the new layer of concrete. It'll have to be dumped out of a truck, spread out, and then tamped down firmly. We have a flat blade compacting machine to do this. 

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Finally, the actual pavement installation begins. In most cases, concrete is poured into the prepared area until it reaches the proper thickness. A professional crew will have a big truck to pour the concrete. Meanwhile, someone trying to do it themselves will usually have a tiny cement mixer that they rented from a big-box store. The latter makes the job very arduous and rushed as the individual tries to beat the concrete's drying time.

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Concrete has to be timed. There is a certain window after it has been screed to allow for stamping. Start too early and you will have blurred grout lines with shadows of the stamp pattern you were trying to imprint. Start too late and you will not make an impression on the slab at all. 

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As you can see, it's worth every penny to have a professional crew do driveway installation. Do a search of concrete companies near me and call some concrete professionals today to get quotes and plan your new driveway!