Ready Yourself For Your Concrete Driveway

A strong and lasting, reasonably priced driveway can be yours in the form of concrete. Concrete driveways can be customized also, far exceeding the decorative capabilities of your standard blacktop driveway. Follow these steps to make sure your future driveway is ready for its concretion. Be sure to allow ample time for the curing process. Wohlwend Concrete can handle all of these tasks and more for you! 

Advantages of a Concrete Driveway
Offering less hassle and difficulty than their black-top counterparts, concrete driveways are very low-maintenance. They need an occasional hard wash and an annual resealing (preventing stains and increasing overall weather resistance). If installed and maintained correctly, concrete driveways will last 25-50 years.

Concrete Mix
The amount of concrete required is determined not only by the length and width you require, but the depth of your slab as well. A crew of experienced concrete workers will spread the mix, reinforce with steel bars or mesh, and finish the surface.

Cost
Concrete driveways are less costly—both at install and in maintenance—than a standard blacktop drive. You are looking at roughly $4-10 per square foot (depending on a few factors; complexity of the job, special decorative concrete finish, &tc.) for the cost of your concrete driveway, dependent largely upon just how fancy you intend it to be.

Curing Process
Allow for one week to pass in advance of your driving on the fresh surface. Seal the driveway after one month passes and do not park any large vehicles on it for the same timeframe. During warm weather, gently hose your concrete driveway lightly with a hose occasionally to keep it moist. 

Site Prep
Once cleared of vegetation, wooden forms will be placed along the edges of the site. Followed by a base of compacted gravel, the reason for this effort is to ensure that your driveway will be level and well-drained. 

Technical Specs
Look into local code requirements regarding measurements and minimum compressive strength, have your contractor pull any necessary permits before you build a concrete driveway. Typical width for a one-car drive is eight to nine feet, 15-18 feet for a two-car driveway. The concrete and its base should be at least four inches thick. Make sure the drive slope toward the street is ¼ inch per running foot for necessary drainage.

If you would like to learn more about concrete driveways in St Paul and the surrounding areas, call Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610, or you can contact us and set up a Free Estimate.