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A good driveway offers a combination of durability, affordability, and aesthetics. Concrete is a great material for this because it's very strong, holds up against variable weather, and can be color-matched to any building design. Our Albany-based concrete driveway contractors can handle the installation for you regardless of size. Call (518) 500-3246 for a free estimate.
The basketball hoop rounds out the suburban look.
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We can install a concrete driveway for any residential or commercial property. As a surface material, concrete is more expensive than the common alternative of asphalt, but it provides an appearance boost that's not easily quantified. Several commercial parking lots and driveways for businesses in the area are concrete. And, if you drive through the more expensive neighborhoods in the county, you'll see a higher number of concrete driveways. It's a unique, attractive surface that makes you stand out.
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It doesn't happen very often with businesses because of the scale of the projects, but some homeowners attempt a DIY install. Unfortunately, it rarely comes out well or lasts for any significant amount of time because too many steps were missed during the installation process.
Professional installers ensure that your investment is protected. |
Concrete Driveway Installation for Residential and Commercial Properties
Before you start pouring concrete and creating slabs, there are a number of steps that need to be taken care of:
Step 1 - Check for Underground Utilities
Before a shovel even touches the ground, we check to see where the underground utilities are. The last thing we want is to accidentally cut a power line. We search for utility lines across the entire construction area before any kind of excavation begins. If there are any lines in the way, we devise a plan to work around them.
Step 2 - Survey the Land and Mark Off Boundaries
The next step in the process is to survey the land for boundaries and mark off the construction area clearly with clearly visible stakes or spray paint to make sure everyone knows the target location and doesn't stray from it.
Step 3 - Excavate the Dirt and Level the Ground
Now the fun part begins...we start by excavating about 1 foot of top soil either manually or by machine depending on the size of the project area we're working in. For residential projects, the options are shovels or a mini excavator. For larger, commercial projects, we bring in the bigger machinery - full-size excavators. This allows us to move thousands of pounds of dirt quickly and efficiently.
Step 4 - Lay Wooden Forms
At this point, the site is prepared, so we lay wooden forms in place to make sure concrete doesn't overflow into other areas when it's being poured. The wood forms are safely secured and visibly marked off.
Step 5 - Solidify the Base
A combination of gravel and sand is laid over the dirt to ensure a firm base with the right level of compaction. Then base is then pressed and leveled to a thickness of less than a foot in most cases.
Step 6 - Lay Steel Reinforcements
After compacting the ground, we install steel reinforcement rebar in a cross pattern across the entire project area to increase the stability of the final product.
Step 7 - Pour Concrete
We pour concrete into the project area and spread it evenly across the ground with special brushing tools.
Step 8 - Level the Concrete
The material has been poured, so our specialists take time to level out the concrete across the entire area, using brushes for large spots and trowels for small corners and edges. If the property owner requested a non-slip surface, a broom is used to add texture to the driveway's surface layer.
Step 9 - Set and Cure the Concrete
From here, we allow the concrete time to harden in place and we cure it with a special sealant to prevent water from seeping through during the process. Missing any part of this step can hurt the stability and longevity of the end-product down the road. The time to cure ranges depending on the amount of material used in the project. Call Albany Concrete Contractors for professional installation.
Step 1 - Check for Underground Utilities
Before a shovel even touches the ground, we check to see where the underground utilities are. The last thing we want is to accidentally cut a power line. We search for utility lines across the entire construction area before any kind of excavation begins. If there are any lines in the way, we devise a plan to work around them.
Step 2 - Survey the Land and Mark Off Boundaries
The next step in the process is to survey the land for boundaries and mark off the construction area clearly with clearly visible stakes or spray paint to make sure everyone knows the target location and doesn't stray from it.
Step 3 - Excavate the Dirt and Level the Ground
Now the fun part begins...we start by excavating about 1 foot of top soil either manually or by machine depending on the size of the project area we're working in. For residential projects, the options are shovels or a mini excavator. For larger, commercial projects, we bring in the bigger machinery - full-size excavators. This allows us to move thousands of pounds of dirt quickly and efficiently.
Step 4 - Lay Wooden Forms
At this point, the site is prepared, so we lay wooden forms in place to make sure concrete doesn't overflow into other areas when it's being poured. The wood forms are safely secured and visibly marked off.
Step 5 - Solidify the Base
A combination of gravel and sand is laid over the dirt to ensure a firm base with the right level of compaction. Then base is then pressed and leveled to a thickness of less than a foot in most cases.
Step 6 - Lay Steel Reinforcements
After compacting the ground, we install steel reinforcement rebar in a cross pattern across the entire project area to increase the stability of the final product.
Step 7 - Pour Concrete
We pour concrete into the project area and spread it evenly across the ground with special brushing tools.
Step 8 - Level the Concrete
The material has been poured, so our specialists take time to level out the concrete across the entire area, using brushes for large spots and trowels for small corners and edges. If the property owner requested a non-slip surface, a broom is used to add texture to the driveway's surface layer.
Step 9 - Set and Cure the Concrete
From here, we allow the concrete time to harden in place and we cure it with a special sealant to prevent water from seeping through during the process. Missing any part of this step can hurt the stability and longevity of the end-product down the road. The time to cure ranges depending on the amount of material used in the project. Call Albany Concrete Contractors for professional installation.
