Driveways

If constructed properly, your concrete driveway can last throughout the lifetime of your property. Without proper compaction and mixture proportions, the driveway may not withstand the heavy traffic over time and start cracking, discolouring, settling or scaling. It’s best advised to leave their installation to professional contractors. They are trained to pour the concrete in the most appropriate way to preserve the integrity of your driveway and property. In cases of repair, there are a lot of factors that need to be considered, including the cause of the damage. Upon inspection, experts can prescribe a repair, resurface or complete replacement of your concrete driveway depending on the level of structural faults and your budget size.
 
Repair
Repairing usually means providing temporary solutions to minor structural threats like cracks or holes that are not up to 0.25 inches wide yet. Regularly, fillers and patches are used, and their finishes don’t visibly blend with the concrete of the driveway. An expert contractor would inspect the number of holes or cracks to filled before recommending repair as the patches can give the pavement an unattractive look. You also need to consider that patches are not waterproof, so they eventually permit water to seep through them and reopen the crack in the future. Normal repairs are easy processes that don’t necessarily need the expertise to carry out, and their effect can last up to years if done properly.
 
Resurface
Cracks that are wider than 0.25 inches require more action than just using fillers or patches. Here’s where resurfacing is a sufficient process for resolving the damage. It involves directly applying a cement-based material over existing concrete. In cases of peeling or chipping on the surface, you can resurface to give it a decorative finish like stamping. You can also decide to apply colour in the case of discolouration. With resurfacing or refinishing, your driveway will be looking new again without necessarily replacing it.
 
Replacement
It’s common for wide cracks to imply greater damages than can be resolved with repairing or refinishing. It could be that there are roots of nearby trees that are causing the driveway to lift or crack. Another situation that will call for complete replacement of the concrete is in the case of erosion from porous pipes under the slab that causes it to sink. 
 
Other Options
You can choose to engrave the driveway’s surface with patterns to cover minor crackings and discolouration. First, the concrete is stained before the pattern is cut using a special routing machine. If your concrete driveway is experiencing discolouration, then a new coat of acid or water-based stained can be applied to resolve it. With the application of a high-grade sealer together with a UV-resistant staining solution, you can effectively protect your driveway for years.
 
Trust Our High-Quality Results
Grapevine Concrete Contractors is the leading concrete company in the city, and we’ve been for several years. We offer our clients in Grapevine, TX, excellent solutions to the driveway problems and help them install new ones on their landscape. You can trust our team of expert contractors who use the best techniques and equipment to get the job done.