A driveway only fails from the bottom up.
Most cracked, sunken driveways in central Ohio weren't poured badly on top. They were built on a thin or poorly compacted base, and the clay underneath did the rest. Clay holds water, freezes, swells and settles, and every winter it works a weak slab a little further apart.
So we don't start with the concrete. We start with what's under it: the old slab and any soft material come out, the grade gets set so water runs away from the garage, and a compacted gravel base goes down before a single truck shows up.
What's in every driveway we pour
- Tear-out and haul-away of the old concrete or asphalt, priced into the job up front
- Compacted gravel base, graded to shed water away from the house
- 4" reinforced pour with wire mesh or rebar. 6" or 8" for RVs, trailers and heavy trucks
- Control joints cut where the slab will want to crack, so it cracks there and not across the middle
- Broom finish for grip in rain and snow, or an upgraded finish if you want one
- Sealed before we leave against road salt, water and freeze-thaw damage
- Topsoil, seed and straw along the edges when we're done
Aprons and the city sidewalk
The apron is the piece between the street and your driveway, and it usually takes the worst of it: plow blades, curb water and salt. We replace aprons on their own or with the driveway. Because aprons and public sidewalks sit in the city right-of-way, most cities around Columbus want a permit for that part of the work. We'll tell you at the estimate whether yours does.
Upgraded finishes
Plain broom finish is what most driveways need, but it isn't the only option. We also pour stamped and decorative driveways, exposed aggregate, integrally colored concrete, and decorative borders that frame a plain slab. We'll walk you through the options on the estimate visit.
Gravel drives and long rural lanes
Not every drive needs concrete. For long lanes, farm drives and turnarounds, we regrade washed-out and rutted gravel and re-stone it. A lot of rural customers pour the apron and the pad at the garage in concrete and keep the long run in stone.
