Driveways
Our goal at Mr. Driveway is to build concrete driveways that stand the test of time and are 30% stronger than our competition. Unfortunately, price drives the standards of most driveways installed. We believe in doing it the right way as it does not cost that much more to install it the right way, couple this with homeowners not being provided with information about how to properly maintain their concrete driveways can lead to a bad driveway in a couple years. As you know our constant freeze and thaw cycles per year in the Midwest wreak havoc on exterior flatwork such as driveways. Concrete that has not been installed or maintained properly is far more susceptible to the negative effects our winters can have on it. We strive to give your concrete every chance to stand up to Mother Nature’s forces starting with how we go about installing it and then by arming you with all the information you will need to understand and maintain it. This leads to a superior, more durable, higher quality finished product and why our driveways are 30% stronger and last much longer than those of our competition.
The Process
We will start by providing you a free 100% guaranteed estimate. We will answer any questions you may have. We can bid per the specifications on the plans you provide, per your direction, per our recommendations or any combination of the three. There are no written rules with flat work like driveways about what is right or wrong practices. There are a lot of opinions – common methods & cheap to very expensive ways to go about installing it. We base our recommendations on our experience and what has proved to have been successful over the years.
Ready to Start
Mr. Driveway ensures your sub-grade is correct and ready for concrete placement because your concrete is only as solid as the ground it is sitting on. We utilize a rock base and thoroughly compact it to avoid settling and shifting after your concrete is poured. Mr. Driveway will set the benchmarks and forms to make sure water will drain correctly. Unenforced concrete driveways or use of fiber-mesh in the mix are common practices in this area, however, we recommend and utilize steel reinforcement, this provides you the most structural integrity for your driveway and in the event, you get a crack, it will hold everything together and keep the crack to a minimum. When we are ready to pour, we only pour high-quality mix design. The mixes we always pour will meet or exceed industry standards for comprehensive strength and air entrapment. Weather conditions, temperature, and humidity can have a significant impact on how a concrete mix will behave. Our experience allows us to work closely with our suppliers to tweak the mixes and ensure they will act how we want them to while we are finishing. Mr. Driveway will incorporate proper finishing techniques while doing everything possible to control and prevent cracking. “Shrinkage cracking” occurs in all concrete when it becomes hard or hydrates and moisture evaporates. We attempt to control where concrete is going to crack by installing proper control joints, zip strips &/or saw cuts in predetermined locations to give it a place to crack and better maintain a driveways aesthetics. In extreme weather, we will use a chemical barrier to hold moisture in, preventing it from evaporating too rapidly. This minimizes the chances of a crack occurring while the concrete is still setting up (plastic shrinkage cracking). After the job has been poured, we will educate you on what to expect and how to properly maintain your new investment.