We have access to our residential and commercial structures by passing through the driveways that not only enable us to reach our premises but also enhance their value to great extent. Beautifully designed driveways encourage the building owners by enhancing their self-poise. Different types of driveways including the concrete ones need to be built with extra care. Prominent concerns like Driveways High Wycombe may be consulted for the same.
Following tips can help to build good driveways by using concrete.
a. Apt planning – Proper accomplishment of any work depends much upon the planning that must be chalked out well in advance. Every care should be taken to make advance arrangements for doing the job in a viable manner. No room should be left for any negligence. Persons concerned with the driveway job, i.e. the architect, masons and the labourers must be contacted in advance for necessary consultations and other tasks that need to be completed in time.
b. Soil-test: The soil of the driveway area must be got checked by the concerned department as it must be solid enough to bear the concrete and its related tasks. Expansive soils need crushed rock as subgrade material that depends upon the level of expansiveness. The soil engineers can help you a lot in this regard.
c. Proper mixture of concrete – The concrete must be mixed in a proper manner to avoid any complications at later stages. The sand and other material should be in proper proportions.
d. Proper joints – The joining points in the concrete driveway must be kept at proper places with a difference of approx ten feet for the four inches driveway slab. The contractor must be asked to present an apt joining plan for the concrete driveway he or she is going to handle.
e. Thickness – The thickness of the concrete must be sufficient, say about four inches as far as its structural capacity is concerned. Increasing it to five inches may increase the cost but the load carrying capacity of the driveway also goes up by about fifty percent by doing so. The edges of the concrete driveway should also be strong enough as they can face heavy loading.
f. Excellent finishing – The finishing must be accomplished by levelling the concrete with screed for getting uniform surface. The concrete must be floated with a wood or magnesium bull float to avoid accumulation of bleed water. A simple broom finish may suffice for even surfacing of the concrete driveway. Steel trowel should be avoided for the final finishing as it may lead to bad results.
g. Drainage – Arrangement must be made for the drainage water to flow towards the street. A drain may be made for collecting the water and it should be diverted away from the driveway so that it does not harm it in any manner.
The concrete must be cured aptly immediately after finishing work is completed. It may be covered with plastic sheets or continuous sprinkling or wet curing blankets. Liquid curing compound may also be used for curing the concrete driveway.
The above important tips will prove their worth in having a good concrete driveway that lasts for years to come. Services of famous companies like Driveways High Wycombe may be hired for the same.
