An Inside Job!
We love working with our team, and we love working with concrete. So when one of our very own needed some concrete resurfacing, we jumped on the opportunity! Our General Manager, Megan Vaughan, needed her driveway in Magnolia Green resurfaced.
The Inside Job in Magnolia Green
The Details
Megan’s driveway was crumbling… (the industry term is delaminating, where the layers of concrete separate). The top layer, the cap, was peeling away from the concrete slab underneath. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but in Megan’s case, we suspected over-watering of the concrete mix by the original contractor. Over time, trapped air/water beneath the surface created voids, which resulted in weakened bonding. This leads to delamination!
The Goal
Put simply, Megan wanted to even out the look and texture of her driveway… and fix the delamination issue for good.
The Process
When this happens, the homeowner has a number of options.
First: They can choose to rip the driveway out entirely and re pour it from scratch. This is the most complete option, but will be the most expensive and is only really necessary for driveways that are far beyond repair.
Second: They can choose to have an overlay poured over their entire driveway that will bond to the original surface. This is a good option, but not without issues of its own: it adds a level of thickness to the concrete surface, which can cause tripping issues in areas that the driveway meets (like the garage, or the curb, or the sidewalk). It’s also fairly expensive.
Third: The homeowner could patch the delaminated spots. Functionally, this is a fine option, and usually the cheapest. However, it is not without its drawbacks. It is near impossible to match the patched spots with the rest of the driveway, which just doesn’t look great. Additionally, since you’re not actually fixing the problem, you’ll very likely be chasing more delaminated spots until your driveway looks like a patchwork quilt!
Fourth: They can choose to grind off the top layer of the concrete and expose the aggregate. This is generally only a viable option if the underlying slab itself is structurally sound. However, the end result is totally uniform and visually appealing – and only costs about $3 a square foot. Since Megan’s slab was good to go… this was the option she choose!
The Finished Product
Get in Touch!
Whether we are working on a large scale industrial project or a smaller residential project, our dedication to getting the job done is the same. Our work speaks for itself! We loved being able to work on this inside job for one of our own, and Megan is thrilled for the result.
You don’t have to work for Concreate to get this job done though! If you’d like your or if you have any other questions about our services or process, reach out to us! You can contact us online, call us at 804-767-8301, or send in a message to our Facebook page. We look forward to speaking to you!