Every house needs a driveway. There are some spectacular homes in Australia, and every single one of them has a driveway. The driveway might seem like it is not a part of the house, but it most certainly is. How else would one get into the garage?
While gravel driveways might seem appealing, modern houses lean towards concrete ones, especially here in Australia. Homeowners can avail the best prices for such driveways at Geostone to help build the best concrete driveway in Australia.
There are some things one must know about concrete driveways before going ahead with the option, and this article aims to explain all of it. So, follow the article carefully.
Concrete Explained
The thing about concrete driveways is that they are more expensive than gravel or asphalt, but they are completely worth it as they last longer. A common misconception about concrete is that it means cement, but that is not the case. Cement is just one component of concrete. Numerous kinds of stone aggregate come together with the help of a mixture made of lime-based binder and water to make the compound – concrete.
The quantity of the mixture varies, of course, depending on the purpose. Most structural construction consists of gravel-sized aggregates. However, if the client requires intricate work with a smooth finish, using finer sands is the best option. The materials for concrete are locally-sourced in Australia.
One can also incorporate many designs in their driveway. Geostone, for example, offers various designs to choose from. Customers can pick a design that goes with the theme of their home for their driveway. This is yet another reason why Geostone makes the best concrete driveways in Australia.
After mixing concrete, it becomes a slurry. One can pour that into the desired or intended form. When the concrete cures, the mixture will become hard in a gradual process. This process goes on for months together (sometimes years, even). One can get curing done to expedite the process, however. Concrete can also be made stronger by the installation of steel reinforcement rebars or wires inside the slab.
The installation of concrete driveways
One must first remove all the grass and other plants have to reveal stable soil, after which they can install concrete driveways. Wood forms are installed on the sides. The base (usually gravel) is added after this and compacted. The reinforcement steel mentioned above is added after this in a criss-cross manner, after which the concrete is poured. The crew will take care of expansion grooves to finish the surface and control the shift and break of the concrete.
Post that, floating carried out to smoothen it out and then comes the curing of concrete. In high temperatures, one has to water the concrete to regulate curing time. The waiting time for driving is a week minimum, whereas it is a month for parking big vehicles. The process completes with the sealing of the concrete done two months later.
Maintenance and life
There isn’t much that one must do with regards to maintenance of concrete driveways. A good scrub every once in a while is enough. Most people recommend adding sealers every year for protection. Concrete driveways can be used for twenty-five to fifty years, making their life pretty long. This period entirely depends on how well the driveway is taken care of.
This is all one needs to know before deciding to go in for a concrete driveway. Thanks for reading!
