Stamped Concrete Driveways are Best Left to the Pros

One great thing about Texas is the can-do spirit of the South, which manifests itself in the home improvement projects that folks take on, usually with great results. Some things, though, like stamped concrete driveways, should be left to the pros. 

Here’s why:

1. The intensity of the work. First, if you have an existing asphalt driveway, it will have to be torn out. Then the hard work really begins. Wet concrete weighs 150 pounds per cubic foot, and as a DIYer, you’ll probably be moving and placing it with a shovel and wheelbarrow. Mixing it yourself can add weeks to the job, so you’ll need to have a truckload delivered to your site. But those companies want to make the delivery fast and get out of there, so they charge for any extra time they have to spend while the customer makes preparations. Then there’s the heat of an east Texas summer to take into consideration, because cold winter weather adds a number of complications to the job. Add these facts together and you can see that pouring your own driveway can quickly take a toll, both on your back and your budget.
2. Pouring a stamped concrete driveway takes extensive preparation. You’ll need to dig out the space to a depth of several inches, fill it with multiple layers of gravel and sand, and make sure that it’s all level before you even begin to pour the concrete. Then there’s the matter of building the forms to hold it while it dries. To get the job done right, you’ll need to understand engineering concepts like slope and elevation. You’ll have to determine if the weather will stay just right while the concrete cures. Make a mistake during any part of this process, and you can easily find yourself with a cracked, deformed structure that will cost a fortune to fix.
3. Adding special features like color and stamping makes the task even more complex. Concrete stamps can cost thousands of dollars to purchase; even renting them can set you back hundreds of dollars. Another think to consider is, there’s no going back if you get off line with the textures, or mess up the design. Even the cement-to-water ratio must be carefully checked if you don’t want a surface that will spall or crack soon after being laid.
4. There’s very little margin for error. If you make a mistake when building a deck or adding a plumbing fixture, you can usually correct it with minimal hassle. But a stamped concrete driveway can be a disaster if not done right. And if something does go wrong, you either have to live with it as is or have the entire thing torn up and start from scratch.

Here at Easter Concrete Construction, concrete is our profession. We’ve worked with it for years and know how to place it, how to finish it, and how to enhance it for premium results. We can come to your home, figure out what you need, and handle every aspect of the job. We can decorate your driveway in a huge assortment of shades and designs. We can make it look like brick, slate, flagstone, stone, tile and even wood, in dozens of different patterns.

Mike Easter built this company on a foundation of hard work, integrity, and customer service. But don’t just take our word for it; check with the Better Business Bureau. You’ll see that they have given us an A+ rating. So, when you need any type of concrete work done, give us a call.