“How to Pour a Concrete Driveway” shows the work performed by driveway contractors when replacing an existing pad. The job involved removing an existing driveway and installing a new 10×10-foot concrete pad. The old driveway was in poor condition, with concrete and asphalt portions.
After confirming there were no utilities under the driveway, the homeowner used a jackhammer to break the concrete, while Mark used a pick ax to break it further apart. They switched to a lighter jackhammer with a different bit for the asphalt. After clearing away the waste, Mark saw the existing base was good material, so they left it in place and compacted it for good measure. Then they added a 3/4 inch stone to ensure proper drainage and packed again.
They lined the perimeter of the driveway with expansion buffers before laying wire mesh to reinforce the concrete. They chose concrete because it was long-lasting and could handle New England winters, and they poured six inches of 5,000 psi concrete since cars would drive on the pad. After shoveling and raking the concrete, they leveled it with a 2×4, trowels, and a bull float. Finally, they shaped the edge where the pad met the sidewalk and finished the surface with a broom to provide skid resistance. It was ready for use after seven days.
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