Philadelphia Concrete Countertops

Stamped Concrete Driveways

Driveways are a common choice for stamped concrete applications. All elements of successful driveway construction should be followed: properly prepared sub grade, reinforcement, proper drainage, and correctly placed joint.

Today, the concrete choice has expanded to include a multitude of decorative concrete options. Your home's driveway can be stamped. colored or even polished to highlight your home's natural color and layout.

CMA can greatly improve your existing driveway, or we can pour and customize a new driveway for your home.

Below are a few basics of our custom driveway details.

• Subgrade Preparations- CMA will make sure your subgrade will be compacted and have an even thickness. Most standard driveways are about 4" thick.
• Correct Concrete Mixing- A 4000-psi, .50 water-to-cement ratio is best for driveway construction. This provides better wearability and a "denser" concrete than the typical 2500-psi mix. Concrete is permeable and "wicks" moisture from beneath the slab. With the moisture come salts from the soil which can leave efflorescence on the surface. The .50 w/c mix provides a geometric reduction in this "wicking" action. In cold climates, like ours near CMA Group headquarters, air entrainment should be added to the concrete at the batch plant. This entrained air allows any moisture which does enter the concrete to expand in the microscopic air pockets during a freeze/thaw cycle instead of putting internal pressure on the concrete.
• Correctly Placed Joints- Joints should be at least 1/4 the concrete thickness so a 1" deep joint should be used in a 4" thick driveway. Joints should also be spaced 2-3 times in feet the thickness of the concrete: so a 4" thick driveway should have joints no farther than 8' - 12'.
• We'll insure proper drainage- For best drainage, your customize concrete driveway should slope 1/4" per running foot away from your home. If proper drainage is prevented due to the area of concrete being locked between two structures, CMA Group may need to install drainage which will collect the water at a low point in the concrete and feed it down the drain.
• Reinforcement- CMA will install wire mesh, or steel bars placed in a grid pattern. In most cases, blocks should be used to keep the reinforcement in the center of the concrete. Note that reinforcement does not eliminate cracks—it simply holds them together. See our FAQ's for more information about cracking.
• Proper Finishing- after your customized concrete is bull-floated, it should be left alone until all the bleed water on top of the concrete has evaporated. Starting the finishing operation too soon can trap surface water and create a weak surface. CMA knows the timing of these projects and will be able to give you a rough estimate of the time it will take to accomplish your creative concrete goals.