When you purchase a home, whether it’s newly constructed or something you know you’re going to have to put work into, you want to make it yours. Put your indelible stamp on it, and invest in making it a better place than when you first found it. Earlier this season, we were contracted by a new homeowner in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, to install a new driveway on a private drive amongst a heavily treed area. Having just recently moved into the home, the driveway was a complete mess: as you can see from the photos, there were numerous potholes, craters, and cracks, making it extremely difficult to use and putting undue wear-and-tear on our clients’ vehicles.
These types of road conditions can wreak havoc on your cars or trucks. Hitting potholes or craters repeatedly can knock your alignment out of place or damage your tire’s belt or sidewall, puncturing a hole in it, or bending or cracking the wheel. Additionally, extreme cold, heat, or excess water, as often found in Maryland (sometimes in the course of a few days, ha) can cause even more cracks or potholes to be created, so the problem needed to be addressed before cooler temperatures and oncoming fall and winter weather.
The driveway was quite a length, a large swath measuring over 400 feet, and while there was a lot of disrepair, the homeowner also had a budget to adhere to. We chose to replace only the front half of the driveway and its ample garage parking area for the time-being. With choices that include poured concrete, stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, or stained concrete, among others, the clients chose a simple, understated finish.
Despite the sizeable scale of the driveway, the project was completed, start to finish, in just two days – day one was devoted to the removal and demolition of the old driveway, whereas on day two we poured the concrete. We used both steel wire and fiber mesh, materials that reduce cracking and other structural damage, to reinforce the concrete, and thus providing exceptional strength and durability throughout. A slip-resistant, brushed finish was applied to the surface, and the no-longer-an-eyesore outcome is now a safe, even surface that will last for years to come while fully complementing the homeowner’s new (to them) residence and its beautiful outdoor landscape.
We consistently strive to provide a robust selection of options for our clients, while also delivering a tailored experience and high quality of workmanship and customer service. To hear more about our services or to brainstorm exactly how we can meet your concrete needs, please contact us.
