735 Rock Creek Rd Hot Springs, Arkansas 71913

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735 Rock Creek Rd Hot Springs, Arkansas 71913

Find us

735 Rock Creek Rd Hot Springs, Arkansas 71913

Find us

How to create a concrete driveway?

Do you want to make a crack-free and strong concrete driveway for your home? Creating a concrete driveway is not a difficult task, as many people would think. Here are pro tips to help you in forming edges, smoothing, curing, and leveling while building a concrete driveway like a pro.

TyAnn Honeycutt
TyAnn Honeycutt
2023-08-18
This company went above and beyond, I won’t ever use anyone else! Very professional, on time, high work ethic, they were here before 6am! Which was an hour from Hot Springs. Y’all did great, thank you! P.S. We did the footer and rebar our selves lol
Tony Woodard
Tony Woodard
2023-06-15
Michael Phillips and his crew are excellent in there field. They were always professional , on time, cleaned up after work was completed and attentive to any questions asked. I'm the Chief Mechanical Inspector for the State of Arkansas and I have been around construction for 36 years, I can promise you I no outstanding work when I see it and A & P provides that for their customers
Kevin Willett
Kevin Willett
2023-05-21
Mike was responsive and easy to work with, even though we had to make some changes he worked with us to get it done the right way and in a timely manner!
Manuel Y.
Manuel Y.
2023-05-17
I needed a slab for my above ground pool. My contractor flaked out on me last minute. Michael(Mike)was able to take the job on short notice. Mike is very knowledgeable and professional. I will definitely hire him again for future work.
tommy bowen
tommy bowen
2023-04-05
They have done several jobs for me! They answer their phones and are great comumunicators! Do NOT hesitate to use A&P.
Stephen L Saunders
Stephen L Saunders
2022-11-11
I am a property manager on an extensive property on Lake Hamilton. I was so happy after using A&P to pour a slab for a metal building that I knew they were the right team to demolish, redesign and replace an enormous asphalt driveway with concrete. The project was so big it took over a month to demo the asphalt , haul away, and pour the new concrete. The communication was beyond exceptional and they did a wonderful job pouring and finishing the driveway. In all my years, I have never had better communication every step of the way. I will truly miss seeing Mike, David, Richard, and others as I did almost daily for a month. They treated me like family and I trust them greatly! We have annual sea wall repairs next and I look forward to meeting with the guys soon and starting our next project. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! .
David Williams
David Williams
2022-11-11
Price was fair. Mike kept open communication throughout. Price did not change even with a 2hour delay in getting the concrete. Job looks great and the clean up was very good. Outstanding company. Highly recommend. David Williams
Robin Wells
Robin Wells
2022-06-18
We hired A&P concrete to clean and seal our exposed aggregate pool decking. Mike was very informative and upfront about our options and the results we could expect when he performed the estimate. The job was done in a timely and professional manner and looks 100% better. They were able to remove all the black stain on the concrete and with the sealant the rocks sparkle in the sun! Pricing was extremely competitive for a job well done. Highly recommend Mike and his crew at A&P!

Set the forms

One of the most common problems with a form is that it can collapse or bulge under the wet concrete’s weight. To avoid this, create strong forms by using thick boards. If your forms extend more than the below ground, you should pack some soil against it. Whereas, if the forms extend over 6 inches above the ground, minimize the spacing between different stakes and brace them with each other.

Form curves using Masonite

Hardboard is used to form curves as it is less expensive and flexible. Hardboard requires extra reinforcement for preventing collapsing or bulging of the forms due to the wet concrete weight. For belowground forms, you have to place the stakes that are not more than the 3 feet. On the other hand, place the stakes 16 inches apart, if forms are above ground. When creating curved sidewalks with parallel sides, build one side and then use a gauge board to create the other side.

Stakes the forms tight

Stakes that are above forms can create hurdles for the screed board, and without these obstacles, the screeding concrete is solid enough. Before you start pouring, you need 5 minutes to cut off the protruding stakes. If your form tops are near the ground level, ensure that the screed board does not drag against the level of the ground.

Create a solid base

To make a crack-free concrete, a well-drained and firm base is important. If you want to make a solid base, use a compacted soil with the various inches of base material like gravel. And, the perfect base depends on the soil and climate conditions. The perfect idea is to pack a soil with the plate compactor, but remember if your soil is sandy, don’t use the gravel.

Vibrate the bubbles

While pouring the concrete, air pockets can get trapped against forms, and it may lead voids into the vertical surfaces. Generally, this does not matter when you are creating driveways or sideways. But on stairs, walls, curbs, or aboveground, it looks like a piece of Swiss cheese. To prevent this, you need to use a 2*4 and plunge along with the forms. Then, tap the sides with the help of a hammer along with all forms.
Avoid using too much water
There is no need to add extra water unless your concrete is too much dry. Carefully measure the water quantity, and if you add too much water, it can weaken the mixture. Extra water can help you make your work easier, but it may make your slab weak.

Floating your edges

Once screeding concrete is complete, it’s time to float. Floating the stones in the mixture pulls the cement and makes the surface smooth as a cream so that you can easily broom or trowel the surfaces without snagging gravel chunks. When creating the driveway or sidewalk, get a helper who can begin floating before the entire screeding is complete. However, if water puddles form on the surface after you screed, you have to delay the floating and wait until the water puddles disappear completely.

Deep cut the control joints

The grooves in the concrete are known as control joints as they control the cracking. The grooves create straight breaks and not the ugly break patterns. These control joints can limit the number of cracks that may appear later. You can make the control joints by plowing the grooves into the wet concrete just after floating, or you can cut them with the saw the next day. Also, you can make a joint with the help of a groover in wet concrete, which is easier and creates less mess.

Curing Concrete

Water is important for the chemical process because it hardens the concrete. Once you make the concrete hard enough that you can’t make impressions with your fingers, spread the plastic effectively. Eliminate the wrinkles by stretching the plastic and put the weight on edges to avoid moisture escaping. When you notice the drying signs, lift the plastic and sprinkle more water. Depending on the time of the year you should keep the driveway damp for a a couple days upto a week, whereas, for patio or sidewalk, keep it damp for at least 2 – 3 days.

 A & P serves as a Concrete contractor Little Rock arkansas to Hot Springs, Ar we always provide free estimates and quality work.

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