Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Aug 29, 2013 5:30 pm My current driveway which is next to my front-yard is a combination of crushed sandstone and old concrete slabs. I am planning to transform this to a proper concrete driveway which means they need to dig out the current driveway (plus some tree roots) and create the new drive way I had a few questions. 1) How many different types of concrete driveways are there? I have heard of spray on, stencil etc etc 2) What are the main differences between each different type of the above driveways? 3) If I am speaking to concreters, what should I find out about them before we even speak about a quotation? 4) What is the process of quotation? Do they need to write up a proposal before doing the job? 5) Is there anything I need to be aware of before I give the job to anyone? Also I was looking to put in a couple of standing lights onto the driveway similar to these: http://www.savepower.com.au/image/2/550 ... ghting.jpg Whats the ebst way to go about this? I live in Sydney's innerwest / west, closer to Ryde area, any recommendations in terms of concreters in that area? Re: A few beginner questions about a new concrete driveway 2Aug 29, 2013 9:53 pm 1) and 2) When you ask what types of driveways there are, it seems you are mixing up terminology, between construction methods and finishing. There is one universal method to construct a driveway and is standard practice. Which is preparing the ground, laying the steel reinforcement, then pouring concrete straight on top, from a wheelbarrow or mixer. You have mentioned spray concrete. This is an alternative form of applying concrete, which is using high pressure to shoot the concrete form a hose. This method is used in swimming pools and civil applications. You can imagine it to be very hard to pour concrete onto a vertical surface. You also mention stenciling. This is how you finish the concrete, ie how it looks in the end, not how it is made. Stenciling and stamping is used to create patterns, or you can have a plain look like what you see in footpaths. 3) Im not a concreter, but im an engineer and have also done a fair bit of building including a driveway. Although we built it ourselves. It terms of the construction, its a fairly straight forward process i believe. You obviously need to speak to the about the roots and see if they can remove them for you. Also talk to them about the removal of the old slabs. See if they will do all that for you. oh and dont forget about the finish, if you want it normal or stenciled. 4) Unsure about the process, but the will look and the size, how much preparation the need, then calculate the amount of concrete and reinforcement. I dont think they need a proposal, unsure about this and if you need and approval from the council? 5)Try to find a reputable tradie for the job, look at reviews etc for obvious reasons. i can imagine if you want to install these lights, all you need to do is set them in the dirt and the desired locations, then brace it in a way it wont fall down when you pour the concrete around it. Once the concrete sets, remove the braces. Make sure they are vertical in the process. Good luck Re: A few beginner questions about a new concrete driveway 3Sep 01, 2013 1:08 am Thank you for the insight I will keep them in mind. I am basically getting a few quotations at present. I must say I have been suprized by the fact that this a home improvement forum and I have only received one response with regards to a concrete driveway. Are there any other forums where I can pick up other ideas? Re: A few beginner questions about a new concrete driveway 4Sep 01, 2013 8:28 am Tenex I am basically getting a few quotations at present. I must say I have been suprized by the fact that this a home improvement forum and I have only received one response with regards to a concrete driveway. Are there any other forums where I can pick up other ideas? The problem with your questions is that it would require a writing a book to give you a full answer which puts people of answering. For example here is an answer to one of your questions As far as types are concerned the normal standard provision is an an allowance for a new house is for a plain concrete driveway and enough concrete path from the back door to a washing pole. If you don't like plain concrete there are a range of options that include: Coloured Concrete For long term colour this is achieved by adding a colour to the concrete mix. Can be hard to match colours if you are going to add more hard areas afterwards. Paint You can use a paint finish on the plain concrete but will have to re-coat from time to time. Cheapest to DIY but use a good quality paint and follow the instructions exactly. Spray On Not only colour but patterns. Again, as with paint,it is applied to a plain concrete. It will be cheapest to get it applied by a specialist contractor after the building is finished. Longer lasting than paint but will wear ans hard to 'touch up". Exposed Aggregate Finish Concrete Looks classy available with a wide range of stone colours. It provides an effective none slip surface. Issues are it requires regular pressure cleaning to look good, and if I had small children I would be worried about scraped knees if they fell on it. Expensive Stamped and coloured concrete Used to be popular but seems to be falling out of favour. Make sure you pick a pattern that won't look out of place with the concrete joints. There are also few articles here about concreting here: http://www.anewhouse.com.au/category/co ... /concrete/ The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: A few beginner questions about a new concrete driveway 5Sep 02, 2013 5:13 pm And - if exposed Ag - when they first do it don't assume they've forgotten the stones ... I quite like the stencilled look - with colour - maybe like cobblestones - but cement. I posted the floorplan on Houzz.com forum and got some really good ideas and advice from people there. Then we reached out to a couple of renovation companies and one… 5 10083 To my understanding early saw cuts are to control shrinkage cracks, so doing them now would be pointless. Control joints may reduce ugly cracking during periods of soil… 3 9830 Hi all I need a guidance on how far I need to space expansion joints in the concrete driveway and its type (keyway/foam.) Contraction joints are at 3m max for a 125 slab. Thanks 0 10926 |