Concrete Driveways in Macon, GA

A concrete driveway in Macon carries your car every day, sits in full sun through long summers, and has to move about 46 inches of rain a year off your property. Half of the homes in the city were built before 1980, so many driveways here are original slabs that have cracked, settled or been pushed up by roots. We tear out failed driveways and pour new ones, and we build new driveways for additions, widened parking and new homes.

When an old driveway has run its course

• Cracks that have opened past roughly a quarter inch or keep getting longer
• Sections that have sunk and hold water or tip toward the garage
• Panels lifted by tree roots that are a trip hazard
• Crumbling edges along the lawn or where the slab meets the street
• A flaking, rough surface across most of the driveway
• A driveway too narrow for two cars that you want widened

If only one or two panels are bad and the rest is sound, replacing just those sections or repairing them may be the better choice. We look at the whole driveway before we recommend anything.

How a driveway is built

The part you see is only the top of the job. Most driveway failures start below it.

Tear-out and grading. Old concrete is broken out and hauled away. Soft or organic soil is dug out, and the grade is set so the finished surface drains toward the street or a yard area, never toward the house.

Base. A layer of crushed stone is spread and compacted. A firm, even base keeps the slab from settling in spots. Around Macon the ground varies from lot to lot, since the city sits where hilly Piedmont ground meets the sandy Coastal Plain, so we look at each site rather than assume.

Thickness and reinforcement. HomeGuide's driveway guide calls for a minimum of 4 inches under ordinary cars, 5 or 6 inches where an RV or heavy truck parks, and thickened edges. Your vehicles decide the depth, and rebar goes in where weight, slope or soft ground make it worthwhile.

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Pour and finish. A broomed texture is the usual choice because it grips when the drive is wet. Exposed aggregate, color or a stamped border are options.

Joints and curing. Control joints are cut or tooled so cracks form along straight lines. In summer we pour early and keep the slab damp or apply curing compound so it does not dry too fast.

Caring for a new driveway

For the first week, keep cars off entirely; trucks and trailers should wait about a month. Once the concrete has cured for about a month, a penetrating or film sealer helps keep out water and oil; plan on resealing every few years. Rinse off oil and fertilizer, keep downspouts pointed away from the slab, and fill new cracks while they are small.