Concrete is a favored material for driveways, and for good reason. Concrete slabs are VERY strong and durable, and they require very little maintenance. The combined strength and longevity make concrete good value for large areas of paving such as driveways. As a driveway surface, concrete is slightly more expensive than gravel or asphalt, BUT it is considerably less expensive than a driveway made with brick, cobblestone, or concrete pavers—and it outlasts all of these put together by a LONG way! Ask anyone who has an asphalt driveway how often they need to repair and patch it, or how often the rake comes out for gravel driveways….
Although plain concrete serves its purpose well, it can be rather dull in appearance. These days though, concrete can be stamped to create a unique and attractive surface, as well as having exposed aggregate to give it texture. The options are endless. Ask GD ConcreteWorx about the possibilities for your concrete driveway and see why we are the Gold Coast’s number one driveway specialist.
A professional GD Concrete Worx gold coast driveway consists of a timely procedure. We excavate, prepare forms, install reinforcing steel, pour the concrete, and finish the surface quickly and efficiently. Our expert team can do large projects in a couple of days, and most smaller jobs in less than a day.
Keep in mind that one of the most important parts of a concrete driveway installation is the curing. Concrete doesn’t dry out, instead it undergoes a slow chemical process that hardens and strengthens the structure. The Gold Coast Winter is an ideal time for concrete curing, whereas in summer the surface should be dampened regularly with water to slow down the curing time as the heat can cause it to dry out too fast.
Wait at least a week before driving on the new driveway, and at least a month before parking heavy vehicles on the driveway. Wait a month or two before sealing the concrete if that is planned.
Please let us know if you would like to see any of our completed driveways to see the quality of our work as we have excellent concrete driveways all over the Gold Coast.
Creating decorative concrete driveways can be achieved with stencil paving and a range of surface textures that can be manually applied to wet concrete. Exposed Aggregate can certainly add a special touch to any driveway.
Freshly poured concrete driveways are ideal for applying texture to. Wet concrete can have hand created textures such as brooming and coving applied. For the more adventurous, artistic imprints using anything from palm fronds to handprints are a great addition. Rock salt can also be used to dramatic effect resulting in a randomised texture and tool joints can be used to create the appearance of large pavers. The opportunities are endless!
Stencils can also be laid over fresh wet concrete and can simulate a paved appearance using one of the many patterns available.