I've never worked with concrete on top of sand like you have but what you are proposing is what's currently used for concrete in other places. I don't see anything wrong with what the contractor is proposing for the looks of the finished surface, you need cut joints in the surface anyway as control joints so you might as well make them look decorative.
Driveway Specs for SW Florida
I'm drawing up some CAD plans to replace and add to our driveway. I'm new to Florida so I have no idea what typical specs are here. The plans will be detailed to the Nth degree because I hear some contractors here are a bit shady.
I was thinking 4" concrete with 10x10 wire mesh. The ground here is mostly sand so I was thinking where the grass is dug up to spec laying down fresh sand and compacting it. I doubt the ground has been touched in 50+ years. The house was built in 1964.
It will be for cars only, no heavy trucks, boats, etc. I don't want to go crazy, I just want to make sure the installation is done properly.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Julie
PS: One guy suggested salting the concrete and saw cutting 48"x48" diamonds and said it would look like granite. I saw some pictures of what he's done and I liked the look. Opinions?
I was thinking 4" concrete with 10x10 wire mesh. The ground here is mostly sand so I was thinking where the grass is dug up to spec laying down fresh sand and compacting it. I doubt the ground has been touched in 50+ years. The house was built in 1964.
It will be for cars only, no heavy trucks, boats, etc. I don't want to go crazy, I just want to make sure the installation is done properly.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Julie
PS: One guy suggested salting the concrete and saw cutting 48"x48" diamonds and said it would look like granite. I saw some pictures of what he's done and I liked the look. Opinions?
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
You will need to excavate down 8-10" and put in compacted rock.
If you use concrete use fiber mesh reinforced concrete somewhere around 3500+ psi.
If you use concrete use fiber mesh reinforced concrete somewhere around 3500+ psi.
I've never seen fiber mesh be very successful for driveway. Maybe it's different out your way but....You will need to excavate down 8-10" and put in compacted rock.
If you use concrete use fiber mesh reinforced concrete somewhere around 3500+ psi.
Why, works great.I've never seen fiber mesh be very successful for driveway. Maybe it's different out your way but....
probably bad sub grade...
You will need to excavate down 8-10" and put in compacted rock.
If you use concrete use fiber mesh reinforced concrete somewhere around 3500+ psi.
Ayuh,.... There is literally, No Rock, in sw Florida,....
Compacted sand will work,....
They pour entire slabs here on compacted sand so I'm guessing I'd just have to spec whatever dirt there may be in the turfgrass areas must be removed and replaced with compacted sand.
Everything here rusts. Maybe they already use something like Fibermesh 150 so I will spec it on the drawings. When I hand the drawings to the contractors bidding the job, I want them to look professionally done.
Everything here rusts. Maybe they already use something like Fibermesh 150 so I will spec it on the drawings. When I hand the drawings to the contractors bidding the job, I want them to look professionally done.
I'm drawing up some CAD plans to replace and add to our driveway. I'm new to Florida so I have no idea what typical specs are here. The plans will be detailed to the Nth degree because I hear some contractors here are a bit shady.
I was thinking 4" concrete with 10x10 wire mesh. The ground here is mostly sand so I was thinking where the grass is dug up to spec laying down fresh sand and compacting it. I doubt the ground has been touched in 50+ years. The house was built in 1964.
It will be for cars only, no heavy trucks, boats, etc. I don't want to go crazy, I just want to make sure the installation is done properly.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Julie
PS: One guy suggested salting the concrete and saw cutting 48"x48" diamonds and said it would look like granite. I saw some pictures of what he's done and I liked the look. Opinions?
There's bad apples in the barrel no matter where you live, that being said 4 inches for a driveway is what they use here as everywhere else, i used 6x6 mesh in mine 10 Ga., just be sure it's poured at a reasonable slump, 3/4 inches max as these guys tend to soup it up for easier placement, be a good idea to be on the job when it's placed, i don't see any reason for the fresh sand but it's your call, here the specs are the first 10 feet from the curb must be 6 inches thick and the balance 4 inches, be sure to have an expansion material placed where the 6 inches stop and the 4 inches begin, or you'll have a crack for sure.
If you like the saw cut method go for it, myself i like the hand tooled look, it's been down 23 years now and not a crack showing anyplace but where they should be, in the control joints.
Forgot to say that granite look may be a harbor for algae, look around for one thats been finished that way , and has been down for a year or two, if there's algae any place it will turn the concrete black.
suggest you not hire any of the bad guys, then,,, be sure & call me when the sand is compact'd,,, i've been doing that work for years & haven't learn'd how to compact sand yet,,, neither has any other contractor, engineer, or owner
i wouldn't use either mesh OR fiber in a 4" d/w,,, IF you're absolutely certain the mesh is located in the exact center of the slab (+/- 5% - .2), fine but i've never seen it - especially when the conc jabonies get thru tramping thru all the mud (conc),,, i suggest a properly installed joint pattern will do more to guarantee long life,,, HOWEVER, woody's there & i'm in atl
IF you place 6" thick at the apron, i use #4 bar - 24" o/c & placed on chairs for proper alignment
if anyone hands me specs/plans for a residential d/w, i'd know for certain they hadn't a clue,,, i'd suggest you pay more attn to the character of the contractor you hire than trying to learn a trade off the i-net,,, you want a good guy ? call your conc plant - they know who's profitable & pays their bills on time - jerks don't last long in this work
i wouldn't use either mesh OR fiber in a 4" d/w,,, IF you're absolutely certain the mesh is located in the exact center of the slab (+/- 5% - .2), fine but i've never seen it - especially when the conc jabonies get thru tramping thru all the mud (conc),,, i suggest a properly installed joint pattern will do more to guarantee long life,,, HOWEVER, woody's there & i'm in atl
IF you place 6" thick at the apron, i use #4 bar - 24" o/c & placed on chairs for proper alignment
if anyone hands me specs/plans for a residential d/w, i'd know for certain they hadn't a clue,,, i'd suggest you pay more attn to the character of the contractor you hire than trying to learn a trade off the i-net,,, you want a good guy ? call your conc plant - they know who's profitable & pays their bills on time - jerks don't last long in this work
Having a bad hair day???
i should have that much hair so i could :surprise:
The salting idea the first contractor suggested bothered me from the start because it leaves pits in the concrete. Another contractor came out and confirmed my concerns about salting (no prompting on my part). My SO wanted stamped and the second guy does it but you're back to leaving more areas for dirt and algae to collect. Only the expensive houses around here deviate from plain concrete, probably because they don't mind paying someone to come out regularly to power wash it. Yeah, algae is an issue here.Forgot to say that granite look may be a harbor for algae, look around for one thats been finished that way , and has been down for a year or two, if there's algae any place it will turn the concrete black.
BTW, the 2nd guy was impressed with the drawing but said it was too detailed for this area. So he asked me to eliminate a few details so he can use it to apply for the permit. He has a very good rep and does residential and commercial work, and a lot of it. I took a drive to see some of his work and I like it. It looks professionally done, unlike some of the others work.
Good that you found one you have faith in, but i'd still be on hand the day of the pour, and buttonhole the guy running the job, and remind him of your specs, as they sometimes have a memory loss, like when they poured mine and i told them to use expansion joint between the sidewalk and the driveway, they said we don't do it that way, i said you do today.
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
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