These are the questions that did not fit on the other guide pages. If yours is missing, call (907) 331-4363 and ask.
How long does a concrete driveway last?
How long a concrete driveway lasts depends mostly on its base and its first winter. In mild places 25 to 30 years or more is commonly quoted. In Anchorage a driveway on drained gravel, made with air-entrained concrete and kept sealed, can reach that. One poured on silt, or salted in its first season, can look worn in five.
Can I pour concrete myself, or should I hire someone?
Small jobs are fine to do on your own: a pad, a few stepping squares. A driveway or a large patio is different. A truck delivers several yards at once, and it all has to be placed, leveled, finished and jointed in a couple of hours. Add the excavation that frost country demands and most owners are better off hiring.
Can I pour a small shed pad with bags from the store?
Yes, a small shed pad is a reasonable bag job. Dig out the topsoil, lay and compact several inches of gravel, build square forms and mix every bag to the same wetness. Use a mix rated for freeze and thaw exposure if you can find one. For anything over about 50 square feet, a short-load delivery is easier and more consistent.
I poured my own walkway and it cracked and sank. Should I redo it or hire someone?
First work out why. If it sank, the base was soft or thin, and a redo on the same ground will fail the same way. If you are willing to dig deeper, compact gravel and add joints every four or five feet, you can redo it yourself. If the ground is wet silt or the walk is long, hiring a crew with a compactor will cost less than a third try.
How do I get oil stains out of concrete?
For fresh oil stains, soak up what you can with cat litter, then scrub with a degreaser and hot water. Old stains need a poultice: an absorbent powder mixed with a solvent, spread on, covered and left to dry so it draws the oil out. Some shadow often remains. Sealing the garage floor afterwards makes the next spill easier to clean.
Can an old concrete floor be stained or dyed?
Yes, an old floor can be stained if it is clean, bare and dry. Paint, glue and sealer have to be ground off first, since stain cannot soak through them. Cracks, patches and old marks will show through the color. Most people like that look, but see a test area before you commit.
Do studded tires damage concrete?
Studs wear any pavement. On concrete they slowly polish and scratch the wheel paths, and they wear through sealers and surface color faster than anything else. Strong, well-cured concrete resists it far better than asphalt, which ruts. On a driveway, expect to reseal more often where the tires run.
A customer tripped on the concrete outside my business. Am I liable?
Whether you are liable depends on the facts and on Alaska law, so speak to your insurer and an attorney. In general a business is expected to keep its walking surfaces reasonably safe and to deal with hazards it knows about, including ice. Photograph the spot, report it to your insurer and fix the lip or the drainage problem promptly.
Can sections be replaced while my business stays open?
Yes. We replace walks, entries and parking areas one section at a time so the business stays open. A marked route to the door is kept clear, and pours are timed for your slow hours. New concrete needs a day or two before people walk on it and about a week before cars.
Can you pour a basketball pad or sport court?
Yes. A basketball pad is a flat slab with a smooth broom or light trowel finish, a slight slope for drainage and joints placed to stay out of the main playing area. There is no published price figure for these, so it is quoted after a visit. In winter the same pad makes a good base for a backyard rink liner.
Can a slab be heated to melt snow?
Yes. Hydronic tubing or electric cable can be cast into a new driveway, walk or set of steps. It works well and costs real money to install and run, so most owners heat only steps, a ramp or the wheel tracks. It must be designed before the pour, with insulation below and a heating or electrical contractor on the job.
Does salt air from Cook Inlet harm concrete?
Not much for ordinary home slabs. Salt spray matters right along Turnagain Arm and the inlet shore, where it adds to freeze and thaw wear and can rust steel that is too close to the surface. Dense, air-entrained concrete, enough cover over the rebar and a sealer deal with it.
The only real price is one written after we have seen the site. Call (907) 331-4363 or text us a photo of the area to set up a free on-site estimate.