Chicago Asphalt and Concrete Repairs and Pouring

Concrete is one of the most popular materials for driveways and walkways and for good reason. Concrete is durable and requires little maintenance. It also gives you a n umber of versatile and decorative options in appearance. Before you can hire a company to begin pouring your concrete, you'll first need a plan. One of the elements where many homeowners don't spend enough time is driveway and walkway planning. We can help you design the correct driveway or walkway for your property.

Driveway design, in particular, will help ensure your concrete installation doesn't run into problems. Naturally, you'll need a wider driveway for two cars, although if your house is setback from the road, you may want a single-car driveway that expands to accommodate two cars near the house. Concrete driveways can be poured in any size or shape. You might want to consider a curved driveway to maximize the curb appeal of your driveway and your outdoor landscaping.

Using Quality Materials for Concrete Driveways and Walkways

The professional standard for pouring concrete is that you should not use less than a five sack mix (five sacks of cement per cubic yard) or a compressive strength of not less than 2800 PSI for a driveway. Concrete should be a minimum thickness of four inches and placed on a well-compacted surface. Expansion joints should be placed so that no section of concrete exceeds 150 square feet and so the joints are no farther apart in length than twice the width. The depth of the joints should be a minimum of one-fourth the thickness of the slab. For example, a four-inch slab needs one-inch deep joints.

Concrete Driveway and Walkway Cost

It's difficult to quote estimated costs of concrete installations simply because the price of concrete varies so much. Transporting concrete to your home accounts for more of the cost than you might imagine. We can tell you, however, how the cost of concrete driveways and walkways relates to other materials. Concrete is cheaper than pavers, brick, or precious stones, such as cobblestone. Concrete will probably be more expensive than asphalt, generic stone, or gravel. Since stone requires quite a bit of maintenance, asphalt allows for versatility in appearance, and gravel is tacky, concrete is the material of choice for homeowners who want a beautiful, durable driveway without paying top dollar.

Decorative Concrete Walkways and Driveways

Decorative concrete, which has been stained, stamped, or in some way finished, has little resemblance to the rough, plain, gray material that most people imagine. Decorative concrete is slightly more common in walkways, but can be used just as effectively for driveways. Concrete walkways can be finished to imitate more elegant stones or to create their own unique textures and patterns. With decorative concrete, you retain the incredible durability of concrete without sacrificing beauty. If your neighborhood requires you maintain a sidewalk that you think is an eyesore, decorative concrete is a great idea to keep up with local ordinances and transform the dull concrete into extra curb appeal.

Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete has good looks locked in. While slate's rich, random colours have made it a favourite paving and flooring material, it can be cost prohibitive for use in large areas such as driveways, entertaining and pool areas. Earthgroup Construction and Remodeling stamped concrete is the cost-effective solution that offers all the colours of slate with the strength of concrete. Even the look of sunbleached wood can be created in stamped concrete to make a dramatically different surface.

Whatever your choice is Earthgroup Construction and Remodeling offers stamped concrete with a special color hardeners seal, which provides lasting good looks and offers an extremely durable finish that is so easy to maintain. Earthgroup Construction and Remodeling stamped concrete adds color and character wherever you would normally use concrete in both domestic and commercial applications including pathways, driveways, barbecue area.

Asphalt

Asphalt is commonly used in road making, roofing, and waterproofing.  It varies in consistency from a solid to semisolid.  There are multiple kinds of asphalt found in the world from a naturally formed asphalt obtained as a residue in the distillation or refining of petroleum.  This type of asphalt is very commonly used in commercial applications.  Another type of asphalt comes from a natural mixture of asphalt with sand and limestone, when crushed is used as road-building material.  Asphalt is also used in the manufacturing of black and very dark paints and varnishes.

Green Concrete and Asphalt Solutions

An environmentally safe chemical additive which is added at the batch plant-not to the mix but rather to the mix water, where it can have the greatest positive impact on the mix-to consistently create high quality concrete at a reasonable cost.

Environmentally safe internal waterproofing solutions which, when sprayed on, deeply penetrate the concrete to preserve and protect it. The solutions last for the entire life of the concrete and are used on brand new and/or existing concrete.

Solutions that provide breathable surface membranes or non-membrane protection for concrete and/or masonry, stucco, wood and others to protect and extend the lifespan.

An anti-slip solution for slippery surfaces such as marble and ceramic tile that increases the surface traction when dry and even more so when the surface is wet.

Heated Concrete and Snow Melting Solutions

An electric Heated Driveway is one of the finest conveniences you can enjoy. Sit back and relax snow and ice melt from your driveway, sidewalk, and stairs. Exterior snow melting systems are now becoming common in areas that are known for harsh winters that require shoveling snow or the use of salt and snow melting chemicals. Energy-efficient electric snowmelt systems are designed to provide maintenance-free snow melting in concrete, asphalt, stone, brick paver surfaces and more.

Roof Deicing systems are one of the best investments you can make to protect your roof from snow and ice damage. Freeze-thaw conditions form dangerous ice dams and icicles that can cause structural damage and leaking to your roof. Snow accumulation creates heavy weight loads on roofs and are often dangerous and difficult to remove. Fortunately, snow and ice can now be cleared away with a well-designed roof deicing system.

Earthgroup designs and sells snowmelt systems direct. Click on the snow melting system link to learn more about the convenience and safety that a radiant heat system can provide for any home or business, or contact us direct for a FREE SNOW MELTING ESTIMATE and/or a FREE ROOF DEICING ESTIMATE.

Snow Melting Installation and Applications

Earthgroup snow melting systems can be installed in almost any driveway, and they are unique because they are durable enough to be installed in new asphalt driveways. Without sacrificing performance, these great products are incredibly easy to install compared to other snow melting systems on the market. Earthgroup carries both low- and line-voltage radiant snow melting systems. The electric radiant heat system is designed to produce 30+ watts per square foot and provide maintenance-free snow melting for year.

The Benefits of Snow Melting

The Earthgroup radiant snow melting system uses a line-voltage cable that can be installed in almost every type of snow melting project, including new pour asphalt. No other snowmelt system can be installed in fresh asphalt. Because of Earthgroup heat cable's rugged construction, it can withstand the heat and compression of newly poured asphalt.

This high quality product provides the luxury of an automated driveway heating system at an affordable price, and is great for both residential and commercial projects. There are several advantages of this system over other snow melting systems, which are outlined below.

Earthgroup Construction and Remodeling combines the elegance of brick and stone with the durability of concrete in a highly creative range of finishes and designs. Earthgroup Construction and Remodeling is at the forefront of stencil concrete technology. We offer you the absolute latest in designs and techniques to ensure years of low-maintenance performance. All of our stencils and color hardeners for tough Midwestern conditions. Quality products demand quality installation, and that's why we recommend our fully licensed and experienced stencil concrete professionals, assuring you of the highest professional standards.

If you have a question about concrete, asphalt or would like to schedule your free in-home estimate, please call our office at: (773)  930-4533  email us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or simply fill out an online estimate form for a free in-home consultation.