Eco-Friendly Concrete
Green Concrete Solutions Chicago and Suburbs
Concrete
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 number 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 then 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.
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 asphlat 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 its used as road-building material. Asphalt is also used in the manufacturing of black and very dark paints and varnishes.
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.
Green 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.
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.
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.
