Over time, a concrete block home offers the homeowner many benefits in terms of durability and strength. Not only is this material resistant to fire and pest infestations like termites, but it’s resistant to the damaged caused by extreme weather as well.
Common signs of a damaged foundation include cracks in the sheetrock of a wall or in a brick exterior. Doors and windows may become difficult to close due to shifts in the foundation. Such damage can significantly lower the value of your home.
A unique consideration is installation of a stamped concrete curb that looks like it was jointed and mortared; however, it will actually be a continuous, unbroken stretch for greater stability and durability.
The key ingredients found in modern concrete have been around for a long time. Indeed, in Israel, million year old natural shale deposits (a combination of oil shale and limestone chemical reactions) have been found that confirm the existence of rudimentary concrete.
Concrete is known for having great durability, even under exceptionally rough conditions. For example, the Eddystone Lighthouse in Devon, England was built in the mid-1700s. When it was torn down a century later, the rocks underneath it had eroded, but not the concrete.
We specialize in providing concrete wall-blocks of every size. Concrete blocks offer excellent R-value insulation for your building, and provide your contractor with a flexible means of making last-second changes to construction plans.
Because concrete can be easily shaped to transition between cross-sections, curbs can be designed with tapering in mind. This allows them to be used for pedestrian crossing areas and also meet the requirements of the disabled.
Fiber reinforcement is another way to help prevent cracking in your concrete when used properly. Fiber reinforcement makes concrete stronger, less permeable, and reduces impact and abrasion. These fibers most commonly consist of steel and glass.
Concrete curbs are very important to the actualization of a parking lot or roadway. In fact, concrete curbs are the very element that defines the edges of a parking lot! They also serve another vital use: they help retain parking lots on inclines.
Local foundation companies will be familiar with particular issues like environmental stress, soil composition and building practices and will be able to offer a tailored approach to laying yours.
Mountable curbs are those that contain sloping faces that allow for vehicle encroachment without wheel or tire damage. Mountable curbs come with slopes that are graceful enough to allow vehicles to cross them so to access a driveway or similar area.
Essentially, the structural integrity of your home depends on the strength of your foundation. The foundation supports everything else, from walls to windows and floors and the roof, so when it’s damaged, it can cause serious problems.
Is concrete a locally resourced material? If you guessed yes, you're right. Because shipping costs for heavy loads are high, the gravel and sand used to make concrete is usually obtained nearby, probably within around 25 miles of the jobsite.
Concrete blocks can be used as the base for a raised garden bed. Wood is commonly used in garden beds, but it will rot over time, requiring that it be replaced periodically.
If you have a strain on your concrete, you should avoid using steel brushes. These can leave behind metal particles that will stain or rust the concrete. Better methods for stain removal are sand blasting, flame cleaning, or chemical treatments.
The Bates Road Test in Illinois (1922-1923) systematically subjected 78 different pavement sections to sustained truck traffic. It demonstrated that concrete was superior to brick, and led to the first equation that defined slab thickness for concrete roads.
It was the Romans who first found cement that could be set under water to build harbors. The cement was made by adding a fine, pink dust, (volcanic ash) to lime. The process was named “pozzolanic” cement after the village of Pozzuoli near Mount Vesuvius.
After our concrete is poured, it is usually finished using a broom or trowel. A broom finish is usually performed on outdoor surfaces like sidewalks and driveways to crease a non-slip surface. Trowels are used to provide a smooth finish to interior concrete surfaces.
Precast concrete products are resistant to attack from termites and other infestations such as rats and mice. This is in stark contrast to organic building materials, which make the best kind of food for these types of creatures.
Mudjacking or slabjacking can be used to raise an entire foundation that’s settling. It shouldn’t be used in isolation under just the load-bearing sections, because this stabilizes those sections but allows unsupported areas to continue to settle.
If you are considering concrete for a paving project around your home, we have the expertise to explain exactly what to expect, and then quickly and professionally complete the job.
A large part of the strength of the concrete comes from the proper mix of the materials in concrete. A concrete contractor will evaluate the application, then mix the correct ratios of cement, water, air, and aggregate to give the right amount of strength.
What is mudjacking? Great question. As foundation contractors, we use the term to describe the process of pumping concrete (which we call mud) into the soil below a sinking foundation or slab to lift, level and stabilize it.
If you have broad expanse of property, or share unbroken boundaries with neighbors, concrete curbs and low walls will provide perspective to your landscaping, creating a more pleasant view.
Used for sinking foundations, slabjacking is a foundation repair process that entails professional tools, know-how and equipment. Basically, slabjacking involves drilling holes into the base and filling the space under the foundation with cement and fly ash so it floats back to its original position.
"Slump" is a technical term in the concrete industry, and refers to how workable the material is in its liquid state; it is a measure of its consistency. The greater the slump of the concrete, the better its workability.
According to the American Society of Engineers, about fifty percent of houses constructed annually in the United States are built on soils that are unstable, and roughly half of those homes will face damage as a result.
