Dallas Concrete Installation – Common Mistakes & Causes
Dallas Concrete Installation – Common Mistakes & Causes
Dallas concrete installation projects are a stellar investment for residential and commercial properties. Concrete is impressively resilient and versatile enough for a wide range of applications. Here in Dallas, you see concrete slabs used for everything from parking lots and sidewalks to dumpster pads and patios. Whatever ideas you have in mind, you must work with experienced contractors. Pouring concrete is trickier than it looks, and inexperienced contractors can make seemingly small mistakes that significantly impact the final product. Let’s explore common concrete installation mistakes and why they happen.
What Causes Sinking and Cracking After Concrete Installation?
There are many reasons why your concrete slab could sink, crack, or fail after installation. One of the most common culprits, however, is improper engineering. More precisely, concrete installation in Dallas can fail because the slab isn’t the appropriate thickness for your intended use.
All concrete looks the same at surface level, but more engineering goes into these structures than most realize. The overall thickness of your concrete slab directly impacts its strength, load-bearing capacity, and overall durability. Failing to match the concrete thickness to your planned use of the surface could result in disaster, forcing you to get professional concrete repair in Dallas.
Consider how you plan to use your slab and consult your contractor. Simple residential driveways do fine with only four inches of thickness to support light passenger vehicles. Meanwhile, concrete parking lots may require upwards of 10 inches. Industrial applications or surfaces that need to support heavy-duty equipment may require 12 inches or more of concrete!
Does Concrete Slab Require Rebar?
Before contractors install concrete, they must determine if your project requires additional internal supports. Rebar increases tensile strength to prevent cracking. The biggest mistake you can make during concrete installation in Dallas is assuming you don’t need it. While it’s not necessary in all projects, it’s often better to be safe than sorry!
Generally, thicker concrete slabs intended to support heavier traffic and loads need rebar. Failing to add it will have you footing the bill for frequent concrete repairs in Dallas.
What Needs to Happen Before Pouring Can Start?
In addition to adding rebar, contractors need to ensure that the slab has adequate support before concrete pouring can start. Slabs and flatwork are durable structures that can support thousands of pounds. However, they need a sound foundation to do that without settling, buckling, cracking, or non-stop concrete repair in Dallas.
Before concrete slab installation, contractors must analyze the soil and prepare a sturdy sub-base. Most sites need soil amendments before teams can install concrete. Concrete installation companies will bring in aggregate material, mix it with the existing soil to boost its load-bearing capabilities, and compact the area. This extra work makes a difference, ensuring the finished slab is stable enough to stay put.
What Happens If Contractors Use the Wrong Material for Dallas Concrete Installation?
Finally, you must utilize the right material for your concrete installation project. All concrete is a simple mix of cement, water, and aggregates. However, different types of core ingredients and their mix ratio can affect the concrete in major ways. Many concrete mixes are available, and you can use varying grades classified by their compressive strength. Furthermore, contractors can include additives to give the mix distinct properties before pouring concrete.
Concrete slab installation companies must use the proper mix type for the surface’s intended use. If they use the wrong materials for concrete installation in Dallas, you may encounter issues that require concrete repair in Dallas, including scaling, cracking, sinking, and more.
Ready to install concrete without dealing with these common mistakes? Turn to HI-TEK Paving Services. We’ve been in this business for over 15 years. We’re concrete pouring experts who take the time to do things right. Our team approaches every project with a personalized touch, putting in the time and effort to engineer your slab, plan every logistic, and ensure an outstanding finished product. We never cut corners, rush jobs, or skimp on quality. Instead, we set the standards for concrete installation in Dallas.
In addition to concrete installation, you can turn to us for concrete repairs, parking lot maintenance, striping, asphalt paving, overlays, sealcoating, and more. Call HI-TEK Paving Services at (214)908-9641, email kevin@hi-tekpaving.com, or use our online form to request a free quote today!
