Concrete Driveways & Patios in Maple Shade, NJ

Flat lots make pitch the priority

Maple Shade sits on relatively flat ground, and concrete there has no help from the land. A driveway or patio sheds water only if it's shaped to. Slabs that have settled flat — or worse, back toward the garage or house — hold puddles that freeze into ice sheets in winter and speed up surface damage.

Every slab we pour is formed to a planned fall, checked with instruments, that carries water to the street, the yard or a drain.

Why concrete fails

Before recommending anything, we figure out why the existing concrete failed:

• No stone base, so water collects under the slab and freezes
• Soft soil settling unevenly
• Salt and freeze-thaw breaking down the surface
• Control joints missing or too far apart
• Pitch that holds water or sends it toward the house

Repair or replace

A single damaged section on an otherwise sound slab can sometimes be replaced alone. When the whole driveway lacks a base, patches just move the failure. We'll explain what we find.

Modest lots, careful access

Many Maple Shade homes sit on modest lots with neighbors close by and driveways near the property line. We size equipment to the access, protect neighboring driveways and lawns, and keep the street clean during removal and pour.

Removal

Old concrete is broken out, loaded and hauled away, with lawns, beds and adjoining surfaces protected along the route.

The base

After removal, we excavate below soft soil, dig out weak spots, and install stone in compacted lifts. The base spreads vehicle loads evenly and lets water drain from under the slab instead of freezing there.

Reinforcement and control joints

Concrete moves as it cures and with temperature, so we control where it cracks. Slabs are reinforced, jointed at proper spacing so cracks form in straight lines inside the joints, and isolated from the house, garage and walks.

Patios that help the basement

A patio that has tipped toward the house sends rain at the foundation. New patios are pitched away from the house, and where water still collects at an edge, a trench drain or French drain can carry it off.

Walks, steps and stoops

Settled walks and steps are trip hazards and can steer water at the house. We rebuild them on a compacted base and match the driveway finish.

Widening a driveway

Adding width for a second car is a common request. The new section needs the same base as the rest. If the existing slab is aging, replacing it all at once gives matching color, finish and joints.

Aprons and street work

The apron takes salt and plows. Work in the street right-of-way generally needs township approval, which we handle, and we build the apron to meet the road cleanly.

Wetter ground near the creek

Closer to the Pennsauken Creek, the ground can be wetter, and water under a slab is the enemy of concrete. On those lots we pay extra attention to base depth and drainage at the slab edges.

Utilities first

Maple Shade runs its own sewer system, and most homes get water from Maple Shade Township Utilities, with New Jersey American Water in some areas. We have every utility marked before breaking concrete. If a line under the driveway needs replacing, it's best done while the slab is out.

Season and aftercare

We schedule most flatwork spring through fall, away from freezing nights and heavy rain. We'll tell you when the slab can take foot traffic and a car, and recommend keeping harsh deicers off it through its first winter.

How long the job takes

Most residential driveways and patios follow the same rhythm: one visit to break out and haul away the old concrete, time to excavate and compact the base, a day to set forms and reinforcement, and the pour itself. Rain can push a pour back a day, and we'll tell you as soon as it does. While the slab cures, we'll tell you where to park and when the driveway is ready to use again.

Planning with your neighbors

On closely spaced streets, a concrete job affects the house next door. We'll give you the schedule ahead of time so you can let neighbors know, keep their driveway clear during removal and pour, and clean the street at the end of every day.

What a finished job looks like

The new slab should be evenly finished and jointed, with crisp edges, no low spots, and the lawn along it graded and ready for seed. After the first heavy rain, water should run off and away from the house. If something doesn't perform as described, we come back.