Concrete Driveways in Tuscaloosa, AL

Concrete driveways in Tuscaloosa usually fail from below. The surface rarely wears out first. Instead, the clay underneath swells after weeks of rain and shrinks in a dry spell, runoff from the roof or yard softens one corner, and a panel by the garage or at the street drops or tips. Once a panel moves, the cracks widen every season and the driveway starts holding puddles.

Signs it is time for a new driveway

• Several panels have sunk or tilted, especially at the garage door or the apron
• Cracks have opened wide enough that one side sits higher than the other
• Water pools on the driveway or runs back toward the house
• The surface has worn through to loose stone across large areas
• The edges along the yard are broken off
• It is too narrow for the cars and trucks you park now

One sunken panel on an otherwise solid driveway can often be lifted, and that is covered on our repair page. When settling, wide cracks and drainage problems all show up at once, replacement usually costs less over time than patching.

What goes under the concrete

We break out the old driveway, whether it is concrete, asphalt or gravel, and dig out soft or organic soil. Crushed stone goes in and is compacted in layers to give the slab firm, even support that does not hold water against it. Forms are set so the finished surface falls toward the street or a side yard, never toward the garage floor or the foundation.

Thickness depends on what parks there. HomeGuide's driveway guide says a residential driveway should be at least 4 inches thick for standard vehicles, 5 to 6 inches for RVs and heavy traffic, with edges of 6 to 8 inches. If you park a work truck, a boat trailer or a camper, we thicken that area. Rebar set in the middle of the slab holds cracked sections together so they do not separate and shift.

Drainage is half the job

Tuscaloosa averages about 53.5 inches of rain a year, according to Wikipedia's climate table, and much of it comes in heavy storms. Before forming, we look at where your downspouts empty, where the yard sheds water and where the street gutter sits. Sometimes the fix is as simple as extending a downspout past the slab. Sometimes it means adding a trench drain at the garage or reshaping the ground beside the driveway. Either way it is settled before the concrete arrives.

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The apron and the street

The last few feet of most driveways, the apron and any public sidewalk it crosses, usually sit in the street right-of-way. The City of Tuscaloosa's Office of the City Engineer lists right-of-way permits among its applications, and the city's permit page says permits are required for new construction and alterations. We confirm what your address needs, in the city, Northport or the county, and handle the timing.

Finish choices

• Broom finish: the standard. Fine ridges give grip in rain.
• Exposed aggregate: the top paste washed away to show the stone, which hides tire marks.
• Stamped or colored borders: a decorative band along the edges while the main lanes stay plain.
• Smooth trowel: neat looking but slick when wet, so we keep it off sloped driveways.

Caring for a new driveway

Keep cars off for at least seven days. HomeGuide recommends waiting about 30 days for heavy vehicles and 28 to 30 days before the first coat of sealer, then resealing every 2 to 3 years. Keep downspouts discharging away from the edges, and fill small cracks early so water cannot get under the slab.