Concrete Contractors in Miami Lakes, FL

Miami Lakes was planned around water, and concrete contractors working there have to keep that in mind on every job. Building began in 1962 by Sengra, now the Graham Companies, on the Graham family dairy farm, land once owned by state senator Ernest "Cap" Graham. Lester Collins, a former dean of the Harvard School of Design, drew the plan, with curving roads and many curving lakes, unlike the grid streets and rectangular lakes nearby. The town incorporated in December 2000, and about 0.85 of its 6.51 square miles is water.

Patios that end at the water

A lakefront patio is one of the most-used spaces in a Miami Lakes home, but it needs more planning than a patio in a dry backyard:

• Slope. Water should run off the patio toward the lawn, not toward the house, and it should not sheet straight into the lake carrying debris.
• Edge support. The ground near a lake bank can be softer. We check it and extend the base or thicken the edge where needed.
• Setbacks. Many lakefront lots have rules about how close hard surfaces can get to the water. We ask for your community's guidelines first.
• Finish. A textured or broom finish is safer for wet feet coming in from the lawn or pool.

Walkable streets, older concrete

Wikipedia describes the original section east of the Palmetto Expressway as an early model of New Urbanism, with narrow, walkable streets, curving tree-shaded roadways, tot-lot parks and shops within walking distance, centered on a town center called Main Street. Walkable streets mean sidewalks, front walks and aprons that get daily foot traffic, and shade trees whose roots have had decades to work under them. When we replace concrete there, the base and joints are brought up to current practice while the look stays in keeping with the street.

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Low and wet

The town sits at about 7 feet of elevation. With lakes woven through the neighborhoods, the water table is never far below the surface during the wet season. That affects the base under a slab and the timing of pours. We compact a good rock base, schedule pours early in the day, and protect fresh concrete from heavy afternoon rain.

Walks along the lakes

Many homes have walks or steps leading from the house down toward the water. Those paths are often on a slope and stay damp, which makes them slippery. We pour them with a broom or textured finish, add steps where the grade is steep, and keep the edges supported so the bank does not wash out from under them. Where roots from waterside trees have lifted a walk, we replace the damaged panels and deal with the cause.

Homes and approvals

The 2020 census counted 12,090 housing units in Miami Lakes, 7.0% of them vacant, and the Graham Companies still own a large share of the apartments, shopping centers and offices. For houses, stamped or broom-finished driveways and entries both work well, and if your neighborhood has association review for exterior changes, it will want to see the plan. Some work also needs a town permit. We provide drawings and samples for your association and check the town's requirements before scheduling.