Concrete Driveways in Pembroke Pines, FL

Concrete Driveways wear out on a schedule, and in Pembroke Pines many of them are due. The city's median home dates to 1992, and HomeGuide expects a driveway to last about 30 years with basic care. A driveway poured with a 1980s or 1990s house has spent three decades under cars, sun and close to 62 inches of rain a year. If yours has wide cracks, sunken sections or crumbling edges, it may be time to start over.

Signs a driveway needs replacing

• Cracks wider than about 1/4 inch, or cracks with one side higher than the other
• Sections that have sunk and hold water after rain
• Crumbling or broken edges along the lawn
• Spalling, where the top layer flakes off and exposes stone
• Tree roots lifting slabs near the street
• Repairs that have failed more than once

A single cracked panel can often be cut out and replaced. When most of the driveway shows these problems, replacement costs less over time than patching.

What a replacement involves

The old concrete is broken up and hauled away. We then look at what was under it. Older driveways often sit on a thin or uneven base, and soft spots are dug out and filled with compacted rock. Forms are set to the final shape and pitched so water runs toward the street or a swale instead of the garage. Reinforcement goes in, then the pour, finishing, control joints and curing.

Thickness and reinforcement

HomeGuide recommends at least 4 inches of concrete for a residential driveway and 5 to 6 inches for RVs and heavier traffic, with edges thickened to 6 to 8 inches. If you park a boat, trailer or work truck at home, tell us, because we ask what will sit on the slab before we set the thickness. We use rebar or wire mesh depending on the load, and we cut joints at spacing that keeps cracks in the joints rather than across panels.

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Widening and aprons

Many original driveways were sized for one or two smaller cars. Widening adds a strip along one side, and we pin the new pour to the old slab so the two move together. If the existing driveway is near the end of its life, it usually makes more sense to replace the whole thing so the color and surface match. Work in the swale or at the street edge may need a permit, and many HOAs control width and materials, so we check both before we quote.

Finishes

A light broom finish is the standard here. It gives tires and shoes grip when the slab is wet, and lighter concrete stays cooler in the sun. A stamped or colored border, a smooth trowel band or exposed aggregate can add detail without the cost of stamping the whole surface. HomeGuide's ranges run from $6 to $10 per square foot for a standard driveway to $15 to $25 or more for custom decorative work.

Curing in South Florida heat

On a 90-degree day, fresh concrete loses water fast. We keep the surface damp while it cures and pour early in the morning during the wet season. HomeGuide advises waiting at least 7 days before driving on a new driveway and the full 28 to 30 day cure before heavy vehicles. We give you exact dates for your slab before we leave.