A driveway takes more abuse than any other slab on your property. It carries a couple of tons every time you pull in, gets buried under snow, scraped by shovels and soaked in road salt from November to March. When the one you have is heaved, crumbling at the edges or split into a jigsaw of cracks, Lansing Concrete Co can tear it out and pour a new one that's built for the job.
What goes into a driveway that lasts
Most driveway failures start underneath. Mid-Michigan soils hold a lot of clay, and clay that stays wet swells and heaves when it freezes. So the work starts with digging out to firm ground and putting down a compacted gravel base, which gives water somewhere to drain instead of sitting under the slab.
- Thickness to suit the load: a standard four-inch slab for cars, thicker where pickups, trailers or an RV will park.
- Air-entrained concrete: tiny trapped air bubbles give freezing water room to expand, which is what protects exterior concrete through a Michigan winter.
- Reinforcement where the layout or soil calls for it.
- Control joints cut at the right spacing, so the slab cracks along neat straight lines instead of wherever it likes.
- Proper slope to move meltwater away from the garage and the house.
Replacement, widening or a brand-new layout
Many Lansing homes, from post-war ranches in Groesbeck to older houses near Moores Park, have narrow single-car driveways that no longer fit how families live. We can widen an existing drive, add a parking pad beside the garage, or lay out a new design with a turnaround or a walkway to the front door. If the old drive is asphalt, we'll remove that too.
Finishes
A broom finish is the standard for good reason: it gives traction on icy mornings. For a sharper look, we can add a smooth troweled border, a colored band along the edges, or a stamped apron where the drive meets the street. Ask about stamped concrete if you'd like the drive to match a patio or walkway.
After the pour
Fresh concrete needs time. Plan on staying off it on foot for the first day, keeping cars off for about a week, and waiting longer for heavy trucks. Avoid de-icing salt for the first winter. A quality sealer applied once the slab has cured helps keep water and salt out of the surface for years after that.
Concrete Driveways: common questions
How long does a driveway replacement take?
Tear-out, base preparation and the pour usually take a few days, depending on size and weather. After that, the concrete needs about a week before you drive on it.
Can you pour concrete in cold weather?
Concrete can be placed in cool weather with the right mix and protection, such as insulated blankets. We won't pour onto frozen ground, and we'll tell you honestly if waiting a couple of weeks gives a better result.
Do I need a permit for a new driveway?
Work that touches the public right-of-way, such as the apron at the street, often needs a permit from the city or township. We'll tell you what applies to your address before work starts.
