Concrete Contractor in Munster, IN - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Highland Concrete, a concrete contractor based in Highland, IN, pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs for homes and small businesses in Munster, and I'm on site with our crew from prep to finish.
Concrete work for Munster homes and yards
Munster is a short drive from home for us, and the jobs we're called for there are mostly what you'd expect on settled residential streets: driveways, back patios, front walks and steps, plus a garage floor or a basement now and then. We also pour for small business and property owners, and we bring the same crew and the same habits to jobs in Hammond, Dyer and East Chicago.
What we see most in these yards is concrete that sank because its base was only raked flat, never dug out and packed, and slabs that tip toward the house so water sits by the door. So before we talk about finishes, I walk the yard, look at the ground and watch where the water goes.
Concrete work we do in Munster
Munster driveways that have sunk by the garage or cracked across the middle get dug out, rebuilt on packed stone and poured to drain away from the house.
Plenty of Munster patios we see tip toward the back door. We set the slope before the pour so rain runs off into the yard instead.
On Munster patios and front walks, stamped concrete gives the look of stone or brick, poured as one slab with no pavers to shift or weed.
Munster front walks that have tipped or lifted at a joint become a trip hazard. We replace the bad sections and rebuild the base under them.
In Munster's attached and detached garages, we tear out floors that crack or hold puddles and pour new ones sloped to send water out the door.
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and border bands help a Munster driveway or patio fit the house, and I'll say which finishes hold up to daily use.
Where a Munster yard drops off or keeps washing onto the patio, a poured wall holds the soil, with drainage behind it to let water out.
For Munster basements, workshops and additions, we pour floors flat on a packed base, and we take the tight basement jobs other crews pass on.
Munster pool decks need a finish that grips when wet and a slope that sends splash water away from the pool and the house.
On Munster homes, front steps that have pulled away from the house or sunk at one end get rebuilt on footings with even risers.
For a garage, addition or shed on a Munster lot, we pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and pour a slab sized for the building.
New additions and detached garages in Munster start with foundation walls set on firm ground and poured square, because everything built on top follows them.
Small business and office lots in Munster need concrete thick enough for daily traffic and graded so water reaches the drains instead of sitting in the spaces.
Decks, porches and additions on Munster houses rest on footings, the concrete pads under each post or wall. We dig them to the depth your plans call for.
When a Munster slab or porch has sunk, raising it can save a full tear-out. I'll tell you straight if the ground under it is too far gone.
On Munster jobs we saw-cut openings for drain lines and cut out a cracked driveway section so it's replaced without tearing out the rest.
What Munster yards ask of new concrete
I look at every Munster job myself and stay with our crew through the prep, the pour and the finish, because the parts you can't see decide how the slab holds up.
A base dug out and packed
We dig past the loose dirt and pack stone in layers, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt.
Water sent away from the house
I watch where water runs on your lot before we set forms, so the slab falls away from your foundation.
Pours timed around the heat
We schedule pours to avoid midday heat, which dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty later.
Joints cut where cracks belong
Control joints are cuts that give the slab a planned place to crack, and we cut them on time.
Licensed, insured and upfront
We're licensed and insured, and I'll tell you when a plan won't work rather than build something that lets you down.
Munster concrete questions we hear
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Munster, Indiana?
Your price comes down to the size of the driveway, how much old concrete and soft ground has to come out, and the finish, and I put that number in writing after I walk the job with you. A broom finish, the brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. The one place I won't cut to save you money is the base, because nobody sees it on day one and it decides whether the slab settles.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you both days for your pour before we start. Concrete has to cure, slowly hardening and gaining strength, and a car on it too soon can crack it. The pour date itself depends on how much tear-out and base work there is and on the forecast, so I set it once those are clear.
What causes concrete patios to crack, and will a new one in Munster crack too?
Most old patios crack because the ground under them settled or water got under the slab, and fixing those two things is what keeps a new one from failing the same way. Concrete still shrinks a little as it cures, so we cut joints on time to give any crack a straight, planned line. Where the job calls for it, we add rebar, steel bars set inside the slab, to hold the pieces together.
How do I fix a sunken concrete slab or sidewalk in Munster?
If the concrete is sound and one section dropped, raising it or cutting out and replacing that section is usually the fix, but if the base underneath washed out, the slab has to come out and the base gets rebuilt. I look at why it sank before I recommend either one, because raising a slab over bad ground just puts off the same problem.
What is the best way to stop water from pooling on my driveway or patio?
The best way is to pour the slab with a slight fall away from the house toward a spot where water can run off, and that has to be set before the pour, since it can't be fixed with a topcoat later. On a slab that already holds puddles, we check whether one section can be replaced or the whole slab needs new grade. Wet side yards and low corners are jobs we take on, so call if yours is one.
Who do I check with before a concrete project in Munster, Indiana?
Munster's local government is the Town of Munster, and its website is where the city posts news and information for residents planning work on their homes. If your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and line up inspections with the city's building office, and we check with that office before we set a pour date.
More cities we work in, and yours
If your city has its own page, it's listed here. If not, call (219) 533-1721, because we work on both sides of the Indiana and Illinois line.
Ask Highland Concrete about your Munster job
Call (219) 533-1721 or send the form, and since our phone hours run into the evening and through the weekend, you can reach us after work.