Open communication between property owners and concrete contractors
results in smart buying decisions. These tips along with the Fundamentals and other information available at chooseconcrete.com ensure a productive conversation.
Exterior
There are special considerations when purchasing concrete for driveways and other exterior uses.
Air-entraining
Be sure to specify air-entrained concrete, which is better able to
withstand the brutal freeze and thaw cycle. With its microscopic,
disconnected air bubbles, air-entrained concrete containes pockets where
water can freeze and expand without damaging the concrete.
Water/cement Ratio
Make sure the concrete that you are purchasing calls for a dilution
of a water/cement ratio of about 0.40 (and not more than 0.45).
Aggregate
To avoid most blemishes and surface popouts, specify Mn/DOT Class A Aggregate. (Keep in mind that aggregate
is a key ingredient in concrete.) Be prepared to pay a little more if
you choose this aggregate. Make sure you've worked with your contractor
to discuss cost and to include its use in your contract.
Glacial aggregate made from sand and gravel deposited during the
last period of glaciation is more commonly used in Minnesota concrete.
When you use glacial aggregate in exterior concrete you can expect
minor blemishes of no more than one inch in diameter.
Curing
Make sure your contractor has a plan for following-through with curing. (Recall that curing describes the critical process in which the concrete transforms into a hard process.)
To ensure that evaporation occurs at the proper rate, there are
several things a contractor might do in the days following the laying of
the concrete. Typical follow-up procedures include the placement of wet
burlap or a plastic sheet or running a sprinkler as well as the
application of a curing compound.
Sealing
Sealers can improve a driveway's resistance to salt corrosion.
Depending on salt use in your, this may be desired especially during
the driveway's first winter. | 
