In January 2024 our crew placed a covered patio slab with a salt finish.
Date
January 13, 2024
Finish
Salt finish
What is a salt finish?
After the concrete is floated, coarse rock salt is pressed into the surface. Once the concrete sets, the salt is washed away and leaves a pattern of small pits. The result has a soft, speckled texture that grips well underfoot and stays cooler than smooth concrete, which makes it a favorite around patios and pools.
In January 2023 we demolished an existing concrete driveway on our Santa Clara job to make way for new concrete.
Date
January 2023
Scope
Driveway demolition
Good demolition sets up a good pour. We saw-cut clean edges where the new work meets the old, break out and haul off all debris, and check the subgrade underneath. Many driveway failures start with base problems that stay hidden until the old slab comes out.
Need a failing driveway removed and replaced? Get a quote.
On May 28, 2022 our crew was finishing a stamped concrete project.
Date
May 28, 2022
Finish
Stamped
Stamping is all about timing. If you stamp too early the pattern slumps; too late and it won’t take. Crews work quickly with texture mats while the concrete is still workable, then release agents and sealers bring out color and depth.
In Texas summers, heat speeds up setting time, so we plan stamped work carefully and often avoid full sun in peak season. Ask about decorative concrete for your home.
In February 2022 we built two slabs a week apart, one in Selma and one in Floresville. Each took two days.
Locations
Selma & Floresville, TX
Dates
February 1–2 and 7–8, 2022
Concrete
3000 PSI, 4 in. thick
Reinforcement
#3 rebar @ 12 in. OCEW
Finish
Broom
Same spec, done right both times
Remove grass and topsoil
Set forms to grade
Tie #3 rebar at 12 inches on center each way
Place 3000 PSI concrete, 4 inches thick
Broom finish
Rebar on a grid at 12 inches each way is the step budget installers skip, and it’s what keeps a slab from breaking apart over time. Get a quote for your slab.
Adding on to a driveway or patio is one of our most common residential jobs. Here are three San Antonio projects from 2021.
Location
San Antonio, TX
Dates
June, August & December 2021
Concrete
3000 PSI, 4–5 in. thick
Reinforcement
3/8 in. rebar @ 12 in. OCEW, doweled
Finish
Broom
Patio, driveway add-on and sidewalk, August 2021
Over two days we poured a back patio, a driveway add-on and a sidewalk: 3000 PSI concrete, 4 inches thick, with 3/8-inch rebar at 12 inches each way, doweled into the existing concrete.
Patio with perimeter beam plus driveway extension, June 2021
For this back patio add-on we poured 5-inch concrete with a perimeter toe beam 12 inches deep by 8 inches wide. We also poured a 4-inch driveway extension, both reinforced at 12 inches each way.
Driveway and patio addition, December 2021
We added on to the driveway and back patio with 3/8-inch rebar at 12 inches each way and 4-inch, 3000 PSI concrete.
Why doweling matters
When new concrete meets old, we drill into the existing slab and set rebar dowels. That keeps the two slabs from shifting apart and cracking at the joint.
In October 2021 we tore out a worn pool deck and poured a new one.
Date
October 11, 2021
Concrete
3000 PSI, 4 in. thick
Reinforcement
6-gauge wire mesh
Finish
Broom
Remove existing deck without damaging the pool
Prep base and place 6-gauge wire mesh
Pour 3000 PSI concrete, 4 inches thick
Broom finish for wet-foot traction
Pool decks get wet, sun-baked and hosed down all the time. Getting slopes away from the pool and a slip-resistant finish matters as much as strength. Request a quote.
At the Lowry ranch in Bulverde we started work in June 2021, and in August we built a foundation for a livestock corral.
Client
Lowry Farms
Location
Bulverde, TX
Dates
June & August 2021
Slab
5 in.
Reinforcement
#4 rebar @ 12 in. OCEW
Beams
Perimeter 24×12 in.; center 18×12 in.
Specs
Trench perimeter beams 24 inches deep by 12 inches wide
Center beams 18 inches deep by 12 inches wide
A2 base fill
#4 rebar at 12 inches on center each way
5-inch slab, placed and broom finished
Agricultural slabs take heavy loads and rough use, so we built this one more like a commercial foundation than a patio. Request a quote for your ranch or barn.
A Helotes business called us about a flooding problem. Rainwater was pooling on their covered porch, and the wood decking was rotting from the moisture.
Location
Helotes, TX
Date
June 17, 2021
Concrete removed
4 × 25 ft
Drain
6 in. × 27 in. wide
Finish
Wood-grain stamp, custom stain
The fix
Remove the rotted wood decking
Demolish a 4 ft × 25 ft strip of concrete
Form and pour a 6-inch by 27-inch wide drainage channel
Pour new concrete with a wood-grain stamp
We usually don’t stamp concrete in Texas summers because the heat makes it hard to finish the stamping in time. This porch was covered, so we could get the wood-grain texture right. We planned to come back after 30 days for custom staining and antiquing in 3 to 5 colors.
Our wood decking was getting rotten from the bad drainage setup. 123 came in and removed the old wood, installed a drainage system and even stamped the concrete… No more mud on the porch to my office. — R. Ruiz, Helotes TX
