Why Loveland concrete cracks and heaves
Expansive clay is common around Loveland. It swells when it gets wet and shrinks when it dries, and a slab poured on it without a proper base and drainage moves with it. Add dozens of freeze-thaw cycles every winter and de-icing salt tracked in on tires, and a driveway or patio built thin or on poor base is cracked and uneven within a few years.
We remove failed concrete, correct the grading so water runs away from the house and the slab, compact a proper base, use air-entrained concrete suited to freeze-thaw exposure, and cut control joints where the slab wants to crack.
In town and on acreage
Inside the city, the common projects are driveway and sidewalk replacement, patios, and garage slabs. On acreage properties outside city limits, the work runs larger: long driveways, shop and barn slabs, and pads for detached garages, permitted through Larimer County where a permit is required.
Permits for Loveland driveways and sidewalks
Work that touches the public sidewalk, curb, or driveway approach is in the city right-of-way and usually needs a separate permit from the City of Loveland. We pull it along with any building permit the project requires, so the curb cut and the approach are built to city standards.
What we handle
- Driveways and driveway replacement
- Patios and porches
- Sidewalks and walkways
- Garage and shop slabs
- Foundations and footings
- Retaining walls
- Stamped and colored concrete
- Removal of failed concrete
Questions from Loveland homeowners
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in Loveland?
If the work touches the public sidewalk, curb, or driveway approach, it usually needs a right-of-way permit from the City of Loveland. We confirm what applies and handle the permit.
Can you fix a driveway that has heaved?
A heaved or badly cracked slab is usually removed and replaced, with the grading and base corrected so the same problem does not come back.
When can I use a new driveway?
Stay off it with vehicles for about a week, and keep heavy trucks off for a month while the concrete gains strength. Avoid de-icing salt on new concrete through its first winter.
Keep reading
See our full residential concrete service page, our Loveland remodeling and permitting guide, and how a project runs.
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