Concrete Driveways in Germantown, TN

Concrete driveways in Germantown take more water than almost any other surface on the lot. Roof runoff, sprinkler overspray and storms that can drop inches of rain in an afternoon all head down the drive toward the street. When that water finds a gap along the edge or at a joint, it soaks into the silt underneath and, over the years, carries some of it away. The result is the driveway most of our calls are about: a panel that has dropped at the garage, a crack that keeps widening, or an edge that has broken off along the lawn.

Signs it is time to replace

• Several panels have sunk, and the cracks between them are wide enough to catch a heel
• Water stands at the garage door or runs toward the house after rain
• Edges are crumbling or have snapped off where tires roll near the lawn
• Roots have lifted one side of a slab
• The surface is worn, pitted or patched in several colors
• The driveway is too narrow for the cars you have now

One dropped panel on a sound driveway can often be lifted for much less than a tear-out; our repair page covers that. When settling, root damage and wide cracks show up together, replacement usually costs less over the next twenty years.

What makes the difference underneath

Most driveway failures we see start below the concrete. On a replacement we break out and haul off the old slab, dig out silt that is soft or full of roots, and put down crushed stone compacted in layers. Stone gives the slab even support and lets water move out instead of turning the subgrade to mud. Forms are set so the surface falls toward the street and away from the garage and foundation.

HomeGuide's driveway guide recommends at least 4 inches of concrete for ordinary cars, 5 to 6 inches for RVs and heavy vehicles, and thicker edges of 6 to 8 inches. Around Germantown we often thicken the edges and the apron, where tires and delivery trucks put the most load. Rebar placed in the middle of the slab holds cracked sections together so they do not drift apart. Joints are cut on a planned grid so the cracks every slab gets run in straight lines.

Trees and driveways

Germantown's mature oaks are part of what makes the neighborhoods worth living in, and the city treats them that way: it has been a Tree City USA for 33 straight years and protects heritage trees by designation. A driveway poured close to a large oak will fight its roots for as long as both are there. At the estimate we look at where the big roots run. Sometimes the answer is a root barrier along the edge, sometimes a slightly narrower or shifted drive, and sometimes a thicker reinforced section over the root zone. We talk through the trade-offs before anything is cut.

The apron and the city

Where your driveway crosses the public sidewalk and meets the street, you are working in the city right-of-way. Germantown's Engineering Permits page lists driveways and sidewalks under its right-of-way permit and requires right-of-way contractors to carry a city business tax license and a bond. The city's residential permit packet lists a $100 public right-of-way fee. Before we schedule a driveway that touches the street, we confirm the permit with Engineering, and the quote states who pulls it.

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Finishes

• Broom finish: the standard. The light grooves give grip in rain.
• Exposed aggregate: the top paste is washed off to show the stone. It grips well and hides tire marks.
• Stamped or colored borders: a decorative band along the edges, with the main lanes left plain.
• Smooth trowel: clean looking, but slick when wet, so we keep it off sloped drives.

The first months

Keep cars off for at least a week and heavy trucks off for about 30 days, as HomeGuide's guide advises. Wait 28 to 30 days before the first coat of sealer, then reseal every few years. Make sure downspouts empty into the lawn or a drain line, not onto the edge of the slab. If an ice storm comes through the first winter, use sand for traction instead of rock salt.