Q. What is concrete?

Concrete is a mixture of stone, sand, cement & water.

Q. Do I need to seal my driveway with concrete sealer?

Yes. As soon as you can walk on it, possibly 2-3 hours after placement and once every couple years.

Q. What is a Performance mix?

A concrete mixture that gets the same strength using less cement and containing additional chemicals. Performance mixes contain fly ash and/or slag, recycled materials that otherwise would go into landfills.

Q. How much does a yard of concrete weigh?

Approximately 4000 lbs. per cubic yard.

Q. What are concrete joints and where should I put them?

Concrete joints are straight horizontal cuts in the slab. They are used to control cracking in the slab. The rule for concrete joint spacing is 2.5 times the depth of the slab. The joints should be cut 1/4 to 1/3 of the depth of the slab. Joints can be cut in by hand while the concrete is still plastic with a tool called a groover, or cut in with a concrete saw after final set has occurred.

Example: 4 in thick slab should be cut at least one inch deep.

Q. How do I figure concrete for flatwork?

Length (ft) x Width (ft) x Depth (ft) = cubic feet

Example: Step 1: 12(ft) x 24(ft) x (4in/12ft) = 96 cubic feet

Step 2:  96 cubic feet              27 cubic feet

= 3.6 cubic yards

Concrete is sold in ¼ yd increments, in the above example 3.75 yds would be the amount ordered

Q. Does Peterman Concrete Company install concrete?

No. We supply concrete to contractors. We would be happy to assist you in finding a contractor if you are local to our concrete production facilities.

Q. How long until I can drive on my driveway?

A minimum of seven days

Q. Should I ever pour concrete on sod?

No - Never pour on sod - because the vegetation will decay and leave a void under concrete resulting in floating concrete, sinking and cracking will occur.

Q. What is the difference between concrete interior concrete and exterior concrete?

In Northern climates the difference between the two are the types of stone and admixtures used. Exterior concrete should have limestone and admixtures that produce air in the concrete mixture. Interior concrete does not need an air entrainment admixture or limestone. To distinguish the difference between exterior and interior concrete analyze if the concrete is exposed to freezing and thawing cycles and deicing salts. If unsure ask your ready mix producer when ordering your concrete.

Q. What is slump when referring to concrete?

Slump is an indication to measure the workability of the concrete mixture at the point of placement. The slump test is done to measure the consistency from truckload to truckload. Good concrete practices are to have a 3-5 inch slump. The more water added to the concrete mixture the higher the slump the lesser the strength and vice-versa. Water reducing admixtures are available to increase workability (higher slump) at the same time increasing the strength and improving concrete durability. Ask your ready mix producer about admixtures that are available.