Concrete Driveways in Kenosha, WI

No slab on your property works harder than the driveway. Every car and delivery van rolls over it, it is scraped and salted from December to March, and snowmelt that runs onto it in the afternoon turns to ice by morning. When we replace concrete driveways in Kenosha, we build them for that job: a compacted stone base, the right thickness, an air-entrained mix and joints that control where it cracks.

Why old Kenosha driveways fail

Most driveway failures start underneath. When the stone layer was skimpy or the soil was left loose, water pools beneath the concrete, freezes, jacks the slab up and lets it sag again at the spring thaw. Sections tilt, joints open up and edges break off. On top, a surface that was finished wet or never sealed starts to scale once salt gets into it. Older homes often have a driveway that has been patched, overlaid or partly replaced over the decades, with each piece moving on its own. At that point a full tear-out costs less over time than chasing repairs.

Signs it is time to replace

• Cracks wider than a pencil, or cracks that keep growing each spring
• Slabs that have sunk, tilted toward the house or lifted at the garage
• Flaking, pitting or a rough surface where the top layer has come off
• Water that pools in the same spot and freezes into ice sheets
• Broken edges along the lawn or the street apron
• A drive that no longer fits the cars and trucks you own today

Thickness and reinforcement

Per HomeGuide's driveway guide, passenger cars need a minimum of 4 inches, RVs and other heavy vehicles 5 to 6, and edges should be thickened to 6 to 8. We look at what you park, whether trucks or trailers use the drive, and where the slab meets the street. Rebar adds strength across joints and soft spots. HomeGuide puts steel at $1 to $3 per square foot, money we usually advise spending on a replacement drive.

Drainage and slope

A driveway should shed water away from the garage and the house. We set forms so the slab has enough fall to drain, check where downspouts empty, and avoid creating a low spot where meltwater sits and turns to ice. Where a driveway runs close beside the house, this matters even more.

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Finish options

Most Kenosha driveways get a broom finish. Those fine ridges help tires and boots hold on a frosty morning. Exposed aggregate leaves the stone visible and disguises tire scuffs. Stamped borders or a stamped apron add a decorative edge. Smooth troweled finishes look clean but get slick, so we do not recommend them for a driveway in this climate.

Caring for a new driveway

Keep cars off for at least 7 days, as HomeGuide advises, and keep heavy trucks off for about a month. Do not use de-icing salt during the first winter. Use sand for traction instead. HomeGuide recommends the first seal after 28 to 30 days of curing and resealing every 2 to 3 years. Clear snow with a plastic-edged shovel when you can, and keep downspouts pointed away from the slab.