Concrete Contractor in Glens Falls, NY: Excavation, Base Prep and Concrete
The Dig, the Packed Stone Base and the Concrete Planned as One Job
Call (518) 760-1339
Concrete Work Around Glens Falls, Queensbury and Saratoga Springs
If you're planning concrete work around Glens Falls, call Elevated Outdoors at (518) 760-1339. Concrete often comes as part of our excavation work in Glens Falls, Queensbury, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Fort Ann, Argyle and nearby towns, because the dig and the base under a footing or slab decide how well the concrete holds up. Planning the ground work and the concrete together means one schedule and one company to call. Concrete season runs from late spring through fall, so an early call helps with timing.
Concrete cracks and settles when the ground under it wasn't dug and prepared properly, and that ground work is what we do on every excavation job. Once concrete is poured there's no going back, so the base, the forms and the thickness have to be right before the truck arrives. For walks and paths in other materials, see our hardscaping page.
Call (518) 760-1339Concrete Work We Can Help With
Footings and Foundations
Footings carry the weight of a house, addition or garage, and they have to sit on firm, undisturbed soil below the frost line. On a new build, the foundation dig, the footings and the walls follow one another closely, so planning the excavation and the concrete together keeps the inspections and the pours on schedule. Before the walls are backfilled, the outside is waterproofed and drain pipe is laid along the footing.
Slabs and Pads
Garage floors, shed pads and other slabs need a base of packed crushed stone over firm ground, so they stay level as frost moves the soil around them. Four inches of concrete is usual for walks and light slabs, while driveways and heavier loads go thicker with a deeper base. Rebar or wire mesh holds the slab together, and control joints give any cracking a straight line to follow.
Concrete Walkways
A poured concrete walkway gives a smooth, solid surface from the driveway to the door. It needs the same dug and packed base as a slab, a slight pitch so water runs off, and control joints at regular spacing. New concrete should go without rock salt for its first winter, since de-icers are hard on fresh concrete, and sand works for traction instead.
Why Concrete Cracks and How to Prevent It
All concrete shrinks as it cures, and the ground under it moves with the frost. Control joints give the cracks a place to go, so they run in a straight line instead of wandering across the slab, and a deep, packed base keeps the concrete from settling unevenly. Most cracked and sunken slabs trace back to a thin base or to water with nowhere to drain.
Send a requestHow a Concrete Job Goes
Dig and Base
The ground is dug down to firm soil, then crushed stone goes in and is packed. A thin or soft base is the main reason slabs crack and settle.
01Forms and Steel
Forms set the shape and the height. Rebar or wire mesh goes in to hold the concrete together if it cracks.
02Pour and Finish
The concrete is placed, leveled and finished, and control joints are cut so any cracks run in a straight line where you want them.
03Curing
Concrete keeps gaining strength for weeks. Walking on it is usually fine after a day or two, but cars should stay off it for about a week.
04
Planning Concrete Work
These details shape the price and the schedule of a concrete job.
Send a request- 01
When to Pour Concrete
Late spring through fall is the easy window. Concrete can't go on frozen ground, and new concrete has to be kept from freezing while it cures, so winter pours need heat and insulated blankets.
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What Affects the Cost of Concrete Work
A walkway, a slab and a footing are priced very differently. Size and thickness come first, then the base work, the finish, how close the truck can get, and whether old concrete has to come out first.
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What to Tell Us
What you want poured, roughly how big, and where. Let us know how close a concrete truck can get, because that decides whether the concrete has to be pumped.
Why Hire Elevated Outdoors for Concrete Work
The Ground Work Under the Concrete
Most concrete problems start with the ground. Excavation is the main work at Elevated Outdoors, so the digging, the base and the drainage under a footing, slab or walkway get the attention that keeps concrete from cracking and settling in the first few winters.
Clear Answers Before the Pour
Communication is what Doug focuses on most, after years at larger companies where customers rarely got clear answers. Before any concrete goes in, you'll know how thick it will be, what goes under it and where the control joints will go, so you know what you're paying for.
Concrete Work in Glens Falls, Queensbury and Nearby Towns
Elevated Outdoors provides concrete work in Glens Falls, Queensbury, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Fort Ann and Argyle, across Warren, Washington and Saratoga Counties. We also take jobs over the line in Vermont, including Castleton, and have worked as far north as Middlebury. If you're not sure we cover your property, give us a call and ask.
Call (518) 760-1339Frequently Asked Questions About Concrete Work
It depends on the size and thickness of the pour, the base work underneath, the finish and how close the truck can get. Removing old concrete first adds to the job. Tell us what you want poured and where, and we'll talk through a price.
Yes. Excavation is our main work, so the dig and the base are part of the same job as the concrete.
Concrete sets within a day or two, but it keeps gaining strength for about four weeks. Walking on it is usually fine after a day or two, and cars should stay off it for about a week.
Four inches is usual for walkways, patios and shed pads. Driveways and slabs that carry heavier loads go thicker, with a deeper base underneath.
All concrete shrinks as it cures, and frost moves the ground under it. Control joints give cracks a straight line to follow, and a deep, packed base keeps the slab from settling unevenly.
Yes, with precautions. Concrete can't go on frozen ground and has to be kept from freezing while it cures, so cold-weather pours use heat, insulated blankets or both.
Not during its first winter. De-icers are hard on new concrete and can make the surface flake. Use sand for traction until the concrete has been through a full season.
Footings and most slabs use reinforcement. Rebar or wire mesh doesn't stop concrete from cracking, but it holds the pieces together and keeps cracks from spreading or shifting.
Cement is one ingredient in concrete. Concrete is a mix of cement, sand, stone and water, so when people ask about cement work, they usually mean concrete work.
Elevated Outdoors works in Glens Falls, Queensbury, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Fort Ann, Argyle and nearby towns, and crosses into Vermont for jobs in Castleton and as far north as Middlebury. If you're not sure we cover your town, call and ask.
Other Services From Elevated Outdoors
Towns we serve around Glens Falls: Queensbury, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Fort Ann and Argyle.
Excavation
We handle foundation digs, trenching, gravel driveways and pads, and grading, from a single trench up to a full site for a new house.
Tree Removal
We take down dead, leaning and unwanted trees safely, whether they stand near the house or in the way of new construction.
Lawn Care
We provide regular lawn maintenance from the first spring cut to the last one in the fall, with grading and seed where the lawn needs it.
Land Clearing
We clear trees, brush and undergrowth for a house site, a driveway or open ground, ready for the excavation that follows.
Landscaping
Our landscaping covers grading, garden beds, mulch, river rock, stone edging and new seed, on ground that drains the way it should.
Hardscaping
We build retaining walls, walkways and paths on a base that's dug, packed and drained to hold up through the frost.
Snow Removal
We clear snow through the winter so you can get in and out after a storm. Call before the first snow to get on the list.
Demolition
We take down what has to go before new work starts, then fill, pack and grade the ground for what comes next.
Call Elevated Outdoors About Your Concrete Work
If you're planning footings, a slab or a walkway around Glens Falls, call us at (518) 760-1339. Tell us what you want poured and where, and Doug will talk through the dig, the base and the concrete with you.
Call (518) 760-1339