A new sidewalk, patio, or pad is one of the most common concrete jobs around a San Antonio home. The concrete you see is only part of it. What happens before and after the pour decides how well it holds up.
Size and use
Start with what the slab will carry. Foot traffic, patio furniture, and a grill need less than a pad that will hold a vehicle, a hot tub, or a building. For typical residential sidewalks and patios, about 4 inches of concrete is common. Areas that carry heavier loads are usually made thicker.
Base and reinforcement
Concrete needs firm, even support. The ground is cleared, graded, and compacted, and a base layer is often added. Reinforcement such as rebar, wire mesh, or fibers helps hold the slab together if it cracks. On clay soil, good ground preparation matters even more because the soil moves as moisture changes.
Control joints
Concrete shrinks slightly as it cures, and it will crack somewhere. Control joints are grooves that tell it where to crack, in a straight line instead of randomly across the slab. A common rule of thumb spaces joints, in feet, at about two to three times the slab thickness in inches. For a 4-inch slab, that means roughly every 8 to 12 feet.
Drainage
Water should run off a slab and away from your house. Patios and walks are usually built with a slight slope, commonly around 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot, so rain doesn't pool against the foundation.
Pouring in Texas heat
Heat makes concrete set faster, which leaves less time to place and finish it. Summer pours in San Antonio are often scheduled early in the morning. Keeping the new slab moist during the first days of curing helps it gain strength and reduces surface cracking. Concrete keeps getting stronger for weeks, so heavy loads should wait.
Before you start
Check with your HOA if you have one, and ask whether the City of San Antonio requires a permit for your project. Mark any sprinkler lines or utilities in the area.
We pour sidewalks, slabs, stairways, and flatwork in San Antonio and the surrounding area. Request a quote or call (210) 309-0080.