When it comes to concrete garages, pool deck concrete, concrete patios, and concrete driveways, there’s often a whole lot of lingo to learn, even if you’re just adding onto your house and not planning to join the industry any time soon. With many residential concrete contractors, it can feel extremely frustrating to communicate exactly what you want to be done.

You will never feel this way when you hire Creative Concrete! Our understanding, attentive team is absolutely willing to explain any unfamiliar terms. We always make sure everyone is on the same page.

Educating yourself about concrete terminology never hurts, as it can help initial consultations go much faster. So let’s start by discussing a term not often heard outside the concrete industry: rebar.

When your concrete professional refers to rebar, they’re talking about a steel bar used to strengthen and reinforce concrete structures.

While not all concrete structures can use rebars – and not all will need them – they’re used in the commercial construction industry and residential concrete to give concrete extra staying power.

In addition to steel bars, other options exist for concrete reinforcement, such as mesh. What your concrete driveway needs all depends on how you’ll use it.

Rebars can be added to your concrete driveway, giving you some undeniable benefits.

Concrete will eventually crack – it’s just the name of the game. However, the extra strength that rebars give your driveway will slow that process, saving you money and keeping your concrete driveway aesthetically pleasing for longer.

Concrete naturally expands, contracts, and shifts as temperatures rise and fall. Rebar can help your concrete driveway hold steady as the environment changes around it.

As implied above, not all concrete driveways need rebar to stand strong. However, if yours faces a lot of traffic, rebar can be used for reinforcement.

Creative Concrete always uses rebar on our driveway projects to ensure the structure’s strength and stability.

Rebar will also reduce how thick the concrete needs to be, especially for garage floors and driveways. Many different materials, including aggregates and ash, are added to the cement, which all contribute to the thickness. When you mix in rebar, the bars increase the strength and require less concrete to be utilized.

Load bearing is one of the biggest concerns with concrete design in rebar, which will greatly increase its capacity. Driveways and garage floors need extra protection to maintain heavy loads, and adding this extra support means less worry about their ability to maintain structural integrity and durability.

Most residential driveways aren’t going to require rebar installation. However, if you are a commercial business, there may be regulations in place that require extra support.

Some large pads will require additional steel reinforcement to prevent cracking and bending, especially if they’re supporting heavy vehicles or machinery; the rebar will help stabilize the concrete and reduce the risk of worker insurance liabilities.

Cracks and misalignments in your concrete look unsightly, and rebar is just one way to increase flexibility and strength. When you need pros in the business, Creative Concrete is your local expert. For over 20 years, we’ve been setting the standard for residential and commercial concrete projects in the Twin Cities metro area, and we offer custom solutions for everything from driveways to pool decks.

Our creative design team customizes every project for your individual needs. For the most innovative concrete help in the New Brighton area, give us a call now at 612-414-7932.