I Love concrete. I think it is one of, if not, the best building product known to man. Termites can’t eat it, moisture won’t rot it (at least not for a long time), and fire won’t burn it. It is amazing stuff. So what problems could this totally superior building material possibly cause? Plenty…

The very first considerations when placing concrete is knowing where the water will flow. In most pre-planned, walled off Tucson neighborhoods the back yards drain to the street along both sides of the house. When concrete is poured on the side of your home, a path for the water to run must be considered so the water doesn’t backup and start flowing into the back door of your home. This can be acheived by leaving a gap along the wall or keeping the grade low enough for the water to flow on top of the concrete.

Another problem often caused by concrete is improper direction of water flow. Drainage problems are often corrected by removing lots of dirt and sloping the concrete in the right direction. Unfortunately if the excavation doesn’t get done and the concrete is sloped wrong you can end up with standing water or even a surge of water that ends up coming into your home. Be sure your Contractor plans to excavate and haul off the excess fill and not just pour on top of the ground.

Concrete doesn’t absorb water like your thirsty landscape. If the dirt grade is set wrong you may only have problems when a long hard rain comes along a few times a year. Concrete that is improperly sloped however will cause problems with less intense rainfall. All of the water that falls on it is headed straight to where it is sloped. If compounded with rain coming off of a roof that can mean big trouble.

Be sure that not only your Contractor but also the foreman for the crew on site has a plan in place that they can articulate for the flow of your water. Communication is key. Concrete is expensive but far more expensive to replace. Here is the crew you will see if you hire Blood Sweat & Tears to take on your concrete project.

Thank you for taking a look

Jon Molden
Blood Sweat & Tears Concrete