Concrete Driveways in Corona, CA

A concrete driveway is the largest piece of concrete on most Corona lots, and it takes the most abuse. Half of the city's homes were built in the 1980s and 1990s, according to American Community Survey figures summarized by Point2Homes (23.9% and 26.4%), so a large number of concrete driveways in Corona are now 25 to 45 years old. At that age the problems are familiar: cracks that have opened and shifted, panels that dropped near the garage or the street, root heaves, and surfaces worn down to the sand.

When patching stops making sense

Look for these on an older driveway:

• A crack you can fit a coin into, or one edge sitting higher than the other.
• Low panels that hold a puddle for a day after rain.
• Spots where the top layer has flaked or broken away.
• A patchwork of earlier repairs in different colors that are coming loose again.
• A tree close enough that its roots will keep lifting the slab.
• A width that no longer fits the cars, truck or trailer you own.

A single item on that list is usually a repair job. Several of them across most of the slab usually means a new driveway is the cheaper path over the next twenty years.

Building it from the ground up

Most driveway failures start below the concrete. After the old slab is broken out and hauled away, we dig out soft or organic soil, bring in crushed rock and compact it in layers. Forms are set so water runs off toward the street or a drain, never back toward the garage door. HomeGuide's guide calls for at least 4 inches of concrete under ordinary cars and 5 to 6 inches where RVs, trailers or heavy trucks park, with the edges thickened. Steel goes on supports so it ends up in the middle of the slab instead of pressed into the dirt.

Control joints matter as much as thickness. Concrete shrinks as it cures and will crack somewhere. Joints cut or tooled at the right spacing and depth tell it where to crack, so the lines run straight between panels instead of wandering across the driveway.

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Pouring in Corona's heat

Average highs in Corona run 92 degrees in July and 93 in August. A driveway poured on a hot afternoon can lose surface water faster than the finishers can work it, which leads to shrinkage cracks and a weak, dusty top. In warm months we start early in the morning, dampen the base and forms, and apply curing compound or keep the slab wet so it cures evenly. That step costs little and adds years to the surface.

Where your driveway meets the street

The strip between the public sidewalk and the curb, usually called the apron or approach, typically belongs to the public right-of-way rather than your lot. Different rules can apply there than on the rest of the driveway. Before we break out or pour that strip, or touch the curb or sidewalk, we confirm the requirements with the City of Corona, or with Riverside County if your address is unincorporated.

Finish options

A broom finish is the standard choice because it grips well and hides tire marks. Exposed aggregate, color, and stamped or saw-cut borders are also popular, especially when the driveway is widened. HomeGuide puts basic decorative work at about $10 to $15 per square foot and stamped driveways at about $8 to $26 per square foot installed.

Caring for a new driveway

Keep cars off it for about a week and heavy trucks off longer. Seal it once it has cured, and reseal every few years, especially if you chose a decorative finish. Keep sprinkler overspray and downspouts from soaking the edges, clean oil spots early, and fill hairline cracks before water gets under them. HomeGuide puts the life of a well-kept concrete driveway at about 30 to 40 years.