Rebar vs. Wire Mesh in Your Concrete Patio or Driveway

In summer, everyone starts to evaluate (and re-evaluate) the state of their driveway and patio area. When it comes to concrete, it’s all about how you reinforce it to help prevent cracking. The big question we always get is whether it’s necessary to use rebar in patio concrete or if you can manage with just wire mesh.

Concrete contracting services for Colorado

Now that the snow has melted and the sun is beginning to shine, you start to notice the toll of a long cold winter on your concrete surfaces. Especially your driveways and patios. When it comes to using rebar vs. wire mesh, the short answer is: use both!

When pouring concrete for a driveway, we highly recommend that you use both rebar and wire mesh for extra reinforcement. Remember, your car is going to be driving over this slab of concrete again and again, you want to give it all the help it can get. Especially near the street and curb where heavier vehicles and trucks could use your driveway to turn, back-up, etc.

For a patio, you might be able to get away with using welded wire mesh. But remember, all concrete will crack and all concrete will shrink. A little trick to getting ahead of the cracks is to use technique called a “soft cutting”. This is essentially a way to cut straight purposeful lines in the concrete so that when it cracks, it cracks the way you want it to. To strengthen your patio, again, we recommend that you still use some rebar to reinforce the concrete along with the wire mesh.

General contracting and reconstruction services for Colorado

There’s a lot more to pouring a solid, long lasting slab on concrete for driveways, patios and outdoor living areas than meets the eye. This means there are many ways that you can go wrong with concrete. We are experts in concrete contracting services and other general contracting services throughout the Front Range and Mountain Communities in Colorado. We’ve worked with residential and commercial spaces, and we know how to pour the concrete correctly using the best materials for your project.

Most homeowners think that you can simply pour the concrete on the desired area and call it a day. But the concrete is only as good as the foundation it is laid on. Our team will test the ground and soil under the concrete slab to make sure that the structure beneath the concrete is solid before we start pouring the concrete itself.

Call (303) 543-9549 to get a free estimate on your concrete reconstruction project.