Need to expand the driveway but don't want to break the bank? I saved thousands on expanding my driveway by doing it myself (and with friends). Here's how I did it!
To Dig or Not to Dig
In my honest opinion, digging is the hardest part of a DIY driveway. But getting someone else to do it will cost you.
To save money, I took the time to do the digging myself. Now, when I say myself, I'm including my awesome friends and family who didn't mind tagging them in when I needed a break.
Also, it pays to know some friends that know some things about concreting. I consulted with them and got the right depth of concrete for the project.
The hole had to be about 4 inches deep. It took us two days to dig.
Framing and Support
Another huge step in the process is framing the area, it's not as tiresome as digging, but it's just as important.
We framed the area using 2x4x16s we purchased from Home Depot. We also used about 2ft long stakes to support the 2x4x16 wood.
Once you frame the area, you have to lay the metal grid on the area to support the concrete. You should use these grids to support thick concrete pours to help the concrete not crack.
Pour That Concrete On Thick
Now was time for the exciting part, pouring on the concrete. Instead of mixing concrete, which would have been for such a large project, we decided to hire a company to pour the concrete.
We hired a local company, Quality Concrete, to pour the concrete in the area we framed, saving us a ton. They were quick and careful not to crack our existing concrete.
We needed the concrete to be at least 4 inches thick or more because it was a driveway and would need to hold vehicles.
The cost of the concrete was about $600 and a small load charge of about $100; after taxes, we paid about $800 for our new driveway.
Once the concrete was poured, we had to smooth it.
Smooth Those Edges
The final part of our project was spreading and smoothing the concrete. This was cool to watch and learn.
Not bad for some beginners!
Supplies We Needed For This Project
We also used a 2x2x4-inch piece of lumber to smooth the concrete evenly through the entire space.
Final look!
Major Take Away
Yes, this project was scary, but with a little help from YouTube and from a friend that works with concrete to guide us, we were able to do it.
Also, I would suggest you wait for a day when the weather will be cool and sunny.
If it's too cold, it could affect how long your concrete hardens; if it's too hot, you'll kill yourself .....LOL ....or the concrete might dry too fast. If you're not a pro, that could be a bad thing.
Overall, we learned a lot, saved a lot of money, and had a great time doing this project.