Concreting questions in Lang Lang

A plain concrete driveway with a broom finish is usually the most economical choice, because it has fewer steps than exposed aggregate, colour or stamping. But around Lang Lang the bigger costs are often the excavation, the base on sand or clay, access for the truck and the drainage, and those apply to any finish. We price each job after a visit.

Not in the true sense. Exposed aggregate needs a full-depth pour so the stones are locked in. Over sound old concrete, a resurfacing product can give a similar look. If the old slab is cracked, sunken or drains the wrong way, replacing it is the better option.

That comes down to the block, the paver you like, the finish and the base, and both options need solid preparation underneath. Concrete has no joints for weeds and ants and suits heavy vehicles well. We can talk through the difference for your driveway on the visit.

Cracking from a thin or poorly compacted base, edges breaking where sand has washed out, sinking on soft clay or fill, water pooling on flat ground, and slippery smooth finishes. Nearly all of these come back to preparation, joints and falls, which is where we spend our effort.

Gravel is usually cheaper to lay but needs regular topping up, grading and weeding, and it ruts and washes out in wet weather. Many rural owners around Lang Lang concrete the entrance and the area near the house and sheds and keep gravel for the long middle section.

There is no single answer. Driveway and path thickness depends on the vehicles and the ground, and house and shed slabs follow the engineer's design for the site. We size every slab for what it will carry and what it sits on.

A small garden slab or pad is possible for a handy person, but timing, finishing and curing are harder than they look, and house, garage and large shed slabs need engineering, inspections and an experienced crew.

Stones can come loose if the wash is mistimed, the textured surface collects dirt and leaves, and coarse blends feel rough underfoot. Careful workmanship, a finer blend where people walk barefoot, and sealing manage most of these.

Usually about a week for cars, longer in cold weather and longer again for trucks, caravans or floats. We leave written care notes with the timing for your job.

It varies with the paver, the stone blend, the base and the size of the area. We can price both styles of surface on the visit if you are weighing them up.

Fresh concrete that has a pattern pressed into it with flexible mats, coloured with a hardener and release agent, then sealed, so it looks like stone, slate, brick or timber.

Not directly, because stamping needs fresh concrete. A stamped overlay applied over sound existing concrete can give a similar look.

Because a driveway on deep sand east of town and the same-sized driveway on wet swamp clay toward Koo Wee Rup need very different preparation. We would rather see the job and give you a written, itemised quote.

Yes. Cattle yard floors, loading ramps, feed pads, dairy and calf shed floors, stables, wash bays, trough pads, hay shed aprons and farm entrances are a regular part of our work.

No. The site visit and the written quote are free, and there is no obligation to go ahead.