The questions homeowners ask before they pour

Plain answers from the people who do the work. Where a number depends on your lot or on Joe’s rate chart, the article says so.

• How long before you can drive on new concrete?

  In general, new concrete takes foot traffic after about 24 hours, passenger cars after about 7 days, and reaches its design strength near 28 days. Heat, cold and rain all move those numbers. Morgan's tells you the wait for your slab on pour day, weather permitting.

• Resurface or replace: how to tell

  Resurfacing makes sense when the slab is sound and only the surface is worn: light flaking, stains, shallow pitting or hairline cracks. Replacement makes sense when panels have heaved, settled or cracked through, because that damage starts in the base, and a new surface over a failed base fails the same way. Ask us to look at it before deciding.

• Stamped concrete vs pavers for a Tennessee patio

  Stamped concrete gives a Tennessee patio one continuous slab with pattern and color pressed in, needs sealing every few years and resists weeds. Pavers give a modular surface that can be lifted and reset, cost more in labor to lay, and can shift, sprout weeds or settle if the base moves. Both survive freeze and thaw on a proper base.

• How thick should a residential driveway be?

  A residential concrete driveway should be at least 4 inches thick with reinforcement for cars and light trucks. Drives that carry trailers, RVs, dump trucks or equipment are poured 5 to 6 inches thick with heavier reinforcement. Thickness only works on top of a compacted stone base, and no amount of extra concrete makes up for a base that moves.

• Best time of year to pour concrete in Middle Tennessee

  Spring and fall are the best times to pour concrete in Middle Tennessee, when daytime highs sit roughly between 50 and 85 degrees and nights stay above freezing. Summer pours work with early starts and moisture control. Winter pours work on mild stretches with protection from frost. Every pour date is weather permitting, so book early and stay flexible.

• What to expect on pour day

  On pour day the crew arrives early, checks forms and base, guides the concrete truck to the forms, places and levels the concrete, floats and finishes it, cuts or tools the control joints, and cleans up. Your job is to move cars, keep pets inside, turn sprinklers off and stay off the slab until the date the crew gives you.

• Concrete driveway maintenance and sealing schedule

  A concrete driveway needs a rinse and a sweep a few times a year, a pressure wash and inspection each spring, sealer reapplied every few years once the slab has cured, joints kept clean and filled, and no rock salt in winter. Morgan's goes over the sealer and the resealing schedule for your finish on pour day, adjusted for sun, traffic and weather.

• What does a concrete slab cost for a shop, garage or pad?

  A concrete slab is priced mostly by its square footage, thickness and the site work under it. A shop or garage slab that carries vehicles or equipment is thicker and more heavily reinforced than a patio pad. Telling the crew exactly what the slab will carry, from a car to a lift or a skid steer, is the single most useful thing you can do before the estimate.

• What does a stamped concrete patio cost in Tennessee?

  A stamped concrete patio costs more than a plain broom finish patio of the same size because it adds color, stamping mats, extra finishing labor and a sealer. The total depends mostly on square footage, then on the pattern, the number of colors, borders and steps, and the site prep underneath. Seeing the pattern options against your house is the best way to decide what is worth it.

• Why is my concrete driveway cracking or sinking?

  Most driveway cracking and sinking starts under the slab. Water washes out or softens the base, the ground settles, and the concrete above loses support and breaks. Heavy loads, missing control joints, tree roots and freeze and thaw make it worse. Small hairline cracks are normal, while wide cracks, raised edges and sunken panels usually point to a base problem.

• Can you pour concrete over a gravel driveway?

  Yes, a gravel driveway is often the starting point for a concrete one. The existing stone can become part of the base once it is graded, topped up and compacted, and the drainage problems that wash gravel out are corrected first. The concrete is then formed and poured on that prepared base at the thickness your vehicles need.

• Can you extend or widen an existing concrete driveway?

  Yes. A concrete driveway can be widened along its side or extended with a parking pad, turnaround or longer run. The new section is poured on its own compacted base and tied to the old slab with steel dowels or an isolation joint so the two move together without cracking each other. The new concrete will look newer at first, and the difference fades as it weathers.

• Asphalt or concrete: which driveway is better in Tennessee?

  Asphalt usually costs less to install and concrete usually lasts longer with less upkeep. In Middle Tennessee, concrete handles summer heat without softening, while asphalt needs regular sealcoating and is quicker to patch. The right choice depends on how long you plan to stay, your budget today and how the drive is used.

• How do I get a septic permit in the Upper Cumberland?

  In Tennessee, septic permits come from the Department of Environment and Conservation, and the Cookeville Environmental Field Office covers Putnam, White, DeKalb, Cumberland, Warren, Jackson, Overton and Smith counties. You apply, an Environmental Scientist evaluates the site, and the system is inspected before it is covered. TDEC's permit fee is $400 for a typical conventional system and $500 for an alternative system.

• What site work does a new home in Putnam County need, and in what order?

  A new home in Putnam County usually moves from a 911 address and a TDEC septic permit to the building permit, then clearing, grading and the house pad, then footings with a footer inspection before concrete is ordered, then the septic system, and finally the driveway, walks and patio. Planning the septic field, house pad and driveway together keeps each step from undoing the last.

• What does a concrete patio cost in Tennessee?

  A concrete patio is priced mostly by its size, then by the finish, the site prep under it and any steps or raised edges. A plain broom finish patio costs the least and stamped or colored concrete costs the most. A free site walk is the quickest way to a real number for your yard.

• Do I need a permit for a driveway or concrete slab in the Upper Cumberland?

  It depends on what the concrete is for and where you live. A slab or footings for a house, garage or shop is part of a building permit with inspections before the pour. In Putnam County, garages and storage buildings over 200 square feet need a permit. A driveway that connects to a state highway needs a TDOT entrance permit. Check with your city or county codes office before the pour.

• What does a septic system cost in Tennessee?

  The cost of a septic system in Tennessee depends mostly on the soil and the system type the soil allows. A conventional system on good soil costs the least. Alternative systems, needed where soil or slope is poor, cost more. TDEC's own fees are $400 for a conventional permit plus a $100 inspection, and $500 for an alternative permit plus a $200 inspection.

• What does land clearing cost in Tennessee?

  Land clearing in Tennessee is priced by how much ground is cleared and how heavily it is wooded, then by stumps, slope, rock and what happens to the debris. Brush and small trees cost the least to clear. Mature hardwoods with stumps pulled cost the most. What the land is for matters too, because a house pad needs more grading than a pasture.