Concrete Contractors in Bellefonte, DE

Bellefonte is a small town centered on Brandywine Boulevard and Bellefonte Avenue, and concrete contractors working here work largely around homes from the years between the world wars. The census tells the story: 291 residents in 1920, then a peak of 2,593 in 1940. That jump suggests much of the town's housing went up in those twenty years. Today Bellefonte covers about 0.18 square miles, with 1,225 residents and 578 housing units in 2020, and only 2.6 percent of those units vacant.

What 80-plus years does to concrete

Concrete poured in the 1920s and 1930s was made without the air entrainment that protects modern mixes from freeze-thaw damage. After eight or nine decades of Delaware winters, that shows. Typical problems:

• Front steps with crumbling edges and treads that tip toward the house
• Walks with flaking surfaces and lifted joints
• Narrow driveways broken into separate pieces
• Old patches that never bonded to the original concrete

Surface patches on concrete this old tend to pop off within a winter or two. In most cases, replacing the failed section is the repair that lasts.

Front steps, done right

Front steps are often the worst concrete on a pre-war house. Old steps settle, crack at the joint with the house and develop uneven risers that trip people. We remove the failed steps, build a proper base, and form new steps with even risers and treads that pitch slightly forward to shed water. A broom finish gives grip in wet weather. If there is a railing, we plan how to reset it in the new concrete.

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Small lots, careful work

With 578 homes packed into less than a fifth of a square mile, lots are tight and neighbors are close. We plan truck placement, keep the work zone tidy and protect adjoining walks, fences and gardens. For a short driveway, we can often stage everything from the street. For a back patio, we may need to wheel concrete through a side yard, and we include that in the estimate.

Adding a patio or stamped walk

Many Bellefonte homes have small back yards with room for a modest patio. A concrete patio sized for a table and a grill is a practical upgrade. Some owners choose stamped concrete for the front walk to add curb appeal that fits an older home, such as a brick or cobble pattern in a muted color. We seal stamped work and explain how often to reseal it.

Drainage on a small lot

On a tight lot, there is not much room for water to spread out. Downspouts that empty onto a walk or next to steps are a frequent cause of this kind of damage. During the estimate we look at gutters and downspouts and suggest simple changes, like extensions or redirecting discharge, so the new concrete is not fighting the same water that ruined the old.

When only part of the walk is bad

Often just two or three panels of an old walk are broken while the rest are still serviceable. We can cut out and replace only the failed panels, saw-cutting clean edges so the new concrete meets the old neatly. New concrete will look brighter at first. If the walk has many failing sections, replacing the whole run gives a uniform look and saves trips back later.

Built for winter

Bellefonte shares the climate recorded for Wilmington at New Castle County Airport, where the January daily average is 32.4 degrees. Our exterior concrete is air-entrained, properly cured and ready for a penetrating sealer after it has cured. We ask homeowners to skip rock salt on new work during its first winter.