Concrete & Demolition Contractor in Downers Grove, IL

Concrete and demolition work in Downers Grove

Downers Grove has a wide mix of post-war and newer housing on wooded lots. That shapes the work we do here more than anything else. The three things we get called for most in Downers Grove are driveway replacement, root-lifted walks, and patios and foundations.

We are based in Avondale at 3227 N Western Ave, which puts Downers Grove well inside our normal working radius. Because we run demolition and concrete with the same crew, a tear-out and a new pour in Downers Grove is one contractor and one schedule rather than two companies negotiating with each other over your driveway.

What Downers Grove concrete is up against

Chicago is one of the hardest climates in the country on concrete. The freeze-thaw cycle runs from November into March, de-icing salt goes down on every driveway and public walk, and the clay soil underneath holds water instead of draining it. Concrete that survives here is air-entrained, poured on a compacted stone base, pitched so water leaves, jointed on a proper grid, and kept away from salt through its first winter.

What we see repeatedly in Downers Grove is water. Slabs pitched the wrong way, downspouts discharging onto concrete, and yards that hold instead of drain. Fixing the slab without fixing the water just resets the clock.

• Water pitched toward the house. A patio or walk sloping the wrong way puts water against the foundation every time it rains.
• Slabs poured on bad base. Most cracked driveways in the older neighborhoods were poured straight on disturbed clay with no compacted stone under them.
• Road salt damage. De-icing salt accelerates surface scaling badly. New concrete should not see salt through its first winter and should be sealed before the second.
• Settled and heaved sections. Where the slab is sound but has dropped, lifting or a single section replacement costs a fraction of a full tear-out.

Services we offer in Downers Grove

Every one of these has a page of its own, and a page specific to Downers Grove.

How a Downers Grove job runs

1. Scope walkWe look at what is coming out, what is staying, how material leaves the site, and what the building or municipality requires.
2. Permits and disconnectsDemolition permits pulled where required. Utilities confirmed disconnected before anything starts.
3. Protect and containFloor protection, dust containment, and protection for anything staying put.
4. Demolish in sequenceWorked in an order that keeps the structure stable and the site safe.
5. Load and haulMaterial loaded and hauled, separated for recycling where the facility allows.
6. Broom cleanSite left broom clean and ready for whatever comes next, including our own concrete crew.

What we look at before quoting in Downers Grove

Every estimate in Downers Grove starts with the same five questions, because the answers change the number far more than square footage does.

• How does material get in and debris get out? On the tighter lots around Downers Grove this is half the labor. A site a truck can back up to and a site where everything moves by buggy are not the same job.
• What is under the existing slab? If the base was never compacted, the new pour needs the bad material dug out, not covered over.
• Where does the water go? Grade, downspouts and where the yard drains. Fixing the slab without fixing the water just resets the clock.
• Does any of it sit in the public way? Aprons and sidewalk sections usually need a permit and have to meet municipal spec.
• What is the slab actually carrying? A work truck, an RV or a dumpster means a thicker slab and more reinforcement than a passenger car.

Taking care of new concrete in Downers Grove

Once the pour is done, the first twelve months decide how the next twenty go. Keep vehicles off for about a week and foot traffic off until the next day. Do not put de-icing salt on it through its first winter, and get it sealed before the second one. Keep downspouts discharging onto grass or a splash block rather than straight onto the slab, and if a planter or a pile of firewood is going to sit on it, put something underneath so it does not trap moisture in one spot. That is the whole list.

Nearby areas we serve

We work across DuPage County and beyond. Close to Downers Grove we are regularly in Westmont, Lisle, Lombard, Hinsdale and Oak Brook. The full list is on the areas we serve page.

Downers Grove FAQ