Here in Florida, a lot of us like to spend time outside. It’s one of the main reasons that folks decide to move here in the first place, right? The sunny beaches and the beautiful Everglades. Unfortunately, it can be kind of hard to experience all of that beauty without a dedicated space to do so.
Wooden decks aren’t very popular around here, though, for a few reasons. Obviously, all of the rain can cause wood to rot eventually – even if it’s been properly waterproofed. The constant humidity and water is a pretty serious roadblock.
Besides that, though, it’s a whole lot easier for critters to wriggle their way into a wooden structure – or under it, too. All of this is to say that often, we need to find other ways to be able to spend time outdoors at home. As you may have guessed from the title of today’s article, concrete is one solution that is becoming more and more popular these days.
Why Concrete?
Now, if you’re here, there’s a good chance that you’ve already been considering using concrete for your latest construction project that you’re aiming to take on. However, even if that’s the case, we’d like to take a moment to examine why concrete is rising in popularity. There are several reasons for it, after all.
Generally speaking, it’s quite affordable. Thanks to the innovations in the construction industry as a whole, we as consumers have a lot more access to contractors who work with concrete at reasonable prices that won’t break the bank. This even includes larger jobs like making a new deck for your home or driveway.
Additionally, though, concrete is durable. It won’t get rotted out thanks to a bunch of rain and humidity, and the local wildlife will have a much harder time trying to chew through layers of it (putting it lightly). You can paint it if you care to, so it’s not like you’d be stuck with a gray color or something like that – which does tend to be one of the hang-ups for some folks.
What Projects Could Use Concrete?
Now, we’ve already alluded to some of these today, but we’ll make sure to cover as many as we can anyhow. Porches, decks, or patios are some of the most popular options, however you want to refer to them.
Driveways are another huge one, considering how annoying having a gravel driveway can be. Paving a new one might seem like a huge job, but if you bring in a contractor who is experienced in those types of projects, you can have it done in no time.
The last one that we’d like to cover today are walls, which might sound a little strange. Concrete walls can be used as a type of fencing or even a way to keep a pool safer for kids, or you could just be aiming for a full-sized wall or set of them to create a shed. At the end of the day, it’s a fairly flexible material in terms of what is actually possible.
Picking a Contractor
Seeing as we’ve covered why you might want to choose concrete for your next construction project and we’ve discussed the possibilities for what you can build with it, let’s delve into how to pick a contractor! Resources like this one might be helpful for you, but of course, if you’re looking in the Tampa area you’ll probably want to fine tune your searches.
First, think about if you have any friends or family members who have had any construction done on their properties. Did they hire a contractor?
Ask for their recommendations (at least, from people whose judgement that you trust), and see what sorts of experiences they’ve had. Hearing or reading reviews from other customers can help us get a sense of what we’ll be experiencing as well.
Beyond that, though, try to look for a professional who has experience in the fields that you need. If you want a concrete patio made, find a contractor who has done that before and is ready to bring that knowledge to your home as well. This can help us to ensure the best possible outcome.
Pricing is another matter of concern, so it doesn’t hurt to get quotes from a few of your potential options to compare them. Take into account the general timeframe that they have predicted for the project as well, and if there would need to be any special accommodations made. All of this can factor into whether or not they will be the right option for you.
Above all, though, you should hopefully have some rapport with them. It’s easy to underestimate how much that matters.
