Big Easy Concrete: Outstanding Curb and Gutter Contractor in New Orleans

You might have spotted curbs and gutters along the streets near your neighborhood. Curbs and gutters like these are important. They are placed on the edges of roads, parking lots, and other areas. These can be made from stone, asphalt, or masonry blocks. We at Big Easy Concrete recommend material for curbs and gutters is concrete. Many curb and gutter service contractors in New Orleans aim to reinforce pavements that will be used as road surfaces. Curbs and gutters serve this purpose.

What Is the Purpose of Curbs and Gutters?

Asphalt and concrete are the main materials used for road pavements. Their edges are the weakest part and should be protected from damage. Without reinforcing, traffic, vehicles, and other movements can push asphalt and concrete towards the dirt. This would lead to cracking and crumbling of the pavement. If this worsens, water can weaken the pavement and can lead to irreversible damage. It is critical that water does not damage the pavement.

Curbs and barriers serve as barriers against water. They are laid to direct channels of water into drains or sewers. It will protect the pavement so it does not reduce its lifespan. This is not important for roads or sidewalks only. It can also be applied to residential settings like landscaping for better water flow.

Curbs and gutters also serve the purpose of protecting properties from motorist activity. Traffic and vehicles would not move past the driveway thus limiting accidents. Even if drivers and motorists get off track, curbs can act to deter any sudden movements. Right of ways can be maintained with curbs and gutters. Curbs can serve different purposes for pedestrians and drivers.

Maintaining curb appeal and aesthetics is another overlooked benefit of curbs and gutters. Paving would simply look undone without this finishing touch. The light color of concrete makes it also a sort of reflector for motorists at night. They can easily spot the boundaries of properties so they can stay on the roads. Other sorts of navigation like parking can be assisted with curbs and gutters.

Other purposes include:

• Structural limit to edges of roadways
• Control of floodwater drainage
• Protects lawns, trees, or other plants

How Much Do a Curb and Gutter Cost?

The cost of curbs and gutters installation can depend on different factors such as:

• Drainage volume
• Materials used
• Surface area
• Material volume
• Site preparation
• Labor rate

According to howmuch.net, rolled concrete curbs can cost around 4.27 dollars per foot. This includes the preparation and form, pouring from the truck, and the 6 inches tall by 12 inches wide curb. Materials can be an average of 8.89 dollars per foot. Labor average costs are around 36 dollars per hour of work.

Upgrades in size can be going for a 6 inches tall by 18 inches wide curb with a small gutter that can cost around 2.28 dollars per foot. Upgrading the gutter can cost about 2.33 dollars per foot for a 6 inches tall by 24 inches wide base for better volume drainage. With these upgrades, labor costs would also be around 36 dollars per hour.

The mentioned costs cover only pre-leveled land and drainage ways and there are no taxes and permit fees included. It will be best to work with your curb and gutter service contractors about taxes and permit fees needed. If there is a need for excavating soil, it can cost an additional 50 dollars per cubic yard. Any needed site clearing will be added costs as well. It can be from 0.50 to 1.50 dollars per square foot.

How Do You Make a Curb or Gutter?

Making and building curbs and gutters can be done without professional help. There will be a need for the right tools and skills instead. Learning to work on time is important as the concrete dries up fast. If you are not confident about your resources, call contractors like Big Easy Concrete.

There are different styles for curbs and gutters. It can be a straight gutter, curved gutters, curbs, too sloped curbs. Most curbs and gutters are hand-formed, which makes them labor and material intensive.

Curbs and gutters follow the same construction as concrete pavements. They are built using traditional or slip-form equipment. It can also be done along with or after doing concrete pavements. Doing it along concrete pavements helps keep the construction parallel to each other. This avoids any errors or discrepancies in the construction of both structures. The subgrades can also be done after the other. Doing it simultaneously helps cut back on costs and labor and can lead to uniform work.

A step-by-step process can include the following:

1. Laying out and marking the site.
2. Setting up warning barriers for optimal workplace safety
3. Preparing subgrade material and leveling and compacting it.
4. Concrete forms are important. It can be made from metal or wood form that is pinned at uniform intervals. This helps the form not to be disfigured or removed as concrete is poured.
5. Pour concrete into the concrete forms. Concrete used can be 3000 psi or .500 psi air-entrained.
6. Use a trowel to set the concrete level and put joints at a 10 inches interval. Expansion joints should be about 100 inches apart.
7. Removes the face forms once the concrete is set and trowel the top part.
8. Apply the finish parallel to the run of the curb.
9. Remove strip forms once the concrete has completely dried. For voids, use any dirt on site to backfill the gaps.

At Big Easy Concrete, we take pride in our work as curb and gutter service contractors in New Orleans. We are ready and equipped to work on projects that are important to your residential or commercial needs. We know the great benefit that curbs and gutters can bring to properties here in New Orleans. No job is too small or big for us to handle especially when it comes to preserving life on concrete pavements.

It is essential to consider the durability and longevity of your driveway. Pavers make excellent driveways because they are durable and long-lasting. Find out more about why you should also consider concrete pavers for your driveway.

Contact us today and we will work on providing you with exceptional curb and gutter construction work today!