Concreting questions answered for Wonthaggi

An Australia-wide average mixes inner-city strips with country runs, so it says little about a Bass Coast driveway. Removal of old surfaces, the depth of sand or clay to dig out, slab thickness, finish, access and drainage all change the total. After a look at the site, you get a written breakdown.

That hinges on the paver you pick, the area involved and the base your soil calls for. On coastal sand, pavers need strong edge restraint or they spread, and joints collect weeds and sand. A reinforced concrete driveway is one solid surface with very little upkeep. We can talk through both for your block.

Random cracks from missing joints or a skimpy base, edges breaking away after sand washes out, panels dropping over old trenches, water running into the garage, and rust or salt staining near the coast. Most of these come down to preparation, drainage and sealing.

Rolled crushed rock is the common budget pick, and many rural owners around Wonthaggi use it for the long run with concrete only near the house and shed. It does need topping up and grading over time.

The main choices are plain broom-finished concrete, coloured concrete, exposed aggregate, stamped or stencilled patterns, and honed or polished surfaces. On the Bass Coast, exposed aggregate and coloured broom finishes are the most common because they grip well in rain and sea mist.

Stone mix, size of the area, any break-out, base depth, access and sealing all feed in; once we have seen the site we price it, with a plain or tinted option alongside if you like.

It is coarser on bare feet, sand and leaf litter settle in the texture, your stone choice is permanent, and near the sea it wants a fresh seal every few years to keep its colour.

A per-metre number skips depth, reinforcement, digging, engineering and access, which swing widely; slabs are priced from drawings plus a site look.

The big hardware chains stock shed kits and bags of premix, yet someone still has to peg out, form, reinforce and pour the floor to the kit's engineering, which is our side of it.

The term usually means compacted crushed rock or a soil and cement blend. It suits light foot traffic and farm tracks, but it is no substitute for reinforced concrete under vehicles.

Lime mortars came with the first settlers, and Portland cement concrete spread through the late 1800s. Concrete was used in Wonthaggi's own early-1900s mining and town buildings, and the plain grey driveway became common across Victoria after the Second World War.

Never. Coming out and writing up the quote costs you nothing.