"Tony" wrote in message
...
My concrete driveway has tons of holes and pock marks that fill with water
every time it rains. It
looks terrible. How hard is it for me to put in a concrete driveway? I
have a book of Home Repair
that tells about laying a good foundation and all that but is there
anything else I need to know?

I live on Long Island and it is currently around 65 degrees. Winters are
normally around the 30s or
40s with some colder days thrown in. Is there some special mixture I need
to know about. Any
suggestions on what concrete to use? Any (constructive) help is
appreciated.

Tony

Some people can jump right into a big job and it comes out great. I'm not
one of those people. I like to start with small projects and work my way up
to bigger ones. That way my learning mistakes are affecting small jobs that
are easily corrected.

I had a new concrete driveway installed, this spring. After watching my
basement get poured, then my garage pad, then my driveway, I came to see
working with concrete is as much an art as a skill and a science. Before
you pour a driveway, start with something small, like a step outside a door.
Then maybe do a short section of sidwalk or patio in your yard. You'll get
a little appreciation for how the work grows exponentially with the size of
the project.

To do a driveway you not only need the knowledge and the "touch", you need
to think on your feet. Unexpected changes in weather change how you work
with the concrete, and how long you have to work with it. You also need
special tools and equipment so you can "float" over the middle of the
driveway to smooth it without falling in. And if its a two car wide
driveway you won't be able to work the concrete alone.

S