Professional Concrete Contractors West Toowoomba

I always recommend 6 inches for driveways here in West Toowoomba. Yes, I know 4 inches is sometimes suggested elsewhere, but our clay soils move more than most places. I’ve seen plenty of 4-inch driveways crack within two years because they just can’t handle the soil movement we get during our wet and dry seasons. The extra 2 inches might cost you $3-4 more per square meter, but it’ll save you thousands in repairs later.

Absolutely, yes. I never skip rebar here in West Toowoomba. Our expansive clay soils make reinforcement essential, not optional. I typically use N12 rebar in a grid pattern, placed about 300mm apart. It might add $8-12 per square meter to your job, but I’ve never had a properly reinforced driveway fail, even after our wettest seasons.

Yes, and this is crucial here. I use a minimum of 100mm of compacted roadbase under all concrete. In West Toowoomba’s clay soils, this drainage layer is what prevents your concrete from moving when the clay expands and contracts. I’ve seen too many driveways crack because someone tried to save money by skipping proper base preparation.

For durability in our conditions, I recommend plain concrete with a broom finish or exposed aggregate. Both handle our weather extremes well. Stamped concrete looks great but needs more maintenance in our climate. Exposed aggregate is my personal favorite – it looks fantastic, provides good grip when wet, and hides the small hairline cracks that inevitably appear as houses settle.

Generally yes, but thickness alone isn’t the answer. Proper reinforcement and base preparation matter more. I’ve seen 100mm concrete with good rebar and base preparation outlast 150mm concrete poured directly on clay soil. In West Toowoomba, I focus on the complete system – good base, proper thickness, adequate reinforcement, and appropriate control joints.

For a 150mm concrete slab, I dig down 300-350mm total. That gives me room for 100mm of compacted roadbase, plus the 150mm concrete, with a bit extra for fine-tuning levels. In West Toowoomba’s clay, sometimes I need to go deeper if I hit particularly soft spots or if there’s been previous excavation that wasn’t properly compacted.