Surprisingly, concrete is the most commonly used building material in the world. Every year, more than 2 billion tons are made and used by concrete contractors to install high quality slabs across the country. An extensive range of color options is also allowing homeowners to add their own creative touches to home renovation projects. Concrete can be used indoors as flooring, can be made into kitchen countertops and used for sinks, and can be used in garages as well as in driveway remodels.

A concrete contractor should be familiar with the full range of uses for concrete, and homeowners who want to install a concrete driveway may be surprised to realize that concrete has become more versatile in recent years. Some business owners are also investigating the possibility of using decorative concrete driveways to attract customers to their stores; the surface of concrete walkways and floors can be polished for a professional finish.

Experienced concrete contractors can also work with homeowners on other concrete projects, like outdoor cooking areas, garden paths, vertical walls, and even concrete furniture. Typically, properly poured and constructed concrete projects should last more than 20 years, but experts say that the lifespan of a new driveway could stretch up to 40 years or more. Concrete should be able to tolerate changes in temperature and to resist wear.

Concrete has actually been used as a building material for centuries. Not only did Egyptians make use of a form of concrete for building the pyramids, but ancient Romans used concrete to build as well. Historians mention the addition of volcanic ash to some concrete projects, which enabled them to set concrete underwater, as well as the addition of horse hair to concrete, which hastened drying and curing times.

Nowadays, concrete is used for a variety of home improvement projects. A concrete contractor should be able to talk to homeowners about prices, colors, and to describe the variety of uses of concrete. Homeowners may find that they are surprised by the range of applications for concrete, and may want to consider several home improvement projects over the course of a few months.