Concrete driveways, RV pads and repair in Fernley
Some of the ground out here holds up fine until it gets soaked for the first time, then drops. We wet it down and compact it before we pour, not after.
Big lots, big rigs
Fernley went from a small farm town on the Truckee Canal to a real city in about 25 years, so most of the homes here are fairly new. Lots are big for the area, and a lot of driveways have a trailer, a boat, an RV or a work truck on them. That shapes most of what we pour.
Mainly that's driveways, RV and equipment pads, shop and garage floors, and fixing slabs that cracked or dropped on ground that wasn't prepped for what it is. We also pour plenty of patios and walks for yards the builder left as dirt.
Ground that drops when it gets wet
Parts of Fernley sit on what's called collapsible soil. It was laid down dry and loose, and it carries weight just fine as long as it stays dry. The first time it gets truly soaked (a broken line, a redirected downspout, new irrigation) it can lose volume all at once. That's not slow settling over decades. That's a driveway that suddenly has a step across it.
So on suspect ground we wet the subgrade down and compact it before we pour, so any collapse happens while it's still dirt. Where it's bad enough, we dig out and bring in engineered fill. It adds time and water to the job, and it's worth every bit.
Two more local things. The ground can carry alkali and sulfate, so some lots need a sulfate-resistant mix. And the Truckee Canal breach in January 2008 flooded hundreds of homes here, so if your lot sits low, we look at drainage before anything else. Fernley is flat, open and windy too, so we pour early.
What we pour in Fernley
- RV, boat and trailer pads
- Driveways and wide parking areas
- Shop and garage floors
- Patios and walks for bare backyards
- Fixing slabs that dropped or cracked
Neighborhoods we work in
All over Fernley, plus Donner Trail, Cottonwood, Painted Rock, east Fernley, Wadsworth, Hazen, and down 95A toward Silver Springs.
Not on the list? If you're in or near Fernley, we almost certainly cover you. Call (775) 264-5350 and ask.
Fernley questions
What's collapsible soil, and how do I know if I have it?
It's soil that's strong when dry and loses volume suddenly the first time it's really soaked. On an existing slab, the giveaway is a sharp drop or step that showed up fairly quickly, often after a leak or an irrigation change. You can't tell by looking at bare dirt, which is why we dig test holes before pricing bigger jobs here.
Why wet the ground before pouring?
So the collapse happens now, while it's dirt and a compactor, instead of later under your new driveway. We soak it, compact it in that condition, and then pour. Skipping that step is like building on a trap that hasn't gone off yet.
How thick should an RV pad be?
For a loaded fifth-wheel or a Class A, 5 to 6 inches with rebar on chairs over a solid base. Jacks and stabilizers put a lot of weight on small spots, which is harder on a slab than rolling tires. Tell us how your rig sits when it's parked and we'll plan the pad around it.