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Rant: A homeowner pushed me to leave out rebar in their driveway slab
Last week in Amarillo, a customer wanted me to pour their driveway and not use any steel rebar to save money. I knew it would crack fast in our soil. I told them no, but they got mad and hired someone else. Now I'm worried others might do the same and end up with a busted driveway. Always use reinforcement, folks, it's not worth the risk.
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quinn_burns3mo ago
Yeah, classic move. They'll save a couple hundred bucks now and then act shocked when their driveway looks like a jigsaw puzzle after the first good rain. Saw exactly what @nathan_hall44 was talking about at my cousin's place, a huge zigzag crack right down the middle of their new patio. At least you'll know who to call in a year when they need it ripped out and re-poured. Maybe your bid for the repair will include a small 'I told you so' fee.
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nathan_hall443mo ago
You're absolutely right to stand your ground on that. I saw a buddy skip rebar in his shed base to save cash, and the whole thing cracked after one winter. It's never worth cutting corners on structural stuff.
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juliarodriguez2mo ago
You mentioning that jigsaw puzzle look is what got me. I used to think a little cracking was normal, no big deal. Then I saw my neighbor's new walkway after a freeze. It wasn't just a crack, it was a full split, one side was like an inch higher than the other. That picture in my head changed my whole view on skipping the steel.
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