Concrete Contractors in Rye, CO

Rye is the highest town we serve, and concrete contractors who work at 6,828 feet have to think like snow plow drivers. The town's long-term weather record averages 130.2 inches of snow and 25.37 inches of total precipitation a year, about double Pueblo's moisture. The record low is 36 below, set on January 12, 1963. A slab here goes through a lot more freezing and thawing than one on the plains.

Small town, wide area

Rye itself is tiny, with 206 people in the 2020 census, up from 153 in 2010, on less than a tenth of a square mile. It was incorporated on November 22, 1937, and a post office named Rye has run since 1881. Rye Elementary and Rye High School both sit near the town limits, and the zoned middle school, Craver, is in neighboring Colorado City, so the two communities are closely tied. Homes just outside the town limits fall under Pueblo County rules rather than the town's.

What snow does to concrete

Water gets into the pores of a slab, freezes, expands and pushes the surface apart. Over many cycles that causes scaling, where the top layer flakes off, and spalling at edges and joints. Plow blades and shovels add wear. In Rye we build against that:

• Air entrainment at the right percentage, checked at the truck.
• No added water to make the mix easier to place; it weakens the finished surface.
• A broom finish on driveways and walks so boots and tires grip.
• Penetrating sealer after curing, then resealing every few years.
• Thickened edges where plows and trucks drive onto the slab.

Timing the work

With snow possible for much of the year at this altitude, our pour window is shorter than in Pueblo. We plan Rye jobs for late spring through early fall and watch the overnight lows. If a cold night is coming, insulated blankets keep the fresh slab above freezing while it gains strength. Concrete that freezes in its first day or two can lose much of its strength for good.

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Water runs downhill

Rye's climate also gets a second wet season in June and July from the North American Monsoon. Summer storms can drop a lot of water on sloped lots in a hurry. We grade driveways and patios to carry runoff off the slab and away from the house, and we can add swales or channel drains where water concentrates. That helps keep the soil under the slab from softening and moving.

Plow-friendly details

If you plow or blade your own drive, tell us during the estimate. We can set the top of the slab flush with the approach so a blade does not catch an edge, round over exposed corners, and add a thickened lip where the plow first hits concrete. Small choices like these keep chips and broken corners from showing up after the first big storm.

Patios for a shorter season

With snow possible across much of the year, the patio season here is shorter than in Pueblo, so a patio gets most of its use in a few warm months. A light-colored finish stays cooler underfoot, and a covered area extends the season into fall evenings.

Work we do around Rye

Driveways, including replacing gravel that washes out or ruts in spring. Sidewalks and walkways with steps where the lot slopes. Patios for summer use, finished with a texture that is not slick when wet. Slabs for garages, shops and sheds. Repair of scaled, cracked or heaved concrete. We check with the Town of Rye or Pueblo County, depending on where your property is, before work begins.