Concrete Contractors in De Beque, CO

De Beque is a small town, and concrete contractors serving De Beque plan each job around distance and a hillside setting. The town sits at 4,954 feet on a small hill on the north side of the Colorado River, about 25 miles northeast and upstream of Grand Junction, with Interstate 70 across the river. It was settled in 1880, incorporated in 1890 and had 493 residents in 2020. In August 2001 the town board designated it the only Wild Horse Sanctuary City in the West.

Building on a hill above the river

A hillside lot changes how concrete is designed. Water runs downhill and will find the edge of a slab if you let it. On sloped De Beque lots we: 1. Cut the slab into the grade rather than building it up on loose fill 2. Compact any fill in thin lifts with a plate compactor or roller 3. Slope the surface so water runs off to the side, not toward the house 4. Add a curb or swale on the uphill side where runoff is heavy

Driveways that climb need a rougher finish for traction in snow and a steeper cross-slope to shed water.

Older homes and small lots

As a town settled in 1880, De Beque has a share of older houses alongside newer ones. Older concrete steps and walks here have usually been through decades of freeze and thaw. Signs it is time for replacement include:

• Steps that have pulled away from the porch
• Walks with panels tilted in different directions
• Driveways with pieces broken loose at the edges
• Wide, open cracks that grow every spring

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What we pour in De Beque

Driveways. Air-entrained concrete on compacted gravel, with joints laid out to fit the lot.

Patios. Broom, exposed aggregate or stamped finishes for back yards and river views.

Sidewalks and steps. New front walks, side paths and steps poured with even, safe risers.

Slabs. Shop floors, garage slabs, sheds, carports and RV pads.

Repairs. Replacing broken panels and steps instead of full replacement when the rest is sound.

Haul time and scheduling

De Beque is a long drive from most valley plants, through De Beque Canyon on the interstate. We schedule pours with that travel time in mind, use set-retarders in warm weather so the concrete stays workable, and have everything checked and ready before the truck arrives. Grouping several small pours on one trip keeps the job practical.

Town and county

Inside town limits, we check with the Town of De Beque on any rules for driveway or sidewalk work that touches a public street. For properties outside town that need a new driveway onto a county road, Mesa County says a driveway permit is required and asks you to allow 10 to 15 working days. We plan for whichever applies.

Joints and cracks explained

All concrete shrinks as it cures, and cracks form when that shrinkage meets resistance. Control joints are planned weak lines that give the crack a straight, tidy place to form. On De Beque driveways and patios we cut joints to about a quarter of the slab depth, spaced roughly 8 to 12 feet apart on a 4-inch slab, and keep panels close to square. A crack inside a joint is doing its job; a crack across a panel is what we design to avoid.

Wild horses and open range

The Wild Horse Sanctuary designation, and the town's later work with the Bureau of Land Management to protect the remaining herd, says a lot about the open country around De Beque. For property owners, open country usually means wind, dust and full sun rather than shade. A medium broom finish or exposed aggregate hides dust better than a smooth slab, and an earth-tone integral color keeps a patio from glaring in full sun. We sort those choices out at the site visit, when we can see the lot.