Expert Concrete Contractor in College Park MD — Older Homes Done Right

College Park's established residential neighborhoods, including Old Town, Calvert Hills, and Hollywood, contain some of the oldest housing stock in Prince George's County. Homes built between the 1920s and the 1950s are now 70 to 100 years old, and much of their original concrete flatwork has been through decades of clay soil movement, root intrusion, and freeze-thaw cycles. Clay soil in this part of the county expands when saturated after heavy rain and contracts as it dries out, putting cyclical upward pressure on driveways, sidewalks, and patios from below. Contractors who skip thorough base prep on College Park properties are setting up a replacement surface to develop the same problems within a few years.

The mature trees that define streets in College Park's older neighborhoods add a second challenge. Roots from large oaks, maples, and other hardwoods extend under concrete surfaces in search of moisture and push slabs upward over time. College Park also sees about 15 to 20 inches of snow per year and experiences multiple freeze-thaw cycles each winter, when temperatures swing above and below freezing repeatedly. Water that enters cracks or collects under a poorly drained slab freezes, expands, and widens those cracks each winter. Sealing concrete after installation and maintaining proper drainage are not optional extras here, they are necessary to get a full service life out of any concrete surface.

College Park is best known as the home of the University of Maryland's main campus, which enrolls over 40,000 students and sits at the center of the city. But College Park's residential character is defined by its established owner-occupied neighborhoods, not the campus itself. Old Town College Park, Calvert Hills, and Hollywood are among the city's oldest communities, with tree-lined streets, two-story Colonial and Cape Cod homes, and long-term residents who have lived there for decades. Many of these homes were built between the 1920s and the 1950s, and brick exteriors are common throughout the older sections. The city also has a wave of postwar ranch and split-level construction from the 1950s and 1960s in the areas south and east of campus.

College Park sits just inside or along the Capital Beltway, about 8 miles northeast of Washington, D.C., and is served by two Metro Green Line stations. The city is part of Prince George's County and has its own municipal government that works alongside the county on permitting and public works matters. Homeowners in the established neighborhoods value contractors who know the difference between owner-occupied properties and the rental stock near campus. Homeowners in nearby Bowie, MD share many of the same property characteristics and call us for the same types of concrete work.