Concrete Work · Ottawa
Concrete patios, walkways and steps in Ottawa
Korvex Construction is a concrete contractor for homeowners across Ottawa, Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven, Nepean, Orleans, Manotick and Riverside South: poured patios, walkways and pads, concrete slab patios, step repair and replacement, and crack and spall repair. Every job starts with the base under it. Book a free on-site estimate; the written price follows the visit.
- Concrete
- Concrete slabs
- Compacted base
- Filter fabric
- Bedding sand
What goes wrong
Why concrete cracks, flakes and sinks in Ottawa
Concrete is strong and rigid, and that is exactly why Ottawa winters are hard on it. The ground under a patio or a walkway is wet clay on many lots, and wet ground freezes and swells, then thaws and drops back. A slab sitting on that ground gets lifted unevenly and set down again every winter. It cannot bend, so it cracks, and once a crack opens, water gets under the slab and the next freeze opens it further.
The surface wears out in its own way. Water soaks into the top of the concrete, freezes, and pops off thin flakes, which is what spalling is. De-icing salt speeds it up, and step edges and the low spots where water sits go first. A patio or walkway that slopes back toward the house adds a second problem: every rain and every melt runs toward the foundation and pools along it.
Steps fail where the ground is weakest. The soil against a foundation is backfill placed after the house went up, it keeps settling for years, and it is where roof water lands. Concrete steps on that ground tip toward the door or pull away from the wall, and the treads crack and flake at the edges. A gap opening between the steps and the house lets more water in behind them.
Most of what decides how long concrete lasts is out of sight. A base dug out to firm ground and compacted in layers, a slope that sends water away from the house, joints that tell the slab where to crack, and a pour protected from frost and salt while it is young. Skip the base and even good concrete cracks; get it right and the slab has something solid to sit on through the freeze and thaw.
What you get is a patio, a walkway, a pad or a set of steps that stays flat and sheds water away from the house. Where the old concrete can be saved, we say so. Where it has heaved, broken through or tipped toward the wall, we tell you at the estimate that replacing it on a proper base is the repair that lasts.
How we build it
What goes under a concrete slab
A slab lasts as long as the ground under it stays put. So most of a concrete job is the part you will never see: the dig-out, the base and the slope. The pour comes last, and the finish and joints are what you see on top.
- Locates first
Buried lines are marked before any digging. Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Call, requires locates for any project that breaks ground.
- Down to firm ground
Topsoil and soft fill come out. Concrete poured on topsoil settles as the soil does.
- Base in layers
The base goes in in layers, each compacted before the next, so it does not settle under the slab later.
- Slope away from the house
The surface falls toward the yard, so rain and snowmelt run off the slab and away from the foundation.
- Joints where cracks belong
Control joints give the slab a place to crack in a straight line, out of sight in the joint.
- Protect the young pour
Fresh concrete is kept from freezing while it cures, and de-icing salt stays off it through its first winter.
- Concrete slabPlaced, finished and jointed, with a fall away from the house.Jointed, sloped to drain
- Compacted baseGranular base placed and compacted in layers where soft ground was dug out.Placed in lifts
- Filter fabricLaid where the soil calls for it, so the base stays clean of clay.Laid over the soil
- Native soilTopsoil and soft or wet ground removed until it is firm.To firm ground
What we build
Concrete work: the work we take on
Poured concrete patios
A patio poured in one piece over a dug-out, compacted base, sloped away from the house and jointed so any cracking follows straight lines. Shape and size are set with you at the estimate.
Walkways and pads
Concrete walkways along the house or to the back door, and pads for an air conditioner, bins, a shed or a barbecue, set to drain away from the wall.
Concrete slab patios
Large precast concrete slabs laid on fabric, a compacted base and a bedding layer screeded flat, so every slab has full support and none of them rock.
Slabs in gravel
A grid of large concrete slabs with gravel joints, or a stepping path, over landscape fabric, so rain soaks in across the whole yard.
Concrete step repair and replacement
Cracked, flaking or tipping concrete steps repaired where the body of the step is sound, or taken out and replaced on a new compacted base where it has moved. Steps or landings at a door with more than 600 mm between surfaces need a building permit.
Crack and spall repair
Flaking surfaces and open cracks cleaned out and repaired where the slab is still flat and solid. Where a slab has heaved, sunk or tipped toward the house, we price its replacement instead.
Stamped concrete
Ask about stamped or coloured finishes for a patio or walkway at the estimate. We go over what each finish asks for in an Ottawa winter, such as sealing and how it handles salt.
Related projects
Often part of the same job
“Vlad and his crew installed my patio in 2 days. Did excellent work and vlad answered any and all questions I asked. I highly recommend Korvex Development for any job you may require.”
Joe Ayoub · Patio installed
“Did awesome work! had them repair a leany fence and they were on time, cheap and super professional”
Josh Cohen-Collier · Leaning fence repaired
Related services
Often built together
FAQ
What homeowners ask about concrete work
Why does concrete crack in Ottawa?
Mostly because the ground under it moves. Wet clay freezes and swells in winter and drops back in spring, and a rigid slab on top of it cracks where it is lifted unevenly. Settling backfill near the house, water getting under the slab and a missing or thin base make it worse. Fine shrinkage cracks are normal in concrete; cracks that widen, step up on one side or keep growing mean the base has moved.
Can cracked or flaking concrete be repaired, or does it need replacing?
It depends on what is under the damage. Surface flaking and narrow cracks in a slab that is still flat and solid can be repaired. A slab that has heaved, sunk, broken right through or tipped toward the house has lost its base, and a patch on top leaves it where it moved. Korvex looks at the slab and the slope at the estimate and tells you which one it is.
What is spalling?
Spalling is the surface of concrete flaking or popping off in thin pieces. Water soaks into the top layer, freezes and expands, and de-icing salt speeds that up. It shows first on step edges, on driveways and walkways that get salted, and in low spots where water sits. Keeping salt off young concrete and giving the surface a slope so water runs off both help.
Do you do stamped concrete?
Ask about it at the estimate. Stamped and coloured finishes can work on a patio or a walkway, and we talk through what they need in an Ottawa winter, such as sealing, how they take salt and how they look next to the rest of the yard, before anything is priced.
Poured concrete or concrete slabs for a patio?
A poured patio is one piece, shaped to the space, and relies on its base and joints to stay flat. A patio of precast concrete slabs is laid on a compacted base and bedding, so a slab that moves can be lifted and reset on its own. Korvex has laid slab patios behind Ottawa townhouses and in gravel yards, and we go over both at the estimate.
Do I need a permit for concrete steps or a patio?
Landscaping is on the City of Ottawa list of projects that need no building permit, and a patio or walkway falls under it. Steps and landings that lead to the house need a building permit where the surfaces differ by more than 600 mm (2 ft.), and a change to a driveway entrance where it crosses the City’s right of way needs an access permit. Korvex checks what applies to your job at the estimate.
When can concrete be poured in Ottawa?
Fresh concrete must not freeze while it cures, and frozen ground cannot be dug out or compacted properly, so on most Ottawa sites concrete work runs from spring to fall. Rain and frost in the forecast can move a pour day. The schedule comes with the written quote.
How is concrete work priced?
By the area, how much soft ground has to come out, whether old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, the finish you choose and how easily the yard can be reached. Korvex Construction sees the site in person anywhere in Ottawa and the suburbs, and the written price follows that visit.
Book a free concrete estimate
Tell us what you want built and send a few photos. We come out, look at what sits under the job, and give you the scope and the price in writing.