The Eaton Fire burned thousands of homes and community buildings in Altadena. Homeowners are working through the stages of rebuilding, and concrete work often is important in the rebuilding process. All of the parts of rebuilding -- from the main structures to garages, to walkways and driveways -- all of these can require new concrete to be installed or old concrete to be replaced.

People often think of concrete work as one of the last steps in a construction project, but actually considering concrete and planning for concrete often comes early in the rebuild. The overall site plan, and plans for grading, for drainage, for utiliies, for building foundations, and for the eventual access routes around the property -- all of these involve planning for where and how concrete will be involved. These are early planning steps that may involve planning for concrete before  rebuilding begins and continue during early phases of rebuilding.

Replacing deiveways and walkways is one of the most common ceoncrete jobs involved in rebuilding. Sometimes homeowners will decide to widen a driveway, improve access or resolve drainage issues the existed long before the fire. Sometimes homeowners will decide that rebuilding is the perfect time to change the site plan entirely, and put the driveway in a different locaion. Sometimes there are minor changes like making a driveway wider or adding walkways for better access. The rebuilding process itself can take a toll on existing concrete with debris removal, construction work, and heavy equipment during the rebuild. 

Drainage often matter more than many homeowners realize. Often drainage is not considered closely until problems show up. If there are existing drainage problems, reconsturction is a good opportunity to resolve the issues while part or all of the site is cleared.

By addressing drainage issues, many conditions that damage concrete over time can be avoided.  Changes to grading, landscaping, and where hardscaping is installed all affect how water will move and drain. Planning for drainage as part of reconstruction will help to lessen the likelhood of repairs in the future.