Why Pomona properties need a concrete contractor who understands local conditions
Pomona is one of the older cities in the San Gabriel Valley, and a significant share of its housing was built before 1970. Mid-century ranch homes, bungalows, and converted multi-family properties make up much of the residential stock, and the original concrete on those properties - driveways, garage floors, patios, front walks - is now 60 to 80 years old in many cases. That age alone is enough reason to look at replacement rather than patching. But the soil conditions here compound the problem. Pomona sits in an inland valley where soils contain clay, and the pattern of dry summers followed by wet winters means that clay expands and contracts on a regular cycle, putting upward and downward pressure on concrete slabs from below. Slabs poured in the 1950s and 1960s were typically thinner than current standards, often 3 inches rather than 4 or 5, and few were reinforced with rebar. After 60 years of that soil movement, most of that original concrete has cracked, settled, and broken down past the point where surface repairs address the underlying problem.
Pomona summers regularly push past 95 degrees F with intense UV, and that heat accelerates the breakdown of concrete surfaces that were never sealed or have not been resealed in years. Spalling - where the surface of the concrete peels in thin layers - is common on unprotected slabs of this age in this climate. In the Lincoln Park neighborhood, where many homes date to the late 1800s and early 1900s, concrete work requires additional attention to matching the scale and character of the property, and tree root intrusion from mature street trees is a consistent factor in sidewalk and driveway cracking throughout the older parts of the city. Pomona also has a meaningful share of multi-family and mixed-use properties, particularly near downtown, where concrete work involves coordinating access and scheduling around tenants rather than a single-family homeowner.
