About this project
This Troy project on Robart Drive covered two pieces of flatwork: a new driveway at the front of the house and a new patio at the back. The home is a two-story with brick on the lower level, tan siding above and an attached two-car garage. We finished the job in July 2026.
The driveway has a broom finish, and in the photo it is still taped off with cones at the sidewalk while it cures. Out back, the patio is exposed aggregate with a dark charcoal border on its three open sides and a single control joint running out from the sliding door. A crew member with a long-handled roller works along the far edge, and the soil around the slab has been raked smooth.
What we did
- Poured a new broom-finish driveway from the garage to the public sidewalk
- Built a new exposed aggregate patio off the rear sliding door
- Added a dark charcoal border around the patio’s outside edges
- Cut a control joint through the middle of the patio
- Raked and leveled the soil along the new patio edges
Why the patio has a border and a joint down the middle
A slab this size wants to crack as it shrinks during curing and as the ground under it moves through Michigan winters. The line running out from the door is a control joint. It gives the concrete a planned weak spot, so if a crack forms it tends to follow that line instead of wandering across the stone surface. On a patio this wide, one well-placed joint keeps the look clean.
The dark border is mostly about appearance. It frames the pebble finish and gives the edge a crisp line against the lawn. Exposed aggregate also offers more grip underfoot than a smooth trowel finish, which helps on a patio that collects rain near a door. A sealer coat is commonly rolled on after an exposed aggregate pour to help keep stains from soaking in.
Questions homeowners ask about driveways and patios
Should the driveway and patio be poured on the same job?
They do not have to be, but grouping them can make sense. The forms, the concrete order and the cleanup are planned together, and you deal with one stretch of disruption instead of two. Each slab still gets the finish that suits it, which is why this driveway is broom-finished and the patio is exposed aggregate.
How soon can we use the new concrete?
Foot traffic comes first and cars come later. The tape and cones in the photo are there to keep people and vehicles off while the concrete gains strength. We give you the timing for your own pour based on the weather that week, since temperature makes a real difference.
Do you work in Troy?
Yes. We have completed more than 75 jobs in Troy, and more than 20 of them were concrete work like this driveway and patio. Our Troy concrete page shows more of it.
More photos from this job
See more of our concrete work and patio projects, or call (844) 757-6543 for a free estimate.
