Concrete Contractors in Buchanan, MI

Buchanan is a small city in Berrien County, Michigan, and the concrete contractors work here is mostly on older homes. The area was first settled in 1833 where McCoy Creek meets the St. Joseph River. The village was platted in 1842 and incorporated in 1858. The 2020 census counted 4,300 residents and 2,077 housing units.

A factory town's housing

For much of the last century Buchanan was the headquarters of Clark Equipment, which formed in 1916 and built truck axles, forklifts and front-end loaders. Electro-Voice, the audio maker, was also headquartered here. Clark left in the 1990s. The homes built for people who worked at those plants are still here, and their concrete has had a long life. Typical problems on houses of that age:

• Driveways with heaved or sunken slabs and no real base underneath
• Porch steps that have dropped or cracked through
• Walks lifted by trees planted when the house was new
• Old garage floors that are cracked, pitted or sloping toward the door

Building on creek and river ground

With McCoy Creek and the St. Joseph River both in town, some lots sit low and stay wet. Before we pour on one of those, we look at where water goes now. A slab that blocks drainage will push water toward the house. A slab poured over soft, wet soil will settle. We dig out soft material, compact a gravel base and set the grade so the slab sheds water to the yard or the street. The Buchanan Dam on the river, built in 1895, is one sign of how much the town has always lived with water.

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Garage floors that need replacing

Old garage slabs in Buchanan often have deep cracks, low spots that hold water and oil-soaked patches. If the slab has broken up, we remove it, rebuild the base and pour a new floor with a slight slope toward the door. We can tie in a new apron at the same time so the joint between the floor and the driveway does not catch a tire or hold water. Detached garages and sheds get a thickened edge where the walls sit.

Walks and steps downtown

Older homes set close to the street often have short walks and steep steps. Steep steps get icy fast. When we rebuild them, we keep each riser the same height, add a broom finish for grip and slope each tread just enough to shed water. If the porch allows, we add a landing at the top so you can stand flat while opening the door, which is much safer in winter.

For walks lifted by tree roots, we cut out the high sections and pour new ones flush with the rest, so there is no lip to catch a shovel or a toe.

A town that had to change

Wikipedia notes that when Clark left in the 1990s, Buchanan was forced to diversify, and the housing count has slipped since: 2,139 units in 2010 and 2,077 in 2020. Fewer houses on the same streets means many have changed owners. Someone who has just bought an older Buchanan home often finds the concrete is the first thing worth fixing, because a sunken walk or a crumbling stoop is a safety problem before it is a looks problem.

Patios and stamped work

Not every call is a repair. Many owners want a patio for the back yard. We pour broom-finish slabs and stamped concrete with a pattern and color. A stamped patio is sealed after curing and resealed every few years to keep water and salt out.

We check with the City of Buchanan about permits before we schedule, since Michigan towns set their own rules. Call (574) 475-3419 for a free estimate on driveways, patios, stamped concrete, sidewalks and steps, garage and shed slabs, or repair and replacement.