Concrete Contractors in Fort McCoy, FL

Fort McCoy sits on County Road 316 between Sparr and Eureka, northeast of Ocala, and concrete contractors working there deal with the deep, sandy soil that comes with life beside the Ocala National Forest. The community lies directly north of Silver Springs on County Road 315 and just west of the forest.

Living beside the Big Scrub

The Ocala National Forest was established in 1908 and is the oldest national forest east of the Mississippi River. It holds the largest concentration of sand pine in the world, and its porous sands recharge the Floridan Aquifer. Those same sands run under many lots in Fort McCoy. Sand has advantages and drawbacks for concrete:

• It drains fast, so water rarely sits under a slab for long
• It shifts when loose, so it must be compacted in layers before a slab goes down
• It erodes at edges, so slab edges and driveway aprons need support so they do not undermine
• It is soft for trucks, so we plan access carefully to avoid getting stuck during a pour

A long history, rural homes

Fort McCoy was first named Fort Mackay, after a militia captain killed while surveying Itonia Scrub on March 20, 1839, and later took the name of settler Jeb MacCoy. Its first school was a log cabin near the fort. A brick school opened in 1936, and that original building became the Fort McCoy Public Library in 1996. On rural properties like those around Fort McCoy, outbuildings, carports and long drives are the usual concrete projects.

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What we build in Fort McCoy

Driveways. Long drives from county roads, with planned joints and supported edges so sand does not wash out from under them.

Carport and shed slabs. Level pads with thickened edges where posts or walls sit.

Workshop and garage slabs. Thicker slabs with a vapor barrier for enclosed buildings.

Patios. Shaded patios for outdoor living on wooded lots.

Pool decks and stamped concrete. Textured pool decks and decorative patios for owners who want more than plain gray.

Concrete repair. Undermined edges, cracked panels and settled steps.

Edges and erosion

On sandy ground, the most common failure we see is not a crack in the middle of a slab. It is a broken edge, where rain has washed sand out from under the side of a driveway or patio and the unsupported concrete has snapped off. We prevent that by thickening slab edges, compacting the base past the edge of the forms and shaping the ground so runoff does not cut along the side. For an existing drive with washed-out edges, we can cut back the broken section, rebuild the base and pour a new, thicker edge.

Patios on wooded lots

Many lots near the forest have mature trees, which give welcome shade but bring roots and leaf litter. We lay out patios to stay clear of major roots where possible, and we slope them so leaves and rain wash off rather than piling up against the house. A broom finish holds up well under shade and is easy to sweep. Where a tree must stay close to the slab, a wider isolation joint gives room for some movement.

Watching for burrows

The forest's sandy uplands are home to the gopher tortoise, whose burrows also shelter many other animals. Burrows can turn up on sandy lots near the forest too. Before excavation we walk the area and point out any burrow openings, so the slab layout can be planned with them in mind.

Permits

Fort McCoy is unincorporated and part of the Ocala metro area. Permits run through Marion County. We check what your project needs, including any drive that meets County Road 316 or 315, before scheduling.