Concrete Contractors in Hummelstown, PA

Hummelstown has one of the oldest sets of homes near Harrisburg, and that shapes what local concrete contractors are called for. Census figures on Wikipedia show that 33.3 percent of the borough's homes were built in 1939 or earlier and another 27.2 percent between 1940 and 1959. That means about six in ten houses are more than 65 years old. The borough had 2,196 housing units and 4,544 residents in 2020 on just 1.31 square miles, so the work is mostly front steps, walks, narrow driveways, alley parking pads and detached garage floors.

A town with deep roots

Frederick and Rosina Hummel laid out the town in 1762, first naming it Fredrickstown, and it was incorporated as a borough in 1874. The population peaked at 4,723 in 1970. Several buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Keystone Hotel and Zion Lutheran Church and Graveyard. The local stone has its own history too: the Quarries of the Hummelstown Brownstone Company, in neighboring Derry Township, are also on the National Register, and that brownstone shows up in buildings across the region.

On homes this old, new concrete usually has to meet brick, brownstone or old block. We use isolation joints at those edges and keep the finish plain so the new work suits the house.

Swatara Creek on two sides

Swatara Creek forms the borough's northern and western borders. The National Weather Service gauge on Swatara Creek near Hershey, just upstream, has a 7-foot flood stage and crested at 27.22 feet during Tropical Storm Lee on September 8, 2011. Hurricane Agnes in 1972 knocked out two key bridges in town. For homes on the low side of the borough, any new slab gets a grading plan first, and we talk honestly about what would happen in a flood.

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Winters here

Hummelstown winters can drop to around minus 5 degrees, and a 2010 blizzard left a record 21 inches of snow. Old exterior concrete without air entrainment breaks down fast under that kind of freeze-thaw and the salt that comes with it. Every exterior pour we do uses an air-entrained mix, a properly compacted base and control joints, and we recommend sealing after the cure.

What older homes usually need

• Front steps rebuilt to the door height, sometimes with a new landing
• Sidewalk sections replaced where roots or frost have lifted them
• Detached garage floors broken into pieces or sunken at the door
• Alley aprons and parking pads with a pitch that drains toward the alley
• Small patios in narrow back yards

Space is tight on most of these lots, so we plan access, staging and cleanup carefully and protect neighbors' walls and walks.

Under the ground

Indian Echo Caverns, open to the public since 1929, lies a half mile south of the borough, a reminder that this is limestone country. Pennsylvania American Water notes that sinkholes are common in the state's limestone and dolostone areas, often triggered by stormwater or leaking pipes. Keep downspouts aimed away from slabs and foundations, and call us if a section drops suddenly.

Book a visit

Sidewalk and curb work can involve borough rules, and we check what applies before scheduling. Call (717) 616-2142 to set up a visit anywhere in Hummelstown.