Concrete Contractors in Dunkerton, IA

Dunkerton grew up around a railroad station. Landowner James Dunkerton gave the Chicago Great Western a right of way across his farm on the condition that the station carry his name, and county surveyor John Ball platted the town on October 19, 1886. It incorporated in 1899. Concrete contractors in Dunkerton today split their work between homes in town and farm properties on the roads around it. Both have their own needs, and both deal with the same creek, frost and wind.

Housing in town

Census estimates count 359 housing units in Dunkerton. About 26.7 percent were built in 1939 or earlier, and another 29.0 percent in the 1970s. The median year built is 1974. That gives the town a mix:

• Older homes with original walks, steps and garage floors that are cracking and settling.
• 1970s homes with driveways now about fifty years old and ready for replacement.
• 1990s and 2000s homes, which make up a notable share, where owners mostly want patios and wider drives.

Low ground by Crane Creek

Wikipedia notes that the Dunkerton Public Library was rebuilt outside the flood zone and reopened in December 2010, and that the historic 1909 Dunkerton Bridge still crosses Crane Creek to Charma Park. That says something about the lower parts of town. On low lots we pay extra attention to:

• Setting slab heights so water runs away from houses and garages.
• A well-drained crushed stone base, so water does not sit under the concrete and heave it in winter.
• Keeping patio and driveway surfaces below door thresholds so rain stays outside.

Get a Free Estimate

Farm and acreage work

Rural properties around Dunkerton often need concrete that town lots never do:

• Machine shed and shop floors thick enough for tractors and trucks, with deeper edges and steel.
• Aprons at shop doors where gravel meets concrete, so equipment does not drag rock inside.
• Pads for grain bins, fuel tanks or livestock waterers.
• A walk from the yard to the house where mud has always been the problem.

The May 2008 EF5 tornado turned east-northeast near Dunkerton, missed the town itself, and widened to about 1.2 miles across, destroying a number of hog confinement buildings. Rebuilding farm buildings usually starts with a new slab, and a level, solid floor makes everything above it easier to build.

A town with deep roots

Wikipedia lists four city parks, Charma Park, Eagle Scout Park, Gazebo Park and Carol Hauptly Memorial Park, along with the Mixdorf Nature Preserve. The Dunkerton History Museum, in the lower level of the library, is restoring the Barclay No. 3 one-room school, the Gresham school and the Lincoln Depot. Point2Homes puts owner occupancy at 84.6 percent, with 314 single detached houses among 359 units, so most homes here are lived in by owners planning to stay.

Stamped concrete for a country patio

On larger lots around Dunkerton, a stamped concrete patio can give the look of flagstone or slate on a farmhouse or rural ranch. We press the pattern while the concrete is still workable, add color in the mix or on the surface, and seal it once it cures. Stamped surfaces do need resealing every few years, especially where de-icing salt or farm traffic reaches them.

Call (319) 481-5867 or send photos through the form, and we will schedule a trip to Dunkerton.