Driveway Reno: Tearoff or Overlay?
Our 20+ yr. asphalt driveway has reached the end of its life. I’ve ruled out any more crack sealing (for the umpteenth time) and am ready to bite the bullet next summer for a complete facelift on this sucker. Freeze-thaw is a fact of life up here where we get 4 seasons just like you suth’n folks do. (We just call our seasons Early Winter, Mid Winter, Late Winter and Next Winter!)
Settlement has taken place almost everywhere with localized rutted areas where the cars usually sit. Widespread cracking is rampant and gravel has been loosened on tar-starved areas.
Rather than a complete tearoff and sub-base re-do, I am toying with the idea of a 2″ overlay of new asphalt, similar to the way our Dept. Of Highways now are resurfacing. The new Built-Up height won’t be an issue due to the settlement vis-a-vis the lawn and I figure that most of the settlement beneath the old surface has probably taken place after decades of dailiy, rolling compaction. Doubting that a contractor with the scarifying equipment used by the Highways would be interested in my small-time job, I’m wondering about laying down some 6X6 WWF (to keep the new overlay together), pressure washing the old and on with the new. I’ve never seen the WWF done with asphalt, however, its so common on concrete pours as to be 2nd nature up here.
I can make up some “chairs” to get the wire up into the Asphalt where the action really takes place (rather than sitting on the old surface) but my concern is with the placing and rolling of the asphalt. I’ve never heard of a “Super Plasticizer” for asphalt and wonder about the static I might run into if a contractor balks at “never having done it that way before”. (Thats OK, Dearie, if its your first time this way I can be slow & gentle.)
I’m also starting to get partial to a smallish concrete pour just where the vehicles normally sit to avoid the “rutting season” thing again.
All ideas would be appreciated! (Even those that suggest I should just break out the Ford TLB and just redo the whole she-bang from sub-base up!, just give me something to jump-start my winterized brain thinking warm thoughts again!( Don’t laugh! how would you like to live where its usually so cold that lawyers keep their hands in their own pockets! )
Replies
Any poor conditions under the overllay will eventually telegraph up through the new pavement and you will get the same rutting and cracking again.
My suggestion is to replace it, in conjunction with some base course work. Don't bother with the metal - asphalt is supposed to be a "flexible" pavement. The metal will act as a foreign object rather than a reinforcement and may eventually work its way out of the paving through those freeze-thaw cycles.
A better solution is to take your driveway out, right down to the subbase, remove anywhere from 8-12" depth. Compact the subbase, roll out a layer of filter fabric, place 6-9" of coarse crushed gravel and compact well. Then repave. The fabric will help to prevent the ruts and bumps by spreading out the loading. If done right, the new driveway should outlive you.
What most of the asphalt contractors here (Long Island NY) are using is called crushed concrete. They used to use the stone blend, but this is cheaper.
When I first did my office parking lot a few years ago, I didn't know where it was going to end, and I contemplated putting another building on part of it. The contractor came in and spread 2-4" (he said 4, I saw 2). He said drive on it to pack it down, and we did for about 7 years. Have the same thing for the front driveway now. it's pretty good at keeping down weeds and it looks like gravel, sort of. I can cover with asphalt or concrete whenever I'm ready. I still like a nice concrete driveway.
I would rip out the old one. I just think that asphalt compresses too much, and wouldn't want it for a base under a new one.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
JonE is right on every point.
I've torn out a bunch of asphalt and spread even more.
If there is a subgrade defect it will come back to haunt you.
The least expensive thing you can do is do it right the first time.