On 9/25/2015 5:44 PM, Susie wrote:

I live in Ohio and have had the harshest winters these past two years. If
he doesn't fill the void between the drive and the garage floors, is it
likely that water will undermine both and cause heaving of the concrete?

Probably not. Most driveways are poured over a foundation of gravel
to facilitate drainage. The risk is that water will *sit* just under
the concrete and, being that close to the surface, will freeze and
lift the concrete (water expands as it freezes).

Here, for example, our frost line is relatively shallow. It is
unusual for us to experience many cold days/nights so the ground
never has a chance to "freeze" -- to any depth.

As a result, many roads are poorly built -- sitting virtually
atop the "dirt" beneath (no drainage). The inevitable cracks in
the roadway allow water to get beneath it. If we have a particularly
cold winter (or, several consecutive cold days) the water is close
enough to the surface that the roadway (asphalt) is ruptured
by the expansion beneath.

These additional cracks lead to more water infiltration... more
heave... more cracks, etc.

Is there some reason you/your hubby don't want to fix the problem?
It's not a huge undertaking, doesn't require special tools or
knowledge -- just time and a little money.

If he's objecting to any work towards this, ask him what he *thinks*
the role of the felt strip may have been... why did the builder bother
to put it there? If it is just a *spacer*, why didn't he use a piece
of wood? Or, pack dirt into that area? etc.