"Paul Franklin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 00:31:09 -0500, Richard J Kinch
wrote:

Paul Franklin writes:

Can I install a good compacted gravel base, get a load of asphalt
(where?), rent a small road roller, and do this myself? The existing
asphalt is in pretty good shape, although the edge is crumbling a bit,
so I'd have to remove a few inches.

Asphalt hot mix (compacted) is about 110 lbs per square yard per inch of
depth.

For your 2 x 15 feet, that's 3-1/3 sq yards, or 366 lbs per inch of
depth.

You want, what, 4 inches of depth, I'd guess?

So that's about 3/4 ton of hot mix.

The question is, can you haul, dump, spread, screed, and roll that much
material before it cools too much? You gotta roll it hot. It should be
placed at 230 to 310 deg F, and rolled soon after (I forget the min
rolling temp). If you've ever tried spreading loose gravel by hand, it
is surprisingly backbreaking work, and you tend to wildly underestimate
the time or effort required.

Call the local asphalt plant(s). They'll tell you how long you would
have to work a batch that size, and if you can expect your crew to
manage it. They will tell if they will supply that small a load in the
back of your pickup truck or whatever. Ask about tack coat material.
They will also have contacts to anyone who might do tiny jobs like that.

Richard, thanks for lot of good info and suggestions. I think I'm
going to keep trying to find someone to do this. I rarely turn away
from a DIY challenge, but this one just smells like a bad idea from
every angle....

Yeah, nothing you want to tackle on your own.

I am having the same problem. I have a 20 X 30 foot "parking area" I want to
add to my existing driveway. I could only get one company to come out so far
and he wanted to charge me more that what the entire driveway cost.