Hello:

What's a good rule of thumb for the thickness of Asphalt that one should
request from a paving contractor for a "typical" home driveway ?

How about for the gravel bed underneath the Asphalt ?

BTW: is it considered good practice to (always) remove the old gravel, or
can new Asphalt be simply laid on top of the existing gravel once the old
Asphalt is removed ?

(is it even possible to remove the old Asphalt without taking all of the
gravel bed with it ?)

Thanks,
B.

On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 17:55:29 -0400, "Robert11"
wrote:

Hello:

What street do you live on or even what state?

Folks here can help you. They have a _need to know_.


What's a good rule of thumb for the thickness of Asphalt that one should
request from a paving contractor for a "typical" home driveway ?

How about for the gravel bed underneath the Asphalt ?

BTW: is it considered good practice to (always) remove the old gravel, or
can new Asphalt be simply laid on top of the existing gravel once the old
Asphalt is removed ?

(is it even possible to remove the old Asphalt without taking all of the
gravel bed with it ?)

Thanks,
B.

--
Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

On Jul 9, 5:55?pm, "Robert11" wrote:
Hello:

What's a good rule of thumb for the thickness of Asphalt that one should
request from a paving contractor for a "typical" home driveway ?

How about for the gravel bed underneath the Asphalt ?

BTW: is it considered good practice to (always) remove the old gravel, or
can new Asphalt be simply laid on top of the existing gravel once the old
Asphalt is removed ?

(is it even possible to remove the old Asphalt without taking all of the
gravel bed with it ?)

Thanks,
B.

ideally dig down and remove old asphalt and old gravel bed, normally
dig down about a foot.

then rough gravel, choke gravel, rolled repeatedly, 2 inches of rough
asphalt that supplies the strength which is the rocks in the asphalt
then about a inch of topcoat.

around here people try just laying some ashalt over the old stuff.
whatever bad areas, cracks, heaves etc will just reappear.fast.

another scam is laying 3 inches of base and a inch of smooth directly
on dirt.

some neighbors did that it was low cost they are trimming the trees
and bushes coming up in the middle of their driveways.and if it
freezes instant cracks.

the gravel base is for drainage under the asphalt, without that
drainage driveways just dont last.

if you have a old driveway thats looking bad they can selectively
patch the bad areas then spray asphalt over the entire area and cover
with chips.

tar and chips can help improve the appearance and stabilize a failing
surface.........

if you do it right and seal regurally a asphalt driveway will last a
lifetime.

one by the house where i grew up is over 50 years old and looked good
till recently, the owner is elderly and unable to maintain it
properly.

my driveway was put in about 1985 and needs coated this year but has
held up well.

writes:

if you do it right and seal regurally a asphalt driveway will last a
lifetime.

Asphalt concrete ages and embrittles much faster than a "lifetime".

So-called sealing is many times more expensive than new asphalt per pound
applied. It is not a cost-effective way to extend life, since at best it
treats only the surface.

Hello,

Live in Mass., outside of Boston.

Thanks for help.

B.

Hello,

Live in Mass., outside of Boston.

Thanks for help.

B.

Hello,

Live in Mass., outside of Boston.

Thanks for help.

B.

On Jul 10, 12:23?am, Richard J Kinch wrote:
writes:
if you do it right and seal regurally a asphalt driveway will last a
lifetime.

Asphalt concrete ages and embrittles much faster than a "lifetime".

So-called sealing is many times more expensive than new asphalt per pound
applied. It is not a cost-effective way to extend life, since at best it
treats only the surface.

Well because of a sewer issue, the line qwill ultimately need
replaced, so I priced a new driveway.

about 3 grand and it was $1300 new in 1985.

now lets imagine replacement in what 20 years?

3000 bucks will buy a LOT of sealer, and besides it looks so good
every time its done

Obviously you dont want to bother sealing and thats fine its your
money to waste

writes:

3000 bucks will buy a LOT of sealer

Please. Hot-mix asphalt concrete is about $80/ton. Your "sealer" is just
a water emulsion of asphalt cement with sand, and horrifically more
expensive than hot-mix. The labor costs per unit weight applied are even
worse for "sealer", since you're painting it on in thousandths of an inch
versus dumping multiple inches out of a truck.

If "sealer" was cost-effective, somebody besides sucker homeowners would be
buying it. You don't see the DOT putting it on roads, because they have
engineers who know better.

... besides it looks so good every time its done

The only genuine value is the looks. Businesses want to paint their
parking lots so they aren't all spotted with grease stains. Homeowners
want that (phony) fresh look.

If you wanted durable good looks, you would have paid for portland cement
concrete instead of asphalt concrete.

On Jul 10, 6:33?pm, Richard J Kinch wrote:
writes:
3000 bucks will buy a LOT of sealer

Please. Hot-mix asphalt concrete is about $80/ton. Your "sealer" is just
a water emulsion of asphalt cement with sand, and horrifically more
expensive than hot-mix. The labor costs per unit weight applied are even
worse for "sealer", since you're painting it on in thousandths of an inch
versus dumping multiple inches out of a truck.

laying a new coat of asphalt over a old base is wsate of money


If "sealer" was cost-effective, somebody besides sucker homeowners would be
buying it. You don't see the DOT putting it on roads, because they have
engineers who know better.


coating makes surface slippery, no good for roads doesnt matter on
driveways.......


... besides it looks so good every time its done

The only genuine value is the looks. Businesses want to paint their
parking lots so they aren't all spotted with grease stains. Homeowners
want that (phony) fresh look.

If you wanted durable good looks, you would have paid for portland cement
concrete instead of asphalt concrete.

concrete stains too easy, oily patches on concrete are really
unsightly.........

On Jul 10, 5:33 pm, Richard J Kinch wrote:


If you wanted durable good looks, you would have paid for portland cement
concrete instead of asphalt concrete.

How does the cost of concrete vs asphalt compare?
I'm contemplating doing a 400' drive that includes about 200' of 15-20
degree hill. So there is a durability issue in addition to cost issue.
Any recommendations?

Red

Red writes:

How does the cost of concrete vs asphalt compare?

Portland cement concrete costs more per sq ft than asphaltic concrete.
(Yes, they're both properly called concrete.) The former lasts forever,
the latter maybe 20 years depending on climate. Both are easily
misapplied, which makes them short-lived or otherwise flawed.

Richard J Kinch wrote:

If "sealer" was cost-effective, somebody besides sucker homeowners would be
buying it. You don't see the DOT putting it on roads, because they have
engineers who know better.

I've seen sealer sprayed on residential streets in the area. It was a
thinner stuff, then covered with a layer of sand, then swept after a day
or two.

It may not last, and makes a mess out of the cars on it, but
municipalities are on budgets as well.

to get it right,get the old asphalt and gravel up. level and put
a good bed of gravel and 2 or 4 inches of asphalt down. the best paving
mahines continually mix the asphalt in the hopper , this keeps you from
getting a rocky surface. i wont use a company unless they have the
mixing hopper.lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm