Asphalt driveway Fact/Fiction | The Boneyard

Asphalt driveway Fact/Fiction

GemParty

GemParty

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1. Replacing an old driveway soon. Once they put down the base do you need to wait 3-4 weeks before the asphalt goes down? Or is this a marketing strategy for companies to place a sign by your lawn and get neighbors to order jobs too?

2. Should you seal a driveway?

3. How long must we wait before running, dribbling, and shooting hoops?


Any Yarders in the business? City Paving & General are in my neighborhood often.
 
GemParty said:
1. Replacing an old driveway soon. Once they put down the base do you need to wait 3-4 weeks before the asphalt goes down? Or is this a marketing strategy for companies to place a sign by your lawn and get neighbors to order jobs too?

2. Should you seal a driveway?

3. How long must we wait before running, dribbling, and shooting hoops?


Any Yarders in the business? City Paving & General are in my neighborhood often.
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I own a lot in Mansfield at the end of a paved surface 330 feet in length. After 12 years, the surface had been totally sunbleached and was beginning to crack near the seams. After discussing it with the neighbors, they let me collect quotes on getting it sealed.

I called six businesses, got five quotes, and did my due diligence by calling references on three.

I went with Sealpro Driveway Sealing out of East Hartford. The owner was prompt, no nonsense, very organized, spoke clearly and directly, and his quote was just $700 more than the cheapest.

I was very pleased with the results. Sealpro will also come out annually to reseal any cracks that may have reopened within the last year at no extra charge.

They also do driveway installation and replacement, but I didn't use them for that.

Good luck on your project.
 
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1. No, but it depends on the underlying soil and how well they compact it. You don't want moisture trapped before you pave or really anytime. The wait is due to him wanting to pave several driveways in one day. Saving on the truck/crew and asphalt plant fees.

2. Sealing is a repair operation. Sun and weather eventually breakdown the gooey stuff that holds it all together. Cracks form, water gets in and a few freeze thaw cycles later, you have cracking and failure. Seal when it looks like you have cracks starting to form before they open up. No need to seal a new driveway.

3. Wait for it to cool down. Temperature over time. If it's still tacky, stay off it.
 
GemParty said:
1. Replacing an old driveway soon. Once they put down the base do you need to wait 3-4 weeks before the asphalt goes down? Or is this a marketing strategy for companies to place a sign by your lawn and get neighbors to order jobs too?

2. Should you seal a driveway?

3. How long must we wait before running, dribbling, and shooting hoops?


Any Yarders in the business? City Paving & General are in my neighborhood often.
Expand ...
When I got my driveway done they ripped out the old driveway, put down a new base (multiple layers and material, if I recall correctly), compacted (multiple times) and put down the asphalt in a single day. It's lasted 20 years with some cracks but no major issues. FWIW.
 
I'm also gearing up to start collecting quotes to re-pave my driveway. The pavement is quite old and real beat up but unfortunately it's real long - around 600 feet with a large rectangular turn-around at the end. I live on a busy main road so I'm not really sure where I'm going to park when it's being re-done too. Really not looking forward to it.
 
Our blacktop driveway is now 27 years old, never been sealed. Cracks starting to appear, so I will probably have to address that.
 
.-.
Is there a thickness of material they should lay down? I would think the thicker layer of asphalt the more durable the driveway.
 
Our “new driveway” installed by the previous owner 3 years ago is completely falling apart
 
CL82 said:
When I got my driveway done they ripped out the old driveway, put down a new base (multiple layers and material, if I recall correctly), compacted (multiple times) and put down the asphalt in a single day. It's lasted 20 years with some cracks but no major issues. FWIW.
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The state seemed to do this on a section of Rt 69, from Burlington to Bristol. They didn’t pull up the old though, just put a new thin coat down. The road was really nice and quiet, but you could feel some bigger frost heaves from the previous winter. This was done a year ago. I couldn’t believe they put down a couple miles in a day before doing the other lane. May have been testing new procedures.
 
My asphalt d/w was cracked and fading fast after xx years. I looked in new asphalt 4-5 yrs ago, but decided on pavers. Looks great!
 
Mine was cracking so I replaced mine with concrete last year.
 
.-.
GemParty said:
1. Replacing an old driveway soon. Once they put down the base do you need to wait 3-4 weeks before the asphalt goes down? Or is this a marketing strategy for companies to place a sign by your lawn and get neighbors to order jobs too?

2. Should you seal a driveway?

3. How long must we wait before running, dribbling, and shooting hoops?


Any Yarders in the business? City Paving & General are in my neighborhood often.
Expand ...
As stated. Don’t seal a brand new driveway. When we did ours I waited until the fall so it would be cooler and set better/faster. If u can wait until the fall I would recommend it

Make sure u don’t turn the steering wheel if the car isn’t moving on a newly paved driveway. It takes several weeks for it to really cure.
 
sledog said:
My asphalt d/w was cracked and fading fast after xx years. I looked in new asphalt 4-5 yrs ago, but decided on pavers. Looks great!
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Why pavers? Just appearance?
 
Just amazing. Look at this thread which appears to be about 10 hours old as I do so, and every ad on the page is for a paving outfit.
 
Sealing is for aesthetic only. Rubber crack filling is fine. If sealing made a difference they would do that to the highways. It actually dries out the asphalt. It's only for a fresh look kinda like repainting a wall
 
Side note when paving new tennis/ basketball courts it's recommended to let it cure 21-30 days before any coating/resurfacing/ painting.

You can speed up the curing process by scrubbing/ washing the surface with a dawn/ water mixture as it brings the oils out but it's not recommended
 
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awfuldan said:
I'm also gearing up to start collecting quotes to re-pave my driveway. The pavement is quite old and real beat up but unfortunately it's real long - around 600 feet with a large rectangular turn-around at the end. I live on a busy main road so I'm not really sure where I'm going to park when it's being re-done too. Really not looking forward to it.
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Constantine out of Glastonbury is a great company
 
hardcorehusky said:
Is there a thickness of material they should lay down? I would think the thicker layer of asphalt the more durable the driveway.
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Should be 4" at minimum some places skimp to save money and the homeowner would never know. Also make sure it's all done in one day and they have multiple trucks so there aren't noticeable stop/ start seems
 
methodology said:
Should be 4" at minimum some places skimp to save money and the homeowner would never know. Also make sure it's all done in one day and they have multiple trucks so there aren't noticeable stop/ start seems
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Thanks - I have a long driveway and will want to have it re-pitched as right now it is pitched toward the house and not away from it.
 
GemParty said:
1. Replacing an old driveway soon. Once they put down the base do you need to wait 3-4 weeks before the asphalt goes down? Or is this a marketing strategy for companies to place a sign by your lawn and get neighbors to order jobs too?

2. Should you seal a driveway?

3. How long must we wait before running, dribbling, and shooting hoops?


Any Yarders in the business? City Paving & General are in my neighborhood often.
Expand ...
Not sure where you are located but I used Marini Paving out of Ansonia. They do outstanding work with no skimping on asphalt. There prices are not the cheapest but they high quality work for a fair price.
 
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uconnfan68 said:
Is concrete cheaper than asphalt?
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Nope. If you go down that route, I paid about 8 grand for 1000 sq ft. I was quoted about 15 grand at one point. Like most home improvement stuff, just get a few quotes.

I went down the concrete route because it lasts longer and the curb appeal.
 
this is as good a time as you will get for pricing on an asphalt driveway seeing as the cost of material is directly tied to to cost of oil. Most respectable outfits book up fast in the spring so get moving if you want to get on a schedule for this year and lock in a good price
 
The contractor I hired to put one in for me 12 years ago said not to seal it. He also said that in 10 years, it would crack "right here" and it did. Gigantic tulip tree on neighbors property, root reaches under my driveway to drink off my leaching field. he said that root will crack the driveway, but won't cause any serious problems in either of our lifetimes. So far, he was dead on.
 
I speak about this because I have a difficult driveway with slope and a hill behind where water can run underneath. I’ve paved it 3 times and learned and paid big each time. First if you have a flat driveway without a lot of rocks and boulders in your soil you’ll get it done once and forget about it. You need a good base, but especially at the edges, where it should be as deep as the middle. if It’s a slope, dig it deep, take out the rocks , put in a 12 inch base And if drainage is needed spend the money and put it in.

The last time I had mine done they pulled a monster boulder out where only the tip was visible 12 inches down. Then based and compacted and left it for 8 weeks. That’s right, 8 weeks. These paving guys want to get done ASAP to get their money. Insist on waiting, but in easy ground situations it will be fine regardless. Fragale in Torrington did the best job for me and that was 4 years ago and so far so good. Told my wife that it was the last time I’m doing that driveway even if Mount Vesuvius erupts in it.
 
RichZ said:
The contractor I hired to put one in for me 12 years ago said not to seal it. He also said that in 10 years, it would crack "right here" and it did. Gigantic tulip tree on neighbors property, root reaches under my driveway to drink off my leaching field. he said that root will crack the driveway, but won't cause any serious problems in either of our lifetimes. So far, he was dead on.
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That's when you dig a hole and amputate that root on your side of the property line.
 
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