Blacktop Driveways Over Concrete

Tim:

I work for a construction design firm that has a client that wishes to pave over an existing concrete parking lot of about 40 spaces that is badly cracked in about 15 foot squares. the parking lot is on a steep slope so there is no issue with run off.
What do you reccommend?

Bryce,
I think I say it all in the above column. If it were me, the concrete would be in the back of dump trucks headed to a place that recycles it.

Tim: I want to get an overlay on my existing driveway. The driveway is in good shape. It's not crumbling anywhere, a few small cracks and oil stains. The driveway is sinking slightly towards my house in the front. When it rains, I get a few small puddles of water in the middle of the driveway towards the front. My question is: Can the overlay be thicker towards the front of the driveway and taper towards the street for run off purposes, or does the overlay need to be the same thickness?

Dave,
A great installer has adjustments on the paving machine that allows him to alter the thickness of the asphalt. If the depressions are fairly deep, they should be filled and compacted before the overlay.

Hi DAve, I have an 800 squae ft. driveway that I wanted to pour a new 2" blacktop coat over. Is that a good idea to pour new black top over old? I would imagine once all of the loose material is swept away and a coat of tar or some other bonding agent is added, the result would be success. What do you think, Dave?

I just had a new blacktop drive installed over concrete. I was told it would be 2", they put some stuff only around the edges that they said was to make it stick. Today some gas accidentally spilled on it and it ate the concrete totally all the way down to the concrete in huge spots. It just keeps breaking away. Then I realize that the holes are not 2" but more like 3/4". Is this thing going to be a mess in a few years? Is this adequate coverage? Also, should they have put down that stuff to make it stick all over the concrete or just the outside edges? I also had some done new which they put roc down first and the grass is growing through it like crazy. The guy says to spray it which I have to do several times a week and now I wonder if that may put holes in it also? please help

We are going to extend our driveway. Where we want to extend and blacktop is currently the grassy front/side yard, which then has a fairly small but steep slope. We also want the slope maintenance free so we thought we could blacktop that also. How do we do all of this. We want it done right of course, but money is an issue we have to keep in mind.

Can you blacktop over blacktop if the first blacktop job is not acceptable

I have a stamped concrete driveway already in place when i bought my home from a previous owner. It is about 4 years old, and I think the concrete contractor did a poor finishing job. The concrete is spalling over about 1/3 of the surface area. Not deep, but little surface pieces of concrete continually break off to a depth of about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, where i can see the aggregate/gravel below. Do you think an overlay, or asphalt, would work?

Concrete overlay for driveway.

I read what people wrote to you, but I don't see your comments.

Our concrete is cracked and where it was stamped into cobblestones are breaking away.

I would think a thick overlay would solve my problem.

What do you think?

Hi Tim. I am a senior in a dilemma. Hope you can help a bit here.
My neighbour just had his driveway asphalted.It is a long one - right from his garage at the rear of his home to the end of his driveway is about 70' plus. It was previously 1/2 stone with a bit of old asphalt at the end. It runs up the entire side of my house and I have a 2 foot concrete sidewalk adjacent to the new asphalting. The asphalting is now 2 inches higher than my sidewalk and in certain spots runs to my sidewalk and therefore toward my foundation. I now get puddling when I run a hose down it or it rains. I am concerned/certain this will cause leakage at my foundation into my completely finished basement.

What can I do to solve the problem. Did the paving company make a mistake by not lowering the driveway enough to allow for some sort of run off. If so, who can I contact to help me solve this situation. The contractor wants to charge me $800. to fix it and says he will asphalt over my sidewalk so that the water runs properly. Should I have to pay for this or is it my neighbours responsibility.

I live in Westchester, New York. It is about 65 F now. When is the latest possible time that I can install a blacktop driveway this year?