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Comments
steph
08 Dec 2007, 12:53
dose deisal fule eat away at asphalt if not what tyep fulid can eat away at
it?
AsktheBuilder
08 Dec 2007, 13:22
Steph,
Yes, diesel fuel eats away at asphalt. Any distilled product made from
crude oil that is more volatile than asphalt will do damage.
Dave S
26 Dec 2007, 14:28
My blacktop driveway started tearing up immediately after installation. It
was installed in November (Buffalo,NY) and with a very small roller. Is it
possible to bring in a load of hot blacktop with a heavy roller to fix the
entire area by my 3 stall garage-or does it need to be ground up and
redone?
cabutler
28 Dec 2007, 10:49
On a commercially installed blacktop(over an old similiar surface)what
amonunt of wear and tear is there from sand and/or salt in the winter
months? What is the safest and best traction for both pavement and owner?
AsktheBuilder
28 Dec 2007, 11:49
CaButler,
Salt usually will not hurt asphalt. I would plow the surface and as soon as
the sun comes out you will have a perfect surface. Plow snow to the LOW
part of the land so melt water does not flow over the asphalt and turn to
ice.
Jay
29 Dec 2007, 07:52
Hello. I live in CT and need to install a 20 x 40 driveway over mostly dirt
and grass but some remnants of a gravel driveway. Is it okay to have this
done in the winter or do I need to wait for warmer temperatures? Thanks.
AsktheBuilder
29 Dec 2007, 08:03
Jay,
You should wait, unless the ground is frost-free right now.
Maryland
04 Jan 2008, 09:43
Our asphalt driveway is a year old. It is buckeling and water is seeping up
through the asphalt. Please inform me of the correct underlayment for
asphalt driveways. How much stone, dust, basecoat, and topcoat should be
used in constructing a new driveway?
What do you think the problem is?
AsktheBuilder
05 Jan 2008, 07:35
Maryland,
Read all of the columns in my Asphalt-Blacktop category.
Cheryl
18 Jan 2008, 22:39
I have a 400 ft by 400 ft parking lot and I want to lay the asphalt. I have
some trailer trucks that cross it also.
Jim Smith
09 Feb 2008, 04:53
Thank you for the thickness information for the stone base. However, how
thick should the asphalt be, and is a coarse layer and a finish layer of
asphalt better? Please provide thickness for both layers of the new
asphalt. THANKS!!!!!
AsktheBuilder
09 Feb 2008, 07:55
Jim,
If you have the gravel base in correctly and this is a typical residential
driveway, I would feel fine with a single 2-inch layer of blacktop or
asphalt. As you now know, the asphalt is just a cosmetic layer - it has no
structural value. Now, that is different if you are doing a deep-base
asphalt where the asphalt is part of the base.......
Brian
13 Feb 2008, 08:49
I have a driveway (about 15 feet wide)that drops quickly just before the
road, and is causing cars to bottom out. What would it cost to level that
part of the driveway to the road?
AsktheBuilder
14 Feb 2008, 16:39
Brian,
It is impossible for me to quote you a number.
Jeff
16 Feb 2008, 20:35
I have been getting various bids from local paving companies. One issue I
am confused on is that some have said that they will need to remove most of
the stone aggregate (57's) I currently have down and then will regrade.
Having spent quite a bit of money on 120 tons of stone over the last two
years I hate to see it go to waste. Is this true and the best practice? I
thought there should be a 6-8 inch base of aggregate? Thanks.
AsktheBuilder
17 Feb 2008, 07:22
Jeff,
You didn't tell us *why* each contractor said they wanted them removed. My
guess is the stone has become polluted with dirt and soil. Is this the
case?????
Read all of my past columns in my Asphalt and Blacktop category.
Christine Darling
18 Feb 2008, 09:14
i have just had an asphalt driveway done,
My query is that i don,t know if there was plastic put down to stop weeds,
or can it be done without plastic?
Also how can i clean it as it has dirty boot marks already.
Thank you
AsktheBuilder
23 Feb 2008, 21:18
Christine,
Weeds will not grow on the blacktop. Mother Nature will remove the boot
marks when it rains. If you can't wait for her, then get some liquid dish
soap, a hose and a broom.
RozTheMan
28 Feb 2008, 12:56
I am building a new house. In previous houses, the driveway "dented" under
the weight of my truck.
How can I calculate the weight capacity of the driveway based on knowing
the type of sub-base (Crushed #2)?
That is, in my new house, I want to make certain that the contractor that
is laying the new driveway, and the builder that is putting the the
sub-base, puts in enough depth to the stones, where it will support my
8800lb truck.
Thanks! Good read!
AsktheBuilder
02 Mar 2008, 17:35
Roz,
You need to read ALL of my Asphalt columns to understand why you had the
dents. They are preventable.
Alan
25 Mar 2008, 07:34
What is the recommended thickness of asphalt for a replacement driveway?
AsktheBuilder
25 Mar 2008, 07:49
Alan,
You didn't say if you were taking up the old asphalt........ I would
usually put in 1.5 inches over existing. Remember if you do it this way,
you can have issues where the drive touches up against other pavements.....
This is why I usually took up the old worn-out asphalt.
Alan
25 Mar 2008, 11:00
Sorry, I should have mentioned that I will be taking up the old driveway.
I live in New Jersey - no jokes about that please - and most of the
contractors say 3 inches of asphalt is adequate. Does that sound right?
AsktheBuilder
25 Mar 2008, 11:57
Alan,
New Jooosey! My friend Dan lives there. Two inches is fine. Read all of my
blacktop columns and you will discover you want to put your money in the
gravel under the asphalt.
Linda
30 Mar 2008, 18:38
I had a salesperson come to my door today asking me if I would like to
extend my driveway. He said he could just put the gravel on both sides of
the driveway and pave with asphalt over that and the existing cement
driveway. I'm a little skeptical about this procedure. Could you please
give me some advise.
Linda
AsktheBuilder
31 Mar 2008, 16:49
Linda,
Read all of my Blacktop columns. You will discover all you need to know,
rest assured of that!
eldthoa kuriakose
04 Apr 2008, 06:52
I wanted to re do my asphalt driveway. Contractor told me that , he will
dig out old blacktop and put 2 inch gravel with 4 inch blacktop. Is it
enough. Is this 4 inch thickness is after compacting?
AsktheBuilder
04 Apr 2008, 08:28
Eldthoa,
I think you need to read the above column one or two more times. I tell you
exactly what you should have......
LEEANN BOWER
08 Apr 2008, 14:26
I have a 3 year old asphalt driveway that has never been sealed. I know I
need to do and would like to try and do it myself due a large driveway and
the expense of having professionally done. What kind of product would be
the best for a do-it-yourselfer? Does is need to be a HOT product?
I've had a couple of "drive by" biders for the job, but just don't trust
them. How thick of a coating is actually needed?
Thanks for your help and advice.
LeeAnn
Baxby Thaxter
09 Apr 2008, 14:55
I heard a rumor that asphalt has become expensive enough that concrete is
now an option whereas in the past it tended to be cost prohibitive. Is
there any truth to this? Or is concrete still like 3x the cost?
AsktheBuilder
12 Apr 2008, 10:09
LeeAnn,
The sealers do not need to be hot. Let price be your guide. The best
sealers are often the most expensive. About six years ago I attended an
Editors Conference hosted by Sears. At that time they were selling a sealer
whose test results were astonishing.
AsktheBuilder
12 Apr 2008, 18:57
Baxby,
All one has to do is get bids for the same job done with the two materials
and compare. You can't make a blanket statement that they are now
comparable everywhere.
Prince
14 Apr 2008, 21:15
Greetings,
I am having a 300' x 12' Asphalt driveway installed over a dirt and gravel
driveway that has been in use for 20+ years. The driveway starts at a
gentle 1-2 degree and ends with a sharper 5-7 degree grade. My question is,
for the all important base, is crushed shale (often called graded base)
better, worse or the same as gravel called crusher run? I work at a shale
quarry and can use as much crushed shale as I need. Please note that the
bottom flat part floods once per year in the late winter/ early spring for
a period of a couple days.
Thank you for any input.
Prince
14 Apr 2008, 21:18
Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to ask: Is Type 6 better or worse than Type 7. I
have 2 bidding contractors who differ in opinion.
Thanks
John
15 Apr 2008, 22:02
Hi, My wife and decided to get our driveway redone.It was cut out on top to
level with the garage floor and #11 was used underneath. The questions I
have are how tight should the surface be( in some spots you can put the tip
of your pinky into the suface-like it was not compacted properly)and there
is a difference( a visable line across the whole driveway)between the top
and bottom of the driveway possibly the 1st & 2nd truck load of asphalt.
The surface concern is that dirt and ice will get into it and cause
premature deterioration.Is it normal in driveway applications for the
driveway surface to be rough/unsmooth to the touch ? Thanks JOHN
Dan Thornton
17 Apr 2008, 16:02
Hello,
I had a asphalt overlay on my old existing driveway last July. Since that
time, the aggragete in the asphalt has been washing out. It appears the
aggragete is not granite, but a soft rock, like sandstone. When it rains,
the rock washes out and leaves a hole, some 1" or greater. At least 60% of
the surface area is effected. I contacted the contractor who states that
this is normal asphalt 'pop-out' that does not effect the integrity or
strength. That does not seem right to me. I have never seen this condition
on other driveways.
Thanks for you help
mike
18 Apr 2008, 08:11
Hello, my six month old driveway has surface aggregate starting to pull
loose it looks as if the asphait is for lack of a better term Spalling.
What could be the problem?
Matt
21 Apr 2008, 14:08
You warn about sealing new asphalt before allowing at least 90 days to cure
during ideal, warm weather curing conditions. Other web sites agree, but I
have not yet seen an explanation of what will go wrong if the seal is used
before the asphalt cures.
The paving company that I hired sealed the new asphalt within 30 days.
This was in the month of January when we regularly experienced temperatures
below 50F. It is now April and I see cracking in many areas. Is this a
likely symptom of sealing improperly cured asphalt?
Thank you for your helpful articles,
Matt
Brian
29 Apr 2008, 15:11
We are building a new home and had to blast a deep trench for our services
to be brought in.
We now have a deep hole to fill before placing and compacting crushed
stone.
Is there a best practice for backfilling under a driveway? Also, what is
the technical term for the crushed stone you referred to? Is it Granular A?
Is there a size of stone that we should ask for?
SW
01 May 2008, 10:09
We have an existing asphalt driveway that is very old and has lots of holes
and bumps. Cracking is not so bad. Can we just smooth it out as much as
possible and recoat?
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