Tim,
How hard is it to do my own driveway with asphalt? I want to extend on to
an existing driveway and make it into a horseshoe type driveway instead of a
straight one. I am not sure if asphalt is the correct type or concrete.
Do you have any suggestions?
Todd, Indiana
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Todd,
To install asphalt correctly you need specialized equipment. At the very least you need a paving machine that couples to a dump truck. This machine applies the hot mix smoothly and evenly. If you want to do it like the big boys, then you need a self-powered paving machine that probably costs $500K new. Aside from that you need a powered roller and lots of experienced help.
A concrete driveway is more DIY friendly although it can also be a DIY challenge. You need only hand tools. But five friends with a host of experience will also come in handy for results that will stand up to Mother Nature and heavy traffic.
If you decide to go concrete, you should read all of the concrete columns at my website. Before you decide I urge you to read about my driveway. It is neither asphalt nor concrete. Type tar into the search engine at my website.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB