Become A Quick Paving Expert

Everything You Need To Know To Make a Sound Decision

One of the most frustrating things for homeowners, is needing something fixed or replaced, but not really knowing much about that industry ... and not knowing where to start or what questions to ask. The best way to eliminate those frustrations is to learn as much about the service or product as you can.

This quick guideline was created for homeowners who would like to learn specific details on replacing an asphalt driveway Feel free to print this information and use it as a guide.

Hands-down the #1 most critical part of the driveway - this is not the place to skimp!

The success of any construction project begins with the foundation. And building a new driveway is no exception. If the foundation, which for driveway paving is the sub-base below the asphalt, is not built correctly you could experience many problems with your driveway in the future.

The Aggregate sub-base is where it all begins (Often called the Base). The aggregate base is the true foundation for your driveway. The base has two critical functions:

Provides a stable surface to support the pavement
Provides a frost barrier and helps reduce heaving in winter

The main issues that need to be addressed when preparing the base for paving are; the sub-grade, drainage, base thickness, base stability, dimensions and compaction. The minimum thickness of the sub-base should be 4 inches. The thickness of the base will be determined by what the driveway will be used for.

If it's a typical driveway and normal sized cars or SUV's will be driving on it ... 4-6 inches of base will work. If you have heavy equipment, trailers or trucks, more base is recommended. But keep in mind; no more then 6 inches per layer should be laid at one time - to allow for adequate compaction.

If the current base is contaminated or poor-meaning clay or other sub-grade soil mix is present, it should be completely dug out and replaced.

Properly compacted base is crucial - The best type of base is class 5 limestone or recycled class 5 made out of concrete bituminous (con-bit). These bases are highly compactable and strong. When putting down the base material a mechanical source such as a vibratory drum roller is required. A vibratory roller should be used versus a static roller because it will create the greatest compaction density because the vibrating action of the roller will cause the base material to be compacted from the bottom up. A vibratory roller should be used wherever possible and a vibratory plate compactor will be used in areas not accessible by the rollers.

A few final notes about creating a proper base; The surface of the compacted base should be smooth, with a maximum tolerance of plus or minus 3/8 inch over a 10 ft straight edge. And finally, the base must be firm and ready before paving. On occasion, especially if the base is 6 inches or more, additional time may be needed to let the base settle. Sometimes there's no substitute for letting“Old Mother Nature” to do her thing, possibly with some rain and then some time to dry.

Where's the water going to run? Let's talk drainage

The paving contractor should develop a drainage plan for your driveway. Each driveway is different. Some driveways have a nice slope from the garage to the street. In these cases the drainage plan is simple - run the water to the street. But some driveways have a negative drainage, where the elevation is higher at the street than the garage. In these cases a swale is needed in front of the garage to run the water off to the side of the driveway - preventing water from entering the garage.

Some driveways, especially those with detached garages need a drainage plan that runs the water away from the house, into the yard - and when possible, down to the street. Some drainage plans are complex. There are rare occasions when it's not possible to drain all of the water on a driveway.

Sometimes there is not sufficient slope, or elevation change to get water to drain. A consideration to keep in mind is that if your drainage plan calls for water to drain in to your yard, you must keep the level of the yard lower than the driveway or the water will not be able to drain. And over time, if you're not careful your lawn can grow higher then your driveway. You need to keep this in mind, and try to maintain your lawn so it always remains lower than your driveway.

If your drainage plan requires that you run water off to the side of your driveway, and your neighbors' house is too close, you will need to install drainage tile and direct the water somewhere else. Otherwise you could be liable for water in your neighbors' basement!

Exactly what is hot mix asphalt?

It is an engineered mixture of stones, sand, and a petroleum product called liquid asphalt cement. Varying sizes of this stone and sand mixture called aggregate are heated and then mixed in exact proportions with liquid asphalt cement that is heated to 300 degrees.

While the mixture is hot, it is delivered to your driveway and paved on top of the prepared sub-base we explained in detail earlier. This asphalt mix hardens quickly and usually can be walked on within one-hour. Although, depending on weather you should wait at least 3 days to drive on it .

The 6 real benefits of asphalt

Hot mix asphalt hast 6 benefits to consider when choosing your driveway. They are ...

It is very strong and durable.
It is engineered to withstand freezing and thawing (Minnesota weather).
It is unaffected by salt – No problem salting your driveway in the winter!
Unlike concrete, hot mix asphalt is designed to flex and give with slight settlement, or frost heaves we experience in Minnesota.
It is the most cost effective driveway material.
A black asphalt driveway will melt ice and snow from the sun.

Can I simply put a new layer of asphalt over my old one?

In some cases it is possible to overlay an existing asphalt driveway with another “layer” of asphalt. This saves money on removing the existing driveway and doing the base work. A couple of important things to consider:

Anywhere there are existing cracks or where the asphalt is broken up will "reflect" through the new layer.
Drainage needs to be considered. Think about adding a 1.5 inch layer of asphalt on top of the existing driveway, unless your driveway has sunk in front of the garage or street, the new layer will be higher and present drainage problems. This can be addressed with milling or cutting out the top and bottom of the driveway.

So the bottom line is, in some instances an overlay will work. The key is to have a professional estimator that you trust come out and discuss the pros and cons and the qualification of your driveway for an overlay.

Asphalt Driveway Maintenance and Care

The following are some maintenance and care items to assist you in keeping your driveway in good shape for years to come.

Protect the edges

Due to the lack of side support, the edges are the weakest part of your driveway. Avoid driving on the edges since they'll crack and crumble over time. We suggest building up the sides of your driveway with topsoil to approximately one inch from the top of the driveway to allow room for sod growth and water drainage. This will support the edges and enhance the appearance after grass is grown.

Why is it smoother in some areas?

Your driveway may look smoother in some areas than in others because of the makeup of asphalt. Asphalt has various sizes of stone, sand liquid asphalt, and other ingredients which cause a varied texture of the surface. Also, driveway areas that have been raked and spread with hand tools may appear different in texture from those spread by machine.

Why do driveways crack?

The bad news is that asphalt will crack in Minnesota. The good new is that it is easy to maintain.

There are many reasons driveways crack. The most obvious is the freeze and thaw cycle that exists in Minnesota. Moisture from run-off of rain and sprinklers soaks in to the ground and freezes in the winter. When the moisture freezes, it expands. As the ice expands it pushes up and through the base and asphalt.

When the earth moves there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. That is why roads, foundations and driveway crack - regardless if it is concrete or asphalt! The cracks should be filled each year by yourself or a qualified contractor. In either case, it is important to use a high quality product, one that expands as the crack grows and shrinks throughout the year. The best product to use for asphalt is one that needs to be melted and poured into the cracks, and should have a high rubber content for elasticity and longevity.

Other reasons for cracking are tree roots or other plants too close to the driveway. The roots cause the asphalt to heave and crack. At this point, it must be determined by you what is most important, the plant or tree, or the driveway. If it's a nice tree, you will need to live with the cracking, if it's a plant you can transplant or live without, then remove the plant.

Why do weeds and grass grow through my driveway?

Vegetation, such as weeds and grass are able to push through asphalt. In most cases you can use a spot killer to remedy the situation. Sometimes, large plants or trees located near the edge of the driveway will push through. You will probably want to remove the plant for a long term solution. If a tree root pushes through, assuming you want to keep the tree, the only remedy is to fill the cracks every year.

Is seal coating just for looks, or does it serve a purpose?

To preserve the life and appearance of your driveway, it is advisable to seal it every three years. Seal coating your driveway helps slow down the oxidation process caused by the sun, which helps lock in the existing oils to keep the asphalt flexible. Additionally, seal coating your driveway protects it against harmful gasoline spills when filling your lawn mower, oil leaks, etc. It is important to use a quality seal coat, and not do it to often or to thick. Either of these is detrimental to the asphalt.

Have Questions? Call us and talk to a live person

We understand how frustrating it can be when you call a company to learn about their services and they either have only a voice mail, answering service...or worse yet a cell phone. You'd be surprised in the asphalt and concrete paving businesses how few companies actually have an office site.

Call us directly at: 763-477-3993

You'll get a live, experienced member of our asphalt driveway team to answer your questions. If we happen to be servicing a client at the time, just leave us a message and we will get back to you quickly.

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