I have an asphalt driveway in pretty sad shape, and plan to get it re-paved. However I don’t know what to ask for and contractors had conflicting recommendations when I looked before.
- I live in Massachusetts so get a decent amount of freezing/thawing to worry about
- my existing driveway has ruts where my car parks. I always park in the same place since the car naturally rolls to the low point
- there used to be drainage issues but I believe I fixed it.
- I have an EV so it’s kind of heavy
So there’s clearly inadequate foundation or it got washed away. However contractors have different thicknesses of foundation and of asphalt, and some are even trying to tell me that just replacing the asphalt is sufficient. I have my doubts
I want something where my car won’t create new ruts for as many years as possible. Anyone have recommendations what I need to ask for?
As a nice to have, my driveway is single car wide and it would be nice to make it double wide. However again contractors say different things including lane widths 8’? 10’? And slant. And they don’t want to widen the curb cut. I want two cars wide without banging doors, and to be able to drive straight out. How wide would that be and how can I get them to do the curb cut?
Sinking in your parking spot is a load bearing failure, caused by insufficient subgrade thickness and/or substantial water saturation of the underlying soil. You already suspect this, although “it got washed away” isn’t plausible.
The necessary thickness of base depends on your soil composition - see later in the linked video where he talks about the “force cone” spreading downwards to the native soil. The thicker your base, the larger the area of soil that force applies over and the more durable it is.
But you want actual numbers and you’re a homeowner with a relatively small job talking to possibly shady contractors. I can’t really help you there. Reliable numbers will only come from an engineering firm and they would be doing soil sample analysis. The contractors all just want to do a Good Enough job and they know that homeowners are very sensitive on price so they will
skimpeconomize for you where they think they can.Everyone should be offering “class II road base” under the asphalt, which is a mix of sizes in crushed stone, all with sharp/angular edges to resist movement.
Not a complete answer but hopefully that gives you a better baseline understanding in future conversations. Good luck!
This is good advice.
I’d stop talking to the contractors saying to only replace the asphalt, and talk to the ones saying they’d fix or refill the foundation. You’ll have to see what’s under the driveway to know how to fix it.
When I replaced my driveway, there was only sand under the asphalt. So that got replaced with proper crushed stone infill. It’s been about 4 years and I’ve seen no problems.
After it has been replaced, make sure you seal it with a good asphalt sealant. This will protect it from the freeze and thaw during winter by stopping the water from getting into the asphalt and wrecking it over time. It will have to be resealed again after a few years, but the length of time depends on the quality of sealant you use. This will greatly extend the life of your driveway, especially in a place that sees freezing temperatures, so it’s worth the effort.
Asphalt sealant isn’t too expensive either, and you get a good amount of coverage out of a 5 gallon pail. Just know that the first time you seal it it will absorb a lot more sealant as you fill all the little spaces in the asphalt. A wide floor squeegee is the easiest method for spreading the sealant.
I regret repaving 4 years ago, I should have installed concrete. They don’t want to mess with the curb because that would require a permit from the city.