Blacktop driveway needs TLC

[Manowar]

I've got a 22' x 40' blacktop leading into my 2 car garage. The structure and driveway is 11 years old, and I'm located in the NE (bad cold and lots of snow/ice). It was resealed 3 years ago but is looking threadbare by now. Substrate is sandy and deep.
The big problem is a few areas where it appears rock (or construction debris) is coming through the surface. Looks like it's pushing up through the blacktop. All the local clowns want to pour sealer or slurry on it, charge me $200 and run away.
Should it be dug-out and refilled and what material should be used? What's the correct repair for a smooth, black, durable surface?

 

[kmkalf]

up here in buffalo ny we reseal the driveways every year and keeps the longetivity of it, now it is too cold to do any of that i would wait until the spring and reseal it

 

[wssix99]

Can you post a picture? Sounds odd....

 

[metal1313]

its prob builder grade mix, just really thin and not a super compacted base. i have the same issue here, with the 10y/o repave. its really thin and areas that were dug out and new gravel sub base are cracked and sinking, the reason we re did it before. eventually its all getting ripped out, super compacted base, and at least a 2 layer, 3 would be better paved surface. but thats 2000+sqft of drive and not cheap in nj

 

[Manowar]

Thanks guys. I will try to snap a shot and post today.

 

[fr0mastaj]

While on this topic, why is it that almost all asphalt related work seems to be done by fly by night/shady companies?

 

[74grabber]

In my opinion 11 years old in them native soils its time to replace it. And no matter what slurry mix you put on top of it the natural is still going to push up through it. In my opinion anything that goes on top is just a waste of money unless your looking to move in a couple years.

If its pushing up normally due to freezing and thawing or poor irrigation on surounding materials. Look at it this way a house is only as strong and going to last as long as the foundation same goes for asphalt.

A good plan of attack would be to R and R the material, get a good solid sub base set aprox 6 inches deep aprox 70 percent compaction, then a good solid 8 inch of base material aprox 90 plus compaction, then a 3 inch lift of asphalt layed and rolled for good compaction. Than seal. Each lift watch your straight edge, keep it straight its always stronger the flatter it is.

Watch your mix cause normall parking lot and driveway grade is alot lower grade compared to road and highway grade asphalt. You can only imagine the stuff that goes in there when there is no specifications behind it. A hot plant is no different. And ten minutes from the roller even though it looks nice and smooth is not enough compaction.


Probably a little overkill but you wont be worrying about it for a while

 

[74grabber]

While on this topic, why is it that almost all asphalt related work seems to be done by fly by night/shady companies?

Oh come on now I almost resent that

What business trade are you in?......................


EVERY trade has good and bad. Some of us take pride in our work just as you may, others, well you get the idea.


FYI I cant stand asphalt I got out of it along time ago and strictly due aggregate now. No more black clothes dirty stinky filthy black gold but still deal with the BS of it on a daily basis.

 

[outcast]

I've got a 22' x 40' blacktop leading into my 2 car garage. The structure and driveway is 11 years old, and I'm located in the NE (bad cold and lots of snow/ice). It was resealed 3 years ago but is looking threadbare by now. Substrate is sandy and deep.
The big problem is a few areas where it appears rock (or construction debris) is coming through the surface. Looks like it's pushing up through the blacktop. All the local clowns want to pour sealer or slurry on it, charge me $200 and run away.
Should it be dug-out and refilled and what material should be used? What's the correct repair for a smooth, black, durable surface?

dig out the lumps and use the cold patch that lowes has. its a bandaid, but it will work.

 

[richashley]

Has anybody had any experience using chip and seal over older asphalt?

 

[elmo771]

I know around here, It is almost the same cost as concrete if your replacing it. The cost of petroleum has driven it up.

 

[outcast]

Has anybody had any experience using chip and seal over older asphalt?

this looks like the stuff lowes has. i used mine over concrete. i don't expect it to last. but i bet it would bond well to asphalt.

http://www.kent360.com/files/CityStuff/ChipSeal.jpg

 

[wssix99]

While on this topic, why is it that almost all asphalt related work seems to be done by fly by night/shady companies?

Its not so much the people - but housing developers. If you want to make a buck, you don't spend money on things that might go bad a year after you sell/flip the place. No developer (except for ones building luxury mansions) in their right mind would pay for a quality drive way.

 

[bhclark]

Has anybody had any experience using chip and seal over older asphalt?

Many of the cities around here are using "slurry seal" now instead of repaving.

I agree that a quality job would NOT typically be done by a builder, unless the house was custom built.

You need a good sub base, base, top coat, then finish coat, all compacted properly for a good quality job. Then you still need to seal it every year. OR, you can topcoat it with small aggregate embedded in tar. This protects the finish from the UV damage.

 

[Unearthed]

dig out the lumps and use the cold patch that lowes has. its a bandaid, but it will work.

Water will run through cold patch, but yes, a temporary fix.

 

[Unearthed]

Has anybody had any experience using chip and seal over older asphalt?

It's what I plan to do to my driveway. I plan to use "rice chips" or washed limestone dust on mine for a better look/coverage of the oil.

 

[Old Moparz]

In my opinion 11 years old in them native soils its time to replace it. And no matter what slurry mix you put on top of it the natural is still going to push up through it. In my opinion anything that goes on top is just a waste of money unless your looking to move in a couple years.

If its pushing up normally due to freezing and thawing or poor irrigation on surounding materials. Look at it this way a house is only as strong and going to last as long as the foundation same goes for asphalt.

A good plan of attack would be to R and R the material, get a good solid sub base set aprox 6 inches deep aprox 70 percent compaction, then a good solid 8 inch of base material aprox 90 plus compaction, then a 3 inch lift of asphalt layed and rolled for good compaction. Than seal. Each lift watch your straight edge, keep it straight its always stronger the flatter it is.

Watch your mix cause normall parking lot and driveway grade is alot lower grade compared to road and highway grade asphalt. You can only imagine the stuff that goes in there when there is no specifications behind it. A hot plant is no different. And ten minutes from the roller even though it looks nice and smooth is not enough compaction.


Probably a little overkill but you wont be worrying about it for a while

I agree, subgrade prep & the stone subbase material are the most important parts to having a driveway hold up. The blacktop itself hardly ever fails. Water is another problem that will ruin pavement so be sure the ground adjacent to the pavement is graded so water runs away from it.

If you decide to remove the old driveway & replace it entirely, you can also look into a geotextile fabric to help stabilize the soil under the stone. It installs similarly to the weed barrier, landscape fabrics, but they are not the same product.

 

[Manowar]

Appreciate all the facts and experience from the posters here. I've been too busy to shoot a picture or two but it's obvious the real fix is more involved than the lumps and splits I've got.
I know if I commit $$$ to it, it will outlast me. I'd like to find a happy medium between rip-out and new base vs a bandaid.
My drive has no water problem-it's a noticeable slope from the doors to the apron. Plus the property is atop a small hill.
Running the snow blower on it is no fun because hitting those mini-volcanoes stops you in your tracks.
Is there any in-between solution with about a ten year life and any estimates of cost out here on LI??

 

[Bronson]

After several years of patching, and dealing with rip-off crack head Asphalt "contractors" I tore it out and installed a nice concrete drive. Now, every time I come home and pull into it, I smile and know I will never have to fix the driveway again.

 

[bhclark]

Is there any in-between solution with about a ten year life and any estimates of cost out here on LI??

If you remove the humps and fill the holes, it's possible you can find a reputable company to simply put a "topping" on it. You will not get any kind of warranty with that type of repair.

 

[outcast]

Water will run through cold patch, but yes, a temporary fix.

indeed. but if it is sealed, it will last a lot longer.

we use this stuff to patch the parking lot and drive, at work. and it holds up pretty darned well. for a house asphalt driveway i see it lasting a pretty long time. ymmv