.....Driveway anyone?
- Thread starter dmorale8
- Start date
......As a chronic "do it yourselfer" I would like to do it myself....(blacktop)..but I am afraid that the specialized equipment needed may not be available to the weekend warrior.....or is there? I've got 227' to the road....A quote given a couple of months ago came in at $6500......can I do it cheaper than this anyone? any Idea's?
boiler7904
Well-known member
"What is the most inexpensive way?"
Do you want to do this once or more than once?
If you want to put your driveway in once and not deal with a lot of maintenance and early replacement, concrete is the way to go. Concrete is more money up front but takes way less maintenance over its lifespan, especially with a climate like Florida where you don't have road salt (concrete's worst enemy) to deal with. It also doesn't require sealcoating every few years like asphalt.
The other advantage is that once concrete cures, it doesn't soften with heat and deform. This doesn't really matter until you need to use a jack and jackstands on your hot asphalt driveway. Petroleum based solvents (concrete's second worst enemy) will also literally eat through an asphalt drive.
Since budget is an issue, maybe you can use two seperate surfaces if the layout works. Use concrete (6" thick with mesh minimum) for the first 30' or so at the garage so that you can work outside if you have to. The remainder would be asphalt.
Do you want to do this once or more than once?
If you want to put your driveway in once and not deal with a lot of maintenance and early replacement, concrete is the way to go. Concrete is more money up front but takes way less maintenance over its lifespan, especially with a climate like Florida where you don't have road salt (concrete's worst enemy) to deal with. It also doesn't require sealcoating every few years like asphalt.
The other advantage is that once concrete cures, it doesn't soften with heat and deform. This doesn't really matter until you need to use a jack and jackstands on your hot asphalt driveway. Petroleum based solvents (concrete's second worst enemy) will also literally eat through an asphalt drive.
Since budget is an issue, maybe you can use two seperate surfaces if the layout works. Use concrete (6" thick with mesh minimum) for the first 30' or so at the garage so that you can work outside if you have to. The remainder would be asphalt.
boiler7904 said:
Budget's a bigger issue for me, and my drive will be less than 100'. But for just the resons mentioned, I intend to have a 4" thick 20' long cement approach in front of the garage, and the rest in gravel or blacktop.
boiler7904
Well-known member
spdracer said:
He could but that would double the forming cost. If he's doing it himself not such a big deal (no labor charge). If he's hiring out the concrete work, the redimix concrete is usually cheaper for a narrow strip like that than the labor to set and strip forms.
boiler7904
Well-known member
DynoDave said:
In the Chicago area, 5" is usually considered the absolute minimum thickness when subjected to regular vehicle traffic. Your local standards may be different. Go thicker if it's going to get any regular use by medium duty trucks.
cc_rider
Well-known member
I'll throw out another option: pavestones. Those interlocking stones can make a really nice drive. If it doesn't see a LOT of traffic you could use the kind with holes in them, so grass or whatever will grow up in between. That kind can also reduce your impervious cover restrictions. Apparently the real trick with pavestones is the foundation preparation; if you plan to drive on it you need to have a thick, well-compacted base of sand. Don't know the relative cost though.
c.
c.
PAToyota
Well-known member
Doing it yourself may offset the cost difference between concrete and blacktop - I've never priced rental costs for a paver and roller. Frankly, I haven't seen a paver in the typical rental yard.
So the cost of forming and pouring concrete yourself may end up cheaper than paying someone to come and do blacktop. Plus, you'll have a better end product and won't have the heat related issues metioned by others.
Pavers are going to be more work than pouring concrete. Not sure about the square foot cost difference, but I'd think they'd be more expensive than concrete as well.
So the cost of forming and pouring concrete yourself may end up cheaper than paying someone to come and do blacktop. Plus, you'll have a better end product and won't have the heat related issues metioned by others.
Pavers are going to be more work than pouring concrete. Not sure about the square foot cost difference, but I'd think they'd be more expensive than concrete as well.
boiler7904
Well-known member
Like PAToyata said, paving equipment isn't generally available for rent mainly because it is so expensive and specialized.
As long as you have access to a bobcat to do the prep work, you might break even by doing pavers. It's hard to guess what they would cost compared to concrete in your area becuase there are so many styles available. The problem with pavers is that I think most of the manufacturers are in Northern states. Unilock for example has plants near Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, New York, and Ontario Canada. Truck freight to Florida for them is outrageous.
Then again their might be local manufacturers. If you want to go that route, talk to landscape suppliers in your area and ask two questions:
Do they have material that was ordered and cancelled by the original purchaser that they want to deal on? You might have to go with a couple of colors but they can be blended or patterned.
Do they know of a product / color that is about to be discontinued that needs to be sold to make way for new product?
I still think the concrete apron and the rest in gravel is your best bet for budget reasons. Assuming you make the base thick enough, the top couple of inches can always be removed and replaced with asphalt, concrete, or pavers.
As long as you have access to a bobcat to do the prep work, you might break even by doing pavers. It's hard to guess what they would cost compared to concrete in your area becuase there are so many styles available. The problem with pavers is that I think most of the manufacturers are in Northern states. Unilock for example has plants near Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, New York, and Ontario Canada. Truck freight to Florida for them is outrageous.
Then again their might be local manufacturers. If you want to go that route, talk to landscape suppliers in your area and ask two questions:
Do they have material that was ordered and cancelled by the original purchaser that they want to deal on? You might have to go with a couple of colors but they can be blended or patterned.
Do they know of a product / color that is about to be discontinued that needs to be sold to make way for new product?
I still think the concrete apron and the rest in gravel is your best bet for budget reasons. Assuming you make the base thick enough, the top couple of inches can always be removed and replaced with asphalt, concrete, or pavers.
Next time you see paving guys doing a job in the area, ask them if they have extra asphalt to do your driveway. Quote I got was from a guy who had extra asphalt and was trying to get rid of it by doing another job in the area. I think he went from house to house until he found someone that wanted their driveway paved.
Same thing happened to my wife's parents. They actually had it done on the spot and got a good deal.
Just a thought...
Same thing happened to my wife's parents. They actually had it done on the spot and got a good deal.
Just a thought...
65vetteracer
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
- Messages
- 39
Personally would go with concrete, it does not track in as much dirt and tar.
GearHead_1
Well-known member
Believe me I heard you when you said budget was a priority. I just put in an additional 58 yards of concrete and it wasn't cheap. That said if there is any way to see yourself clear and put concrete in you won't regret it over the long haul. It'll likely cost you 2 to 3 times as much to put concrete in initially but if you take a look at that over a 30 year period it's almost a moot point. You'll have resurfaced the black top at least once and maybe twice during that period and chances are the concrete will still be going strong.
Here's an idea. Maybe you could put gravel down initially and put the concrete as far as the budget allows. The gravel wouldn't be wasted as it makes a pretty decent base to put the concrete on. Then add concrete as the budget allows.
Here's an idea. Maybe you could put gravel down initially and put the concrete as far as the budget allows. The gravel wouldn't be wasted as it makes a pretty decent base to put the concrete on. Then add concrete as the budget allows.
I like pavers. They are well within the capability of the consumer and if you can do the work they compare favorably in price to having concrete or asphalt installed. Pavers are much more attractive, don't crack like concrete and don't require constant seal coating that asphalt does. You won't be tracking that coal-tar into the home with pavers. You can also work in stages if you have budget issues.
