Fixing driveway to garage floor transition

[lml999]

Our house and asphalt driveway are both 25 years old. I don't know whether the driveway originally met up with the garage floor and has settled over the years, or whether this was an original "feature."

There's a 1 1/2" deep gap between the concrete garage floor and the asphalt, and a 2 1/2" difference in height.

I've been using a hack to manage the transition between the garage and the driveway, but admittedly, it's fugly. I'm mostly concerned about car traffic, although the situation also offers a trip hazard.

At some point we will redo the driveway, but, for now, I'm looking for something a bit more socially acceptable than wood.

Open to suggestions. Pack asphalt patch into the gap and level it? I've not had good luck with patch in the past, it never seems to pack really tightly. Pour a concrete apron? Not sure I have the talent to do that.... Backer board and mosaic tile?

Thoughts, comments appreciated.

 

[kaymccampbell]

No pictures. I'd use concrete. If you have a wheelbarrow and a hoe you have a cement mixer. The instructions are on the bag. Troweling is dead easy. If you can squish drywall compound, you can trowel cement.

 

[lml999]

Photos fixed, thanks.

 

[jack stand]

A concrete apron is the right way. Typically a vehicle is parked in the same place in front of the doors all the time and can damage or leave a tire rut over time. Asphalt is not structural and this is a job for concrete. It sounds like this is the only problem with the driveway and a good concrete guy might be able to saw cut the pavement and pour up against it leaving a finished job and hopefully many more years of use of your existing drive. Then when it comes time, the next driveway can **** up against the apron.

 

[lml999]

Thanks @jack stand. Walking the dog this morning, I noticed that most of my neighbors have concrete aprons, and adding one should be pretty straightforward. I think this is the right way to go.

The driveway slopes away from the house, so water management is not a concern here (except when I'm washing the car inside the garage in the winter!)

 

[jrsavoie]

In northern Illinois that would be an indicator of a floating pad. - floating.

 

[yeldogt]

It looks like there was always a height difference ..... now greater as the driveway settled. It's also not all that uncommon for the asphalt to pull away like that. I don't really know why --- maybe it not as thick or it's the last part of the batch made and first out ..... maybe not as many solids. I have seen it many times.

When I'm building new I always end the garage slab at the inside of the door and start the apron 1.5 inches lower. This way the door comes down on the apron. I like having that height transition from the driveway to the floor -- it stopes all the water from entering the garage and helps with wind driven dirt when the doors are open.

Since your floor is already past -- you will have to decide how you wish. I think having a bit of a slope on the apron is a help .... in heavy rain even with wind blowing against the doors the slope will take it away ... do you get water in the garage under the door?

You want the apron to be on a straight plain .... so there may need to be some asphalt adjustment. The cold asphalt patch needs to be thick enough .... you can't feather it out too much.

 

[Showkey]

Not home right now, if I was I would post a better picture.
Had the same transition issue from the garage floor apron to the asphal.

My solution is two years old and counting. The solution is brick paving polymer sand $25.00 that hardens with water. There’s multiple brands, non hazing is preferred. Non hazing is the premium product.
.
Mine was 1.5-2.0“ drop. Pour the “sand”, level and taper. My taper is 4-5” long. Water thoroughly, thicker needs more water to wet completely ( obviously soak don‘t blast) and wait a day. It will harden, not like asphalt, it will would up to shoveling, will not hold up to ice chopping. Can be renewed as needed. Car traffic is not problem. Dark gray actually matches black/gray asphalt

 

[lml999]

Not home right now, if I was I would post a better picture.
Had the same transition issue from the garage floor apron to the asphal.

My solution is two years old and counting. The solution is brick paving polymer sand $25.00 that hardens with water. There’s multiple brands, non hazing is preferred. Non hazing is the premium product.

Thank you @Showkey , much appreciated!

 

[lml999]

Thanks @yeldogt. We *occasionally* get wind driven rain in under the door, but just in the corners. We went with a couple of premium 2" steel insulated replacement doors last year and they seal really well.

I think the long term solution is to have a proper concrete apron poured and the asphalt driveway redone. In the mean time I will look into having the asphalt cut and the apron added. We're spending money elsewhere (standby genny, minisplts, and I'm building a good sized woodshed) so we may just live with it for a bit...

 

[Vahispd]

Look at Garage Threshold Ramps. Different designs, sizes and materials to match or complement the garage!

Check out this thread with pics of one brand Schluter ramp.

 

[matt_i]

I have the same issue and was planning to fix with concrete insert(s).

Thinking I could either try to stain the concrete black at the time of mixing it or else rely on the driveway sealer to do the job....

 

[CraigStu]

Showkey's paver sand is what I would do. If you really want an apron, that would obviously work but it is a lot of work which means a lot of $. Save your $ for your other projects.