Need a garage/driveway apron

[lml999]

Would appreciate some input.

Our house and driveway are 30 years old, in SE Massachusetts. The garage floor has settled a bit over the years; the asphalt driveway has settled more. We will probably need to do a new asphalt at some point, in the meantime, I'd like to address the gap between the garage floor and the driveway. It's a 3" difference in height.

I was thinking of going with a poured sloping concrete apron, about 30" wide. Many houses in the area have concrete aprons.

Local contractor, who came well recommended, suggested that granite cobblestones, set in concrete, would be an option to consider, at about the same price as concrete.

Photo shows an odd slope...that's how I held the camera...we have good runoff out of the garage, and down the driveway away from the house.

All of the other houses in the neighborhood have asphalt driveways (or a few with pea stone or seashell). A few have cobblestone at the street end of the driveway. While a few have cobblestone by the garage...many have concrete aprons extending in front of the garage.

A full driveway in pavers or concrete would not fit in...

Comments, suggestions appreciated.

 

[firebirdparts]

I would run a saw across there and pour a concrete rectangle. You could consider some pins into the building slab.

 

[Fav Onefour]

I bet half the homes in our area have retrofitted concrete aprons.
Deep foundations, sloppy backfill, and few good freeze that cycles, is the perfect recipe for settling around the home.

I have done a few cheap repairs as well by using bag mix asphalt to fill the gap and build a small ramp. If you go that route, I have a couple tips.
Pick up a two pound rubber dead blow. Grab a couple one foot 2 X 4s. Lay the asphalt mix into the gap with a mound above driveway plane. Pound it good with your hammer and scrap wood. Do the next layer less than two inches and use the same compaction method. Two layers will probably give you enough to get rid of the big drop off.
If your are happy with the height, you can top it with sand to prevent tire sticking. You can also use a sealer like you already have on the drive. Either way works to help the durability and prevent tracking.

That asphalt repair does a decent job in spots like your apron gap because it's straight traffic. Each pass with a vehicle is packing it down a bit more. I strongly recommend compacting and a top dressing of some type.

 

[ATC]

I have done a few cheap repairs as well by using bag mix asphalt to fill the gap and build a small ramp.

I was going to suggest this as well, especially since this will be somewhat temporary until the driveway is replaced.

 

[lml999]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the recommendations!

 

[Stuart in MN]

If you do intend on replacing the driveway in the near future, maybe a piece of treated lumber cut into a triangle shape, and placed against the threshold to smooth the transition. It could be held in place with a few spikes into the asphalt. It wouldn't even need to be treated if the replacement will happen in the next year or so.

 

[lml999]

If you do intend on replacing the driveway in the near future, maybe a piece of treated lumber cut into a triangle shape, and placed against the threshold to smooth the transition. It could be held in place with a few spikes into the asphalt. It wouldn't even need to be treated if the replacement will happen in the next year or so.

I've had a couple of PT 2x6 boards covering that gap for a while. Time to upgrade the look.

 

[Byrdnyrd]

Goodness Gracious, is your house floating away!!

I’m just north of Plymouth MA, I had the same issue with my concrete apron sinking. Last year I did a new asphalt driveway and removed the concrete. It came out mint.
PM me for a great asphalt contractor! Dont know how far down the Cape you are, but he did my Buddy’s house in Pocasset.

cheers,
BN

 

[lml999]

Goodness Gracious, is your house floating away!!

I’m just north of Plymouth MA, I had the same issue with my concrete apron sinking. Last year I did a new asphalt driveway and removed the concrete. It came out mint.
PM me for a great asphalt contractor! Dont know how far down the Cape you are, but he did my Buddy’s house in Pocasset.

cheers,
BN

Thanks BN!

I'm on the upper cape too. Not quite ready to do the full driveway... Thanks!

 

[lml999]

Not quite ready to do the full driveway...

Okay, I take it back. We figured that if we do the apron, we'll still have a 30 year old driveway with some dips. That driveway will have to be fixed/replaced sometime soon...

So...

I got an initial quote to do the full driveway. It's not that much more than just doing the apron. Well, okay then.

 

[Beauregard]

"Well-designed and properly constructed concrete is the final solution."
--Abraham Lincoln

 

[zak77]

So have you decided to go with a concrete apron or all asphalt? I'm in a similar situation and figured i'd go with another concrete apron but maybe not. Luckily, my neighbor owns a paving company

 

[lml999]

So have you decided to go with a concrete apron or all asphalt? I'm in a similar situation and figured i'd go with another concrete apron but maybe not. Luckily, my neighbor owns a paving company

All asphalt. Some of my neighbors have concrete aprons, others are all asphalt.

The all asphalt will be less expensive and should serve us fine for the next 20 years.

 

[Fav Onefour]

All asphalt. Some of my neighbors have concrete aprons, others are all asphalt.

The all asphalt will be less expensive and should serve us fine for the next 20 years.

If they do the base properly, you should get more than 20 years.
Ask and confirm how they will address proper base.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Okay, I take it back. We figured that if we do the apron, we'll still have a 30 year old driveway with some dips. That driveway will have to be fixed/replaced sometime soon...

So...

I got an initial quote to do the full driveway. It's not that much more than just doing the apron. Well, okay then.

Original concrete apron quote vs. all asphalt driveway quote ?

 

[lml999]

If they do the base properly, you should get more than 20 years.
Ask and confirm how they will address proper base.

Local guy has been doing driveways here on the cape for 30 years. He suggested that the existing driveway is stable enough that we can level the dips and add two inches of fresh asphalt on top. Just over half the cost of a full new driveway.

 

[lml999]

Original concrete apron quote vs. all asphalt driveway quote ?

Yes, exactly. Cobblestone quote (2 1/2" at top of driveway to address height at garage floor) versus full asphalt redo. The first was just over half of the second...and we'd still need to do the full asphalt at some point soon.

 

[Fav Onefour]

Local guy has been doing driveways here on the cape for 30 years. He suggested that the existing driveway is stable enough that we can level the dips and add two inches of fresh asphalt on top. Just over half the cost of a full new driveway.

How would he address the dip area? Cut out and add compacted base?

I'm all for saving money if it's done right. Keep in mind that your new driveway will be two inches higher. Will that also create issues with slope away from the garage?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yes, exactly. Cobblestone quote (2 1/2" at top of driveway to address height at garage floor) versus full asphalt redo. The first was just over half of the second...and we'd still need to do the full asphalt at some point soon.

2 1/2" of concrete for an apron ? raising it an addition 2 1/2" from where it is now or going on top of the asphalt with concrete ?

 

[customh]

Local guy has been doing driveways here on the cape for 30 years. He suggested that the existing driveway is stable enough that we can level the dips and add two inches of fresh asphalt on top. Just over half the cost of a full new driveway.

I don't have a lot of asphalt experience but I'd be VERY concerned about how the top layer would stick to the bottom layer. I guess if it was laid wider and where it tapers to meet the street was cut out so you have at least 2" thick across the surface it might be fine?

Out home was built in 2017 and the blocks for the garage footer were not core-filled so the base trickled into the block cores and the asphalt was sinking/breaking away at the joint between the garage floor and driveway in those spots.

I'd want to make sure the issue causing/allowing the sinking of your driveway is solved if it sunk that much.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I don't have a lot of asphalt experience but I'd be VERY concerned about how the top layer would stick to the bottom layer. I guess if it was laid wider and where it tapers to meet the street was cut out so you have at least 2" thick across the surface it might be fine?

. . . .

I'd want to make sure the issue causing/allowing the sinking of your driveway is solved if it sunk that much.

Generally a tack coat is sprayed down on top of the old asphalt to promote adhesion of the new layer.


Definitely want to know why and have the dropping situation resolved, otherwise it will happen again.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I had a similar situation the asphalt also had dents where cars had been parked in front of the garage. I cut the asphalt 25 ft in front of the garage. Prepared and compacted the base then poured concrete. Several years later I had the rest of the asphalt resurfaced.

 

[dandan111]

I’d have the whole drive top coated. It will be cheaper and faster and look nice. Concrete is awesome but also expensive.

 

[logical]

Don't forget to pull your custom water supply system out of the crack first.

 

[mike93lx]

I had a similar issue at my house in metro west MA. Doing the whole driveway wasn't in the cards, so I saw cut back about 4 ft, compacted the base and then had a local asphalt contractor lay a new apron flush with the concrete slab. Held up great for the rest of the time we were in that house

 

[reader2580]

Local guy has been doing driveways here on the cape for 30 years. He suggested that the existing driveway is stable enough that we can level the dips and add two inches of fresh asphalt on top. Just over half the cost of a full new driveway.

Any issues with the original asphalt may telegraph through the new asphalt. Ever notice that a highway that was milled and overlayed often has cracks showing with in a few years because they didn’t remove the old pavement?