Please help beginner paving own driveway.

[thdewey]

I've put this off long enoungh. I need to join the old driveway to the detached garage. I've never done a driveway before. I plan on getting a pro finisher and several friends to help but I want to do the rest myself.

Here's what I know:

1. Use 2x4s to frame the outer edge.

2. Use wire mesh and fiber w/ gravel base

3. 5000# concrete (min order is 5 yds) brush finish

4. cut wet crack relief lines @ 6 '

What I need to know:

1. Do you put anything at the joint where the slab meets the garage block wall?

2. Exactly what do you use to make frame curves?

3. Do you put 2x4s every 8 ' or so so you can screed an area? When/how do you pull out these 2x4s? I'm totally confused about screeding.

Here is a picture so you can get the idea.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[rburke65]

Used strips of expantion joints at the block wall.....available at, but not limited to, Home Depot. For curved forms I have used 1" x 4" x 10' treated pine, and then with a circular saw set the depth gage of the blade to approx. half way through the 1" x 4", and cut kerfs to relieve the back side of the board. The smaller the radius the more cuts you will need. You will then be able to bend the 1" x 4" to the radius desired. Screeding......how wide is your drivway you want to pour? You could use a 2" x 2" stake in the middle of the pour, screed off of that, and when finished screeding just pound it into the subgrade. Your "pro finisher" will know what needs to be done when he arrives and acesses the job site. His screed stake can be installed the day of the pour. I'm an electrician by trade, not a finisher, but I have placed my share of concrete, and I hope this helps. I am sure others will help you out here with their comments. This isn't as tough as splittin atoms! Ha!

 

[brownbagg]

I use a piece of treated 1x4at block wall, formica for curves or that other board, its black. 2x4 every two feet or it blow out

 

[nate379]

I've never heard of paving a driveway when you use concrete. Paving = asphalt.

Pouring driveway maybe?

 

[back2class]

you need a slight grade so figure what area you want water to run off in.

 

[twostory]

Make the driveway 5 inches thick.

Buy the proper edge tools.

My concrete guy used 1x4 yellow pine for the edge forms. The 1x4 can bend a lot, so most curve are possible without relief cuts.

My driveway as poured against the garage slab, but it is not connected. As for expansion joint, we did not use them, in Ga we do not get frost heave like they do up north.

Make sure your wire mesh is "in the concrete" not under it. You have to pull it up as you pour the concrete out.

If I was doing the driveway myself, I would serious consider the QuicKey /or/ PRO-KEY metal form product.

http://www.bometals.com/metal.html

It is not that expensive and will make you screed task very simple.

 

[47bob]

I don't know if it freezes in NC but if it does you might order "Air entrainment" added to the mix design. Pull out your screed boards and stakes after you screed that part and fill the gaps left with a shovel.

FYI: asphalt IS actually concrete it's just made with asphalt instead of cement. "Asphaaltic Concrete"

 

[Markgyver]

I use mdf siding trim to frame the curves its cheap and provides a nice curve or you can use masonite but be sure to use alot of stakes. Also tooled joints work better for cracking because you are displacing the aggregate in the concrete but dont look as nice, Joints should be in a 2:1 ratio. I would also dig down at the garage and curb to make the slab thicker in these locations.

 

[nonhog]

I'd add to this, consider adding rebar "studs" epoxied into your garage slab to eliminate any risk of shifting. Not sure if thats needed in all climates.
Worth checking into to see if its good idea for your application.

 

[PurdueSD]

IMO 6' crack relief lines is a little overkill, but will work fine. Same goes for the 5000lb mix. Stronger can be better but its not really necessary for a driveway i wouldn't think unless you own heavy equipment.

You will need to screed the whole thing. Screeding just levels the top out. Use your side boards to screed off of and just leave them there until the slab cures. You don't want to be running moving 2x4s while the trucks are waiting anyways.

1/4" plywood with 2x2 stakes works well for tight curves in my experience.

Goodluck to ya! That's a nice looking shop you've got!

 

[autoist]

With that many questions, I'd really reconsider not letting a contractor do the job.

 

[jmh21586]

Yeah. If you need to ask about how to do concrete..... you really shouldn't be trying to do it yourself.


Really.

 

[brownbagg]

masonnite that was the black board I could not remember

 

[thdewey]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to start clearing the grass out and forming the frames this week. I'll do what I can.