DIY Blacktop Installation?

[Paul Franklin]

Anyone done any DIY asphalt blacktop installation? I don't mean cold patching, but actual hot asphalt? I have a small section of driveway (about 15 feet long) that I would like to widen by about 2 feet.

I'd really rather hire this out, and I have called a bunch of contractors for quotes, but once they find out it's a small job, I never hear back from them.

Can I install a good compacted gravel base, get a load of asphalt (where?), rent a small road roller, and do this myself? The existing asphalt is in pretty good shape, although the edge is crumbling a bit, so I'd have to remove a few inches.

TIA,

Paul

[e-mail]

[Richard J Kinch]

Asphalt hot mix (compacted) is about 110 lbs per square yard per inch of depth.

For your 2 x 15 feet, that's 3-1/3 sq yards, or 366 lbs per inch of depth.

You want, what, 4 inches of depth, I'd guess?

So that's about 3/4 ton of hot mix.

The question is, can you haul, dump, spread, screed, and roll that much material before it cools too much? You gotta roll it hot. It should be placed at 230 to 310 deg F, and rolled soon after (I forget the min rolling temp). If you've ever tried spreading loose gravel by hand, it is surprisingly backbreaking work, and you tend to wildly underestimate the time or effort required.

Call the local asphalt plant(s). They'll tell you how long you would have to work a batch that size, and if you can expect your crew to manage it. They will tell if they will supply that small a load in the back of your pickup truck or whatever. Ask about tack coat material. They will also have contacts to anyone who might do tiny jobs like that.

[Paul Franklin]

Richard, thanks for lot of good info and suggestions. I think I'm going to keep trying to find someone to do this. I rarely turn away from a DIY challenge, but this one just smells like a bad idea from every angle....

[George]

The best bet would be to keep an eye out for other blacktopping being done in your area and have them do it.

[scott21230]

Or wait until housing maina ends so at least you can get contractors to show up.

[Dr. Hardcrab]

Yeah, nothing you want to tackle on your own.

I am having the same problem. I have a 20 X 30 foot "parking area" I want to add to my existing driveway. I could only get one company to come out so far and he wanted to charge me more that what the entire driveway cost.

[G Henslee]

I've successfully used both road base and decomposed granite for additional parking areas. Both served me well for many years, and at minimal expense.

[SteveB]

I did this with two rows on each side of the driveway. I used 12" square pieces that looked like flagstone, about 1.5" thick. This gave me 4' wider driveway. It looks great, and I get a lot of compliments on it. It really dresses up the driveway. It was about $2 per square foot, but I think was worth it.

Steve

[TKM]

What about doing the additional witdth portion with another material like DIY paving blocks? It gives you the look of having a walkway next to your driveway. You can remove the blocks, use them for something else and do an all-asphalt drive when it's time to replace the main portion someday.

TKM