Having an old, damaged driveway covered with potholes, cracks, and stains is a major eye sore on your home and neighborhood. And replacing your driveway isn’t an easy DIY project – it involves concrete and asphalt pouring, tar, sealcoating – no matter how seasoned of a DIY home improver you may fancy yourself as, you are going to need to call in the pros on this one. But there are still a few things you need to take care of as the homeowner before it’s time to call in the pros. Here is what you need to do to replace your old driveway.
Make Your Plans
Replacing your driveway is a process, and it takes some planning to go smoothly . You need to think about how long the process will take, where you will park, and what kind of disruption this will place on your day to day life. But you also need to consider what kind of driveway you want to install once you’ve removed your old one. Do you want asphalt? Concrete? Stone? Gravel? The choice you make will affect the curb appeal of your home, maintenance requirements, and style. Consider carefully before making choices and plan accordingly.
Contact a Paving Company
Once you’ve decided on your game plan, it’s time to get the big guns involved to help with the rest of the process. Get in contact with a paving company for their opinions and expertise on how to handle your driveway project. They’ll be able to tell you the timeframe and cost for what you are hoping for, and may even have tips or ideas to improve your plans that you hadn’t even considered. Contacting a paving company early will get you on the list and get ideas flowing.
Remove the Old Asphalt
There are a lot of ways you can remove old asphalt , and if you like doing it by yourself, this is one step of the process that you take on by yourself. You can use a jackhammer and break up your driveway into smaller pieces, or even use a circular saw to cut your asphalt driveway into small pieces. These methods will work but can take a lot of effort and aren’t the most efficient method. You should try to rent a small excavator from a rental company, and use that to scoop up and break down your asphalt driveway. This will make removing your old driveway super easy, and say you tons of time.
Taking Care of the Waste
You’re going to need to put the waste from your old driveway somewhere. Getting a trash hopper to take care of your construction waste is the best investment for you on your driveway replacement project. Self-dumping trash hoppers can increase safety by removing old ground material from the work area. Not only can they improve safety, but they can also help keep things organized and out of the way, and help you get your waste somewhere it can be dealt with effectively.
Preparation of the Sub Base
Now is where the professionals will take over, but we can still keep you informed on the process. The first thing your paving professionals will do is prepare your driveway to properly manage rain water so that your driveway can keep you from flooding. Then, once they are sure that your driveway is designed to allow for optimal water run-off, they will construct the sub base , which is a bottom layer that helps prevent frost and thawing damage in the winter, as well as providing a solid base for your driveway.
Installation of the Asphalt or Pavement
At this point your pavers will get into the process of putting in the new driveway . This will look a few different ways depending on what style of driveway you have gone with. If they are laying stones, then they will begin laying stones in place and sealing them together. If it is asphalt or concrete, they will begin laying the concrete or asphalt and rolling it to smooth it down. For the specifics on how your paving company will complete your paving, talk to them directly, as every contractor has a slightly different approach.
Sealcoating
This step is optional but you should seriously consider taking it for your driveway. Sealcoating is a step after the final concrete or asphalt has been poured to further seal and protect your new driveway from damage and wear. If your paver doesn’t offer an option to include sealcoating in your plan , make plans to have a seal coating company come in as soon as your driveway is complete to put a sealcoat on. A sealcoat can make your driveway last years longer than if you leave it to the elements without a seal coat, and seal coating is a fraction of the cost of having to fully replace your driveway again when it is worn out. Get a sealcoat. You’ll thank yourself later.
Enjoy Your New Driveway
Drive all over your new driveway and park on it too! You’ve got yourself a brand new, expertly designed and constructed driveway sitting in your front (or back) yard that you can be happy with. And be ready for neighbors to ask who had your driveway done – and be willing to share the pavers you hired with them. Many pavers get most of their business from personal recommendations, so anything you can do to help them is always appreciated. If they did a super job well done, maybe even consider posting about them on a community chat board or Facebook page.
Making the decision to replace your old and battered driveway is one to take seriously – it’s quite the process. But, it’s a decision that pays off big time in the long run. Having a nice and well maintained driveway can increase your curb appeal and property value, decrease risk of flooding, and give you peace of mind. So what are you waiting for? Start looking into your options and drive into a whole driveway that you will love.