Although most people do not have the tools or equipment to actually install an asphalt road, there are many things you can do to prepare a drive for paving. On the driveway, without exception, there must be a solid foundation under the bridge. Soft or wet spots are the most common cause of pavement failure. Crack or alligating means that the earth is unable to bear the weight of the vehicles on it. Strong wet spots can cause the sidewalk to fail completely and break into large pieces and cause the entire driveway to fail.
Today materials are available to stabilize the soil, which can be laid under the stone materials of the submarine in wet areas to help solidify the base itself. The material is quite expensive, but may allow you to install the access road, where it would be impossible otherwise. If it is placed directly on the ground below the submarine and above the wet zone, once the base material is properly compacted, the ground will support much more weight without shifting or moving. Many masonry stores store these materials. Two people will need to be deployed and processed as they usually come in twelve-foot rolls. The local excavator contractor may sell smaller rolls. Give them a try.
Our first job is to make sure that there are no wet spots, either by installing some under the drains, or at the edges, to remove surface water or to actually replace part of the wet earth with stone or other suitable materials. Under the base materials can be small and large stones, materials DOT item 4, crushed stone or gravel sand or concrete. The material must be well drained and can be sealed with mechanical seals. The drainage piping may be a twelve-inch corrugated conduit, which, when installed, will help the water to quickly pass under the drive or a smaller four-inch perforated conduit running under the roadway, encased in stone, to provide permanent drainage paths for the water without soaking the soil itself. Water will always follow the path of least resistance, so any installed drainage pipeline will help the soil to dry much faster than nature itself allows.
After you solve any current or potential problems with water, you can proceed to the actual asphalt base. Most homeowners drive up to a four-inch base of gravel slate or element 4 installed when the house was built. Over the years, car tires break slates into very small pieces that do not provide much base material. Adding a new slate or stone can be an annual maintenance project to maintain a smooth motion surface. When a stone or slates are pressed to the ground, you create a thicker and thicker base. Depending on whether you want your new drive to end higher or at a level level than adjacent lawns or gardens, how much sub-facts you want at the end. A typical residential driveway is 10 feet wide with an actual movement surface area of about eight feet wide. For paving, you need a sturdy 10-foot surface to get nine feet. Ten feet, eleven feet, etc. You must have at least six inches of sub-base beyond the actual finished width on both sides. An additional flat area is used to back up asphalt and prevent crumbling of the edges. Remember also that the asphalt and base can be six inches thick and will require additional topsoil to back up the edge of the submarine and asphalt.
By adding base material and keeping the surface as high as possible, you will already have a base base designed for paving a person. In many parts of the United States, material called “Blue Stone” is available. This material is actually finely ground granite and comes in three colors. Blue, which will eventually become darker when it is wet. Red, which will also turn a brighter blue over time and yellow, which will remain yellow. After sorting, this material becomes as complex as concrete in the driveway. I saw the blue stone screening surfaces of snow plowed in the winter after winter, without prejudice to plowing. New dust every few years retains a crisp color and fills all the grooves that may arise. This makes a super base for finished asphalt.
Well, ahead of time, to pave the way, you must also install some cable channels under the driveway for future landscape lighting. Depending on the length of the drive, there should be enough crossover pipeline every fifty feet or so. If the area is very stony or wet, add additional channels now before laying. Adding them later will require cutting and correcting asphalt and will not only destroy the appearance of the pavement, but also provide a potential area for the penetration of surface water. The pipeline is cheap, and if you never use it, it's better safe than sorry. Plastic (PVC) pipeline is better than metal, as it will last underground forever. Put the caps on both ends to avoid unpleasant surprises later when you forget them. Mark the ends clearly with stakes, and draw a small map and take measurements at each end of the permanent objects in the yard. As soon as the grass grows, you will not understand where the ends of the channel are. If you do this much earlier than the actual paving, your car traffic will seal the base and prevent any subsequent asphalt diving and, consequently, will lead to cracking asphalt. You do not want to cross the new asphalt with anything later ..
Call several pavement contractors. The most handsome guy may not be doing the most pleasant work. Make sure you tell everyone exactly what you want. If you change the job description, you will not get comparable prices. Write down what you want to do and then give them a copy. Ask for a written quote to make sure they include everything in your lists. Will they pickup any leakage? Are they insured against damage to the yard from flowers or trees or your home? How long is the road going? How thick is the rolled asphalt when it is done? Dense fused asphalt with a thickness of 3 inches will be only 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick when rolled. Ask questions before they start work. Get a written signed contract and a copy of your insurance policy. Be very careful with down payments. If they insist on one thing, make sure that this is not the main part of the contract value. Many times the down payment is paid and the contractor never shows up again. Do not give in to tales of sobbing. Reputable contractors have open accounts on asphalt plants and you don’t need your money to buy asphalt. If you feel that something is wrong, go to someone else. Ask your neighbors about his job or stay with someone who has just paved the way. Most people are proud of their new backyard and will be happy to talk to you. Call the Better Business Bureau and check out the contract. It may seem that you are a bit cautious, but this is your hard-earned money.
After you have selected a contractor, ask him / her if there is something else you can do to save a few dollars in price. Maybe remove a pre-installed asphalt apron or remove adjacent objects, such as signs or statues, or something else that he decided to do for you. If you save fifty bucks for the price, then fifty dollars for your next project.
Pete
Your friendly building inspector
http://www.Wagsys.com
Software Systems BICES-Building Inspection & Code Enforcement System
