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How to Blacktop an Asphalt Driveway Clean your driveway with a high-powered hose. Allow the asphalt dry thoroughly. Fill any cracks. Fill any holes. Allow the sealer to dry overnight. Clean the driveway. Apply the sealer. Block off the driveway, allowing it to dry for 24 hours.
Can you blacktop a driveway yourself?
Making your own asphalt driveway is hard work, and not a job for one person. If you have friends who will help you, it is possible to save a lot of money by doing your own driveway, even after the cost of rental equipment is factored in.
How thick should a blacktop driveway be?
Residential driveways typically use 2 to 3 inches of asphalt with 3 being suitable for occasional large trucks or heavy equipment. Underneath the asphalt you should have 6 to 8 inches of granular base aggregate.
What is the difference between asphalt and blacktop driveway?
Asphalt generally refers to major highways and streets, whereas, blacktop is commonly used to refer to driveways and residential roads. Blacktop has a higher mixture of stone than asphalt. It also must be heated to a higher temperature, around 300 degrees, than other types.
How do you blacktop a gravel driveway?
An inexpensive method for paving a driveway consists of gravel or crushed rock over a graded, packed dirt bed. If you already have a gravel driveway and want to pave over it, the least expensive option is adding a hot-asphalt seal-coat layer over the surface of the gravel, followed by a layer of crushed rock.
Can you put asphalt over dirt?
Yes, you can blacktop over gravel. If anything, Over 90 percent of the roads in the US are surfaced with blacktop (preferably known as asphalt).
What is the cheapest way to do a driveway?
Gravel and Stone Driveways A gravel driveway is by far the cheapest and quickest to install, especially if the existing driveway sub-base is sound.
What temperature is too cold for blacktop?
During initial application, the asphalt should still be at least 220 to 290-degrees Fahrenheit. If the asphalt dips below approximately 185-degrees Fahrenheit before compaction is complete, its consistency stiffens up too much to finish the job properly.
Is blacktop cheaper than concrete?
The cost of an asphalt driveway is typically cheaper than concrete, costing $2.00 – $4.00 per square foot. In contrast, a concrete driveway costs between $4.00 – $6.00 per square foot for a standard installation.
Can you put blacktop over old blacktop?
An overlay or resurface can be used on an asphalt driveway, parking lot, or road way. It consists of installing a new layer of asphalt over the existing asphalt and grinding at the transitions (i.e. sidewalks, garages, drains, curbs, or other asphalt points).
Will rain hurt a new asphalt driveway?
In general, asphalt cannot be installed when it is raining. When rain comes into contact with fresh asphalt, it causes the oil to rise to the surface which can affect the curing time and the finished product. If asphalt is paved while it’s raining, it can reduce the overall quality of the asphalt.
Should you water a new asphalt driveway?
Even when cured, asphalt can sometimes soften in extremely hot weather and harden as temperatures fall. To temporarily harden hot asphalt, you can water it down with a garden hose. Do not be alarmed if soapsuds appear. Large, heavy vehicles can depress your new asphalt and create ruts in your new blacktop.
What is the best temperature to install asphalt?
The best time of year to pave asphalt is during the spring and summer months because the best temperature for hot paving is generally 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. It’s possible to lay asphalt at temperatures as low as 50 degrees, but doing so isn’t likely to bring about the best results possible.
Can I put gravel over asphalt driveway?
Karen, you can place crushed stone on top of the old asphalt. Just be sure it’s at least 4 to 6-inches thick and it contains lots of sharp angular pieces of stone ranging in size from walnuts down to pieces of sand. The new stone will not interlock with the old asphalt.
Can I put blacktop over gravel?
In short, yes, you can blacktop over gravel. To convert a gravel driveway to asphalt, there are a few steps that need to be followed, but the project can be completed relatively easily.
Should a new asphalt driveway be smooth?
Fresh asphalt is never perfectly smooth, and as long as the driveway has been appropriately compacted by a professional asphalt paving company, any areas of rough texture should not be a major concern. At the end of the day, it is a driveway.
Can you blacktop over grass?
Can You Asphalt Over Grass? You should never apply asphalt directly over grass. Doing so ensures your asphalt surface will be destroyed in record time. Soil should always be scraped and excavated to allow for the installation of a proper base.
How long does it take for asphalt to harden?
Since asphalt needs time to harden and cure, usually 6-12 months, your parking lot or driveway will remain soft and pliable until then. You may walk on the new pavement immediately, but keep automobile traffic off of it for at least 3 full days and longer in hotter temperatures.
Does asphalt need a gravel base?
Strong blacktop driveways are typically built using crushed angular gravel as a base. This gravel needs to be a minimum of 6 inches thick for light vehicle traffic such as cars and pickup trucks. The 2-inch-thick layer of blacktop should be fine as long as the gravel base is installed correctly.
