Asphalt driveway

[Intrepid]

I just bought a new house and will be getting the driveway paved. The back yard is not yet landscaped and I anticipate bringing in a dozen or so dump truck loads of topsoil, but not until after the winter. I am thinking about paving the driveway now...before the snow flies....and am concerned that doing so before the work is done in the back yard, might cause damage to the driveway with the heavy trucks going over it. If the job is done properly, is this really a concern??

I'd appreciate any advice on this.

Thanks & cheers.

[Nigel Walker]

Always best practice to work from the back of the house to the front.

It depends on what spec you are laying your drive to and what weight the dumptrucks and soil will be.

If you are laying your paving on 200mm of Dpt 1 hardcore and using 60 or 80mm blocks then there shouldnt be a problem - as long as the dumptrucks are not 40 ton in weight !!

If you are just using the basic spec of 100mm of hardcore and 50mm blocks, you could be asking for trouble.

Is it really worth damaging your new paving ?

If your existing drive is in decent condition, i suggest leaving the work until the rear is complete.

If you have no option but to pave the drive now, I suggest that when you are moving the top-soil you protect the new paving with sheets of plywood on top of a tarpaulin or visqueen or dump the soil on the road and kart in with a smaller dumper or mechanical barrow or just plain old fashioned shovels and barrows !
You might also run the risk of the dumptrucks or landscapers vehicles disposing of their oil all over your drive. (it has happened to me before)

It is your choice, your money


Nigel Walker

[Nigel Walker]

Sorry

Just noticed your post heading was Asphalt driveway.

Ignore the block paving advice. The hardcore still needs to be a good depth and the Tarmac should be a minimum of 100mm thick (in 2 layers), if there is any heavy traffic over it

[Tony McC]

Not only is it an asphalt driveway, Nigel, it's an asphalt driveway in Canadadada, where, because of the climatic differences, they do things very differently from us.

Intrepid - you would be better off seeking advice from a local contractor. The asphalt/tarmac driveways we construct in Britain and Ireland would probably not make it through one of your winters, with or without the wagonloads of topsoil!

[Intrepid]

Thanks Nigel and Tony;

I wanted some neutral advice before I got in touch with the contractors...that way I could at least sound like I knew a little something. I'll be calling them next week.

BTW, the weather here in St. John's generally doesn't get all that cold...surrounded by the Atlantic....so it doesn't get that hot either. Snow amounts can vary also. I think it's somewhat similar in climate to northern Scotland.

Cheers,

Roger

[TarmacLady]

just another comment from the colonial peanut gallery --

Intrepid, I worked in the asphalt driveway industry for 8 years -- you'd be fortunate to find a contractor who'd be willing to lay down an asphalt driveway at this time of year, as the freeze/thaw cycle (even if it doesn't get *that* cold) will make it all pear-shaped. Additionally, the very cool (cold by my Florida-thinned blood!) will mean that the asphalt will take forever and a day to cure.

And yes, the dumptrucks of dirt will wreck it, anyway -- I don't reckon you'd be happy with 1/2"-deep treads from tyres!

Bottom line -- wait til spring, do the back yard, then get the drive paved once it's warm in the spring.

Tarmac Lady

[Tony McC]

Hi Amy! Good to see you've still got time to nip into the Brew Cabin every now and again.

How's work? PM me.

[Intrepid]

Thanks Tarmac Lady;

That's what I've decided to do. It will also give us a winter to see the general tendancy of where the snow piles up and how we use it with two vehicles....where to put a turnaround, etc.

Cheers,

Roger