Driveway question

[Debbie]

Hi Fambly,

Question on our primary resident's driveway. There's cracks in so many places! Some are small, some are large! Some are thin, some are fat!

Sure, we could hire expensive concrete guys to tear and create our driveway. But is there anything, anything that can be done DIY to make our driveway look smooth and new? :SM113:

Thanx. Debbie

P.S. - they were caused by those icky gumball tree roots. The trees have been taken down a few years ago therefore roots should be 'dead' by now....

[Bernie (WV)]

Fill in the cracks and re-seal your driveway. I'm sure you have heard of the DIY Network. Their website has many DIY projects with step by step instructions. I believe I saw them do a presentation on driveways a couple of months back on tv. The driveway they did looked like new. I'm pretty sure there are kits you can buy for driveway resurfacing/sealing

[Bernie (WV)]

I went to the DIYnetwork.com webpage and found these step by step instructions:

DIY Network

To print this page, select File then Print from your browser
URL: http://www.diynet.com/diy/hm_other/article/0,2085,DIY_16808_4246621,00.html
Driveway Repair
Step-by-step instructions for resealing a driveway
From "Home Maintenance"
episode DHMW-105 -- More Projects »


In this final segment of DIY's Home Maintenance workshop, host Tim Hockenberry demonstrates--step-by-step--how to reseal and repair your driveway.


Materials:

Driveway patch
Putty knife
5-in-1 tool
Garden hose
Push broom
Plastic bags
Driveway sealant
Squeegee


Figure A

Repair and Reseal Driveway


Check the driveway surface for cracks. Remove dirt and debris from larger cracks with your 5-in-1 tool. Then fill them with a driveway patch (available at your local hardware store). Make sure to fill the cracks completely and then smooth them over with the trowel.

Give the driveway a good sweeping and scrape away off any gunk that might be embedded in the asphalt.

Hose off the driveway to get the surface as clean as possible.

Put on some old clothes! Cover your shoes with plastic bags to protect them from splatter.

Stir the driveway sealer for 15 minutes or until it is an even consistency. Pour sealer in a line down the center of the driveway. You want to spread the layer of sealant as thinly as possible to cover the entire surface. Use a squeegee to pull the sealer from the center to each side (figure A).

Continue until the driveway is completely covered.

It takes a few hours to dry and overnight to cure so avoid walking on it and certainly don't park on it until it is fully cured.


Hope this helps. Go to the web site and I believe they show a photo of someone applying the seal. Just search on the website under "driveway repair"

[Aldo]

I've never understood why some people (namely, DIY) find it necessary to over-complicate things. Maybe it makes them think they are smart or something else.

Assuming, from your second post, that you have an asphalt driveway, this isn't a hard job at all. Asphalt crack filler is available almost anywhere except the grocery store. Be sure to apply it as deeply as possible into the cracks and smooth the surface with a four inch putty blade. (I have no clue to what a 5-in-1 tool is unless it's a really huge swiss army knife). Allow the filler to cure per package directions. Then apply a coat of blacktop sealer with, guess what, a plain old, everyday paint roller. I've done that many times and never had less than a great looking (in my case) parking slab.

[Debbie]

Oh man! Why, oh why didn't we have asphalt driveway?

Fortunately or unfortunately, we have concrete driveway.....

Nevertheless, I love you for taking the time and effort, Bernie! It would've been a perfect solution.

Debbie

P.S. - Unless, this asphalt can be done over the concrete???????

[Peach State Property Buyers]

I might just have to try this on my own driveway!

[Aldo]

IMHO, doing asphalt over concrete has the potential of reducing the overall value of the property. Future buyers know that concrete is generally permanent and asphalt isn't. Though concrete DW's can be fixed, the cost may be more than you care to spend for a proper repair.

For less fussy buyers, you can easily get away with the many concrete repair products available. You can use concrete caulk for the minor cracks and nothing less than portland cement for the larger cracks. The only real problem with those products is that you can't hide the repairs as easily as you can with asphalt sealers.

Since this problem is at your 'primary' residence, you might consider swapping driveways with your 'secondary' residence. lol

[Bernie (WV)]

How about this:

Repairing Cracks

Note: If the crack in you concrete is up to a 1/4" thick, you can use a latex-based concrete sealant. For this particular project, the crack was wider than a 1/4" so host Paul Ryan used a latex-based concrete patch.


Chisel and grind the crack to make a wider area for patching. (You'll need a wider area so the patch material will adhere better.)

Clean surface of all dust, dirt and loose material -- and vacuum the crack (figure A).

Mix patching material to plastic-like consistency.

Before applying the patch material, dampen the surface with a water spray.

Apply the material with a margin trowel or pointing trowel (figure B) and smooth out.

After it's semi-dry, clean the edges of the crack with a wrung-out sponge.

Don't walk on the surface for at least 24 hours.

Roll on a water-based sealer after the concrete has cured.

[Aldo]

Why do I think Bernie's last post was a copy/paste from another site? Could it be the reference to "figure A" which doesn't seem to exist here? LOL, of course.

[Debbie]

That's pretty cool, Bernie! I did mentioned to Jeff but he just rolled his "I already know that" eyes at me. I blew raspberry at Jeff just for you Bernie.

But I must admit that I really like Aldo's idea of swapping driveways.....:SM144:

[Bernie (WV)]

I think I mentioned that I went to the DIY network for the asphalt driveway repair. I went back online and found a concrete driveway repair also.

Just trying to be helpful.

I have a new house so my driveway is still crackless..:thumbup:

[Dan Auito]

"Crackless", without cracks, doesn't have any cracks, has not cracked yet, has no evidence of cracking, this thread is beginning to crack me up!

[SPIVALAW]

Dan:
Crack is a serious problem in this country!

:>)

[Debbie]

Dan:
Crack is a serious problem in this country!

:>)

Ohhhhh! Is that what those powdery stuff are in my driveway????

[Aldo]

Is that what those powdery stuff are in my driveway????
How would you know that crack is powdery?

[Jim Johnson]

Dan:
Crack is a serious problem in this country!

:>)
you are speaking of... Plumber crack right? Because I feel that problem must be contagious because more and more people that are not plumbers seem to be having the same kind of crack problem...

[Debbie]

Is that what those powdery stuff are in my driveway????
How would you know that crack is powdery?

Uh, doesn't most crack come in powdery? :icon_roll

Hmmm, I know that Duane (Dog the Bounty Hunter) taught me that crack is also known as ice. Took me awhile to figure out that it must mean that crack is crystallized. So, in order for crack/ice to be crystallized, it must first be powdery, right? :SM101:

[Starfish]

Thanks for the link :)

[smidgen]

lol... i thought that "crack" was a thing in the plaster in a wall? Crank, was the stuff you huh..... snort? gosh.... it is so confusing?

[Bill W.]

kaos,
What is your budget to get this cured, other than as little as possible? What is the shape of the driveway? Rectangular, curved, etc.? How big is the driveway- square feet.

[Debbie]

kaos,
What is your budget to get this cured, other than as little as possible? What is the shape of the driveway? Rectangular, curved, etc.? How big is the driveway- square feet.

Um, it' now 10:27pm, rather than go outside in the dark with a measuring tape, I'll just give you rough estimations.

The depth: probably 40 ft.

The width: comfortably fits two vehicles

To enter the driveway: one car width lane til you come to two cars width.

In other words, right side's shape is straight from top to bottom.
Left side's shape is champaign glass shape or elonated hour glass shape.

Does the above description help?

[Aldo]

Uh, doesn't most crack come in powdery?
For whatever reason, you seem to know more about that than I do.

To enter the driveway: one car width lane til you come to two cars width.
How long is the stem on your champagne glass? Three feet, thirty feet, or somewhere in between?

Since this thread has been silent for nearly a month and you received some great replies, you might want to update us about your current plans and where you are going with them.

[Debbie]

Since this thread has been silent for nearly a month and you received some great replies, you might want to update us about your current plans and where you are going with them.

Man---I hate it when there's a descriptive word and I can not get that word outta the tip of my tongue!

I say either rip 'er off and get pros to put in new driveway.

Jeff says "aw heck. you know I like concrete so I'll figure out a way to get the driveway fixed. You'll see..."

Let's just say that Jeff is on the fence, somewhat undecided when to get the project started and finished.

BTW, Jeff has a tendency to be a perfectionist----that means weeks/months before he decides it's perfect enough. Hence, my preference of going to the pros.

Regarding the stem part---about five feet.

[Debbie]

[QUOTE=Aldo]Uh, doesn't most crack come in powdery?
For whatever reason, you seem to know more about that than I do.

HA! You're the retired police officer, you should know a heck of a lot more than me. Besides, didn't it originally come in powder before cooking crack?

[Bill W.]

Kaos,
I can offer two possibilities for this situation.
First: Rip it all out and use interlocking pavers. They are about 24 inches square and most anyone can install them. The current base, if there is one, can be graded as needed. Cut out roots, etc. and they lay in like a giant jigsaw puzzle. The advantage is if the roots come back you just pop out the bad spot, fix and put the paver back when done. No cracks. It works for frost heave too.
Second is to contact a cement delivery company and see if they will drop off short loads or remainders of loads when they have them. If they will, rip out the existing bad stuff, deal with the roots, etc., and then form the sides of the driveway. Have several forms ready and waiting for immediate use near the driveway. When the drivers call with a remainder load, run out and install a form to quickly utilize the size of whatever load is arriving, be it 1/4, 1/2 or 1 yard. When the truck gets there,they will dump the load and go. Spread it out and finish. Sometimes people leave the 2x4 forms in place and sometimes they use the asphalt strips between the different pieces. I like the 2x4 's. If you stain them in advance they can look Ok. This results in a patchwork layout of the driveway and may take a month or so to get enough loads to do the entire riveway. If done carefully and the layout is done cleverly, it can look good. Otherwise, it looks bad. This method takes both patience, and available timing, so I don't see too many of these types anymore. The plus side is all the cement is free and at 65+ per yard, that can add up. Each 81 square feet at 4 inches thickness equals one yard of cement. Your drive at about 40x24 more or less would be about 12 yards. If the patchwork look is not workable for you, I'd run with the interlocking pavers. They should run around $2 per square foot. Good luck.

[Debbie]

Wow Bill! Me thinks Jeff is gonna be jealous! :praise:

I sincerely thank you! Now, I gotta push Jeff off of the fence that I mentioned earlier. NOW I REMEMBER! That word I couldn't get outta the tip of my tongue?
Procrastination! That's the word.....

[Aldo]

Twasn't much of an update as I read it. You began by asking about repairing cracks, etc. in the driveway or hiding the defects with asphalt. Now it appears that you've agreed to replace it and can't agree on the materials. I still think you'll get the greatest return with concrete which doesn't need to be resurfaced every two years.

Going with concrete, of course, will probably require removing the existing driveway. If that's the case, you can save a huge chunk of money by hiring wino's from the local rescue mission to do the bull work for six bucks an hour. For a bit more, you can hire temps from an employment agency.

As to your five foot 'stem', I'd suggest (if possible) going with the two-car width to the curb. That extra 40+/- square feet won't add a lot to the cost but will certainly add to the perceived value.

[Debbie]

Twasn't much of an update as I read it. You began by asking about repairing cracks, etc. in the driveway or hiding the defects with asphalt. Now it appears that you've agreed to replace it and can't agree on the materials. I still think you'll get the greatest return with concrete which doesn't need to be resurfaced every two years.

Going with concrete, of course, will probably require removing the existing driveway. If that's the case, you can save a huge chunk of money by hiring wino's from the local rescue mission to do the bull work for six bucks an hour. For a bit more, you can hire temps from an employment agency.

As to your five foot 'stem', I'd suggest (if possible) going with the two-car width to the curb. That extra 40+/- square feet won't add a lot to the cost but will certainly add to the perceived value.

Jeff and I both agree on concrete. It's the "WHEN" part we can't agree on. Don't forget, Jeff is procrastinating. Plus, I want it replaced. He wants it repaired. Let's see who'll win....

I concur about the two car width. Only one problem---the village does not want to change the entrance since the 1st three feet belongs to the village.

BTW, how do you like your new village? :clap: