Your driveway is one of the first things you and your guests will see when pulling up to your house. A properly installed and inviting driveway can add great curb appeal to your home. But the blacktop driveway is not as simple to construct as it looks. What you choose for the base material underneath the blacktop is critical. It is what gives your driveway the strength and stability it needs to keep it together and functioning properly. Without taking the time to determine and install the proper base material, you will not get the same longevity out of it. Driveway installation can be a costly and time consuming process, so it’s better to get it done right the first time!
Preparation
The first step in installing a new driveway is to excavate the unsuitable materials from the subgrade (the ground on which the driveway is laid). It should be free of organic material and topsoil, especially clay.
The soil beneath the driveway must be of good quality to avoid any future issues with cracking, drainage, or movement. The sub-grade must be smooth, firm and even and contoured to match the layout of the driveway.
Before installing the base or the blacktop, you will want to make sure excavation is done, the subgrade is suitable and the soil is compacted. This will ensure the base material and blacktop have a solid foundation to be installed on.
Base Materials
Driveways are built from the ground up so you need to start with a solid base. A good crushed gravel base beneath the blacktop is the secret to a long-lasting driveway. The base is the foundation for a durable driveway, making it critical to pick the right base material. Installing crushed, granular based gravel on a compacted subgrade is the best start to a strong base. The two most important factors when considering base materials are composition and thickness.
Choosing the right base material depends on the particular soil conditions in your area. When selecting a base material, you want to use something that will drain well and allows for proper compaction. Crushed coarse gravel has jagged surfaces so they’ll compact and lock together easily, making them perfect for driveway bases. Coarse materials also drain water from under the driveway so ice won’t form and crack the asphalt surface.
Base materials vary by region, but two of the best and most commonly used materials are crushed and Con-Bit. Crushed gravel like limestone C-5 and granite C-5 are commonly used as base materials. Another good material to use is Con-Bit, which is recycled concrete and asphalt that is crushed and reused for driveway base material. These materials work well for driveways bases because they drain well and can be properly compacted.
Thickness
In some areas, a well-drained, sandy soil can act as its own base without needing any or little base materials. In other areas, where clay soils or other poorly compacted soils exist, a brand new base must be laid.
Generally, 4 to 8 inches of base material should be used for your sub-base (closer to 4 inches for well-draining soils and 8 inches for poor-draining soils). Local contractors should know about how much base material will be needed for your specific area. The crushed gravel should be installed in layers. The first layer should be 3 to 4 inches thick, graded smooth and then compacted with a heavy rolling machine, before installing the blacktop.
Making sure your driveway is properly prepared before laying the blacktop is the key to a long-lasting and durable driveway. The base materials and preparation involved before putting down the blacktop is a crucial part of the process and should not be overlooked.
Taking the time and effort to correctly install the base is the best way to ensure a durable driveway that will last for many years. Contact New England Enterprises to learn more about driveway base materials and our best practices for driveway installations.
Crushed stone or angular rock is a form of construction aggregate, typically produced by mining a suitable rock deposit and breaking the removed rock down to the desired size using crushers.
and irregularly shaped rocks. You're looking for something that will become extremely compact when pressure is applied but that won't become so solid or uniform that it prevents water from draining into the ground. CA6 Road Mix is the best choice for your base layer.
A good crushed gravel base beneath the blacktop is the secret to a long-lasting driveway. The base is the foundation for a durable driveway, making it critical to pick the right base material. Installing crushed, granular based gravel on a compacted subgrade is the best start to a strong base.
The most stable gravel driveways have three rock layers, though you can create a driveway with two layers. The base layer should be crushed stone, limestone, or concrete with irregular shapes and a diameter of one to three inches.
Used as a sub-base material for construction, laying a paved or gravel driveway, or for a garden path, MOT Type 1 is a perfect choice. Supplied in bulk bags, this crushed, carboniferous limestone is graded 40mm to dust, providing a levelling foundation for decorative aggregates and paving.
Unless you're going to be placing your driveway on solid rock a gravel subbase is ideal. If the ground below is soft or loose it'll migrate into the material and be able to spread out the pavement loads .
The minimum thickness for a residential concrete driveway is 4 inches. However, 5 or 6 inches is recommended if you live in an area with heavy traffic or large vehicles. For extra strength and durability, you can go up to 8 inches.
#2 Limestone gravel is most commonly used as the base for gravel driveways. These small rocks are able to form a solid and dependable foundation while providing adequate drainage. Both of these factors are an essential part of constructing a gravel driveway.
After you've laid down your sub-base in the trench, which should be at least 15 cm thick for a gravel driveway, you can add your gravel layer. The gravel layer should be around 5 cm thick to ensure adequate coverage. Therefore, the entire driveway should be around 20 cm deep, which is just under 8 inches.
Generally speaking when one creates a driveway or parking lot surface it is very important to use a road base material first. That is a material that is comprised of one of the previously mentioned substances such as crushed limestone rock, crushed concrete rock, etc.
Crushed stone makes a solid paver base because it allows water drainage and is easy to work with. Like sand, crushed stone comes in several varieties. The best aggregate for paver bases is a quarry processed dense grade aggregate. Quarry processing creates a combination of 3/4-inch crushed stone and stone dust.
The ideal aggregate base material for a driveway is crushed rock or “minus” as it will compact down nicely creating a solid path to drive over. Another benefit to crushed rock is that it is easy to install and quite inexpensive compared to permeable pavers, concrete, or asphalt.
Your contractor should at least specify that they are using ¾ inch road base gravel. It is possible to use other forms of base such as recycled gravel, recycled asphalt or recycled concrete however ¾ inch gravel road base right from the local gravel quarry is usually your best option.
The most common choices are crushed stone or gravel. These materials provide excellent support, drainage, and stability. They are also readily available and cost-effective. The contractor will choose the right material based on the specific requirements of your driveway project.
Typically, when surfacing a residential driveway, homeowners will usually choose to work with a crushed stone that is 3/4 inches in size. This size is safe to drive on, is comfortable to walk on, and the stones will be heavy enough to remain in place.
Gravel is the least costly material to pave a driveway. The price ranges from $1 to $3 per square foot. The average total cost is usually around $1,200, though this number may not account for the fact that gravel is usually used to pave much larger driveways as a cost-reduction solution.
The thickness (depth) of your sub base is dependent on the usage of that area. We recommend the following as a general rule: Patios, garden paths: 75-100mm. Driveways, public footpaths: 100-150mm.
Gravel is the least costly material to pave a driveway. The price ranges from $1 to $3 per square foot. The average total cost is usually around $1,200, though this number may not account for the fact that gravel is usually used to pave much larger driveways as a cost-reduction solution.
Among the other options are crushed stone #411, quarry process, pea gravel, jersey shore gravel, marble chips, and river rock. These are the best options for driveway surfaces gravel, because they are small stones combined with rock dust, which makes a more solid driving surface.
Concrete driveways are considered the 'old reliable' choice for most homes. It'll last longer than any other of the driveway materials, on average, and unlike asphalt, it'll only need minimal maintenance over the years.
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