Laying a New Asphalt Drive? Why It's All about the Base

Laying a New Asphalt Drive? Why It's All about the Base

Laying a New Asphalt Drive? Why It's All about the Base

18 December 2019
 Categories:
Construction & Contractors, Blog


If you own a property that stands within its own grounds, you may have a nice, winding driveway in between the home and the public road. The previous owner had installed a loose surface drive here and had been perfectly happy, but you might want to upgrade to something smoother and more appropriate. In this case, you could decide to install blacktop, but you'll need to pay close attention to its installation due to the nature of the soil beneath. What do you need to remember?

Initial Preparation

If your new driveway is going to be perfectly smooth, good to look at and durable, then you will have to start off with a solid base beneath.

To begin with, you will have to excavate and get rid of what is already there and make sure that you go down to 20 cms or so, in order to make room for the proper material. Your choice here will depend on the type of soil, but you will always want to ensure that the road base is properly compacted and that everything will drain well once it is complete.

Choice of Material

Many people will choose coarse gravel that has been crushed, as its jagged edges enable it to compact well and will allow water to drain in between. This will help ensure that water does not collect underneath the surface of the asphalt and freeze in particularly cold conditions.

Some people may choose recycled material made from a mixture of asphalt and concrete, while others may find that granite or limestone can work particularly well for their needs.

Careful Preparation

In all cases, however, it will be necessary to remove any soft soil or any impediments before work begins and make sure that the sub grade is as smooth as possible. The road base should then be introduced and laid to a predetermined thickness, and you will need to discuss this with your contractor to get their advice. The more unpredictable the soil, the more road base you will need before you can think about adding the blacktop. Further, you may need several layers of road base, and each one should be compacted using a heavy roller before moving onto the next stage.

Placing an Order

Talk with your contractors and see what they recommend in your case. They will determine the quality and nature of the soil at your property and order the right type and amount of road base supplies for you.

About Me
Finding the Best Contractors: My Guide

Hello! My name is Simon and this is my guide to finding the best construction contractors. I know a think or two about finding contractors ever since I decided to redevelop my home. Over the past two years, i have hired lots of different contractors and asked them to complete different jobs on the property. This has taught me a think or two about working with them and finding the best people for the job. i hope you enjoy reading this blog and that it helps you to find the perfect contractor whatever it is you are trying to achieve.

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