Process of Paving a Driveway

Paving your driveway is an important part of maintaining your home or property. A good paving can last up to 15 years. However, it is advisable to reseal your paving every few years. One of the most common driveway paving is asphalt paving, and they are particularly popular because they are very durable and can last for decades.

However, the quality of asphalt pavement depends on the quality of materials used for paving, how well the paving was installed, how often it is being maintained, and weather conditions in the area. Paving your driveway is hard work but surely not complicated. Here are five steps to pave your driveway.

#1. Get the materials

Before you embark on paving your driveway, you should get all the necessary materials and equipment like stones, asphalt, gravel, and sand. Hiring contractors is easier and cheaper because a contractor will have all the necessary equipment instead of you buying them.

#2. Excavate the old driveway

It might seem a lot easier to pave on the already existing driveway, but it’s never a good idea to pave over the damaged asphalt or concrete of your old driveway. Excavation involves removing the old driveway by removing the already existing driveway surface and clearing all soil and debris in the area. You will need to have skid steers, dump trucks, and excavators for this step.

#3. Grading

Just like a building needs a foundation, your driveway does too. Grading is the process of installing the base material of the driveway that serves as the foundation. When grading, it must be installed at the right angle to allow water to drain off the surface of your drainage and protect it from water damage.

Grading is usually done using crushed stones, and your professional contractor can examine the base of your driveway to determine how many crushed stones you need. When grading:

• The crushed stones are poured on the driveway and spread with a skid steer

• Specialized graders and laser transits are used to grade the crushed stones

• Grader stones are compacted with a twin drum roller.

#4. Laying the asphalt

After grading and the base is ready, the next step is to lay the asphalt on top of the graded surface. A hot asphalt mixture is made with asphalt cement and other aggregates like gravel, stones, and sand.

However, small driveways require finer materials to ensure a smooth finish. The hot asphalt mixture is laid on the driveway using a paver. The recommended thickness for laying asphalt is about 2 to 3 inches.

#5. Compacting

The last step in paving your driveway is compacting. After laying the hot asphalt mixture, a heavy roller is used to compact and smoothen the driveway’s surface. The main purpose of this is to ensure that the materials are tightly packed together, and no bumps result from stones or gravel sticking out on the driveway.

After that, the edges are tamped to an angle of 45 degrees by hand, making the driveway stronger to support the vehicles driving over it.

Too busy to pave your driveway or need that professional touch? Contact Oakes Paving and let’s install a long-lasting, beautiful driveway. Talk to us about the project!