You're So Smooth: A Paving BlogYou're So Smooth: A Paving Blog

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You're So Smooth: A Paving Blog

Once you have a paved driveway, you'll wonder how you ever got by without one. Pavement is so much easier to sweep in the summer and to shovel in the winter. It does not require a lot of maintenance, and it won't leave debris in your yard like a gravel driveway. Most people hire professionals to install pavement in their yard, but you should still know the basics. On this website, you will find information about choosing a paving contractor, designing a driveway, and applying sealant to your pavement. You'll also learn about common terms that paving contractors use when discussing projects.

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Is Your Old Concrete Driveway Badly Damaged? Do Some Removal On Your Own And Get Asphalt Paved Today

20 February 2020
 Categories: , Blog

If your home's concrete driveway is deteriorating badly and you don't have the money to have a new concrete driveway poured, there are a few ways you can get the new drive you need on a budget. You will have to do some of the work on your own, and you need to consider switching from concrete to asphalt.

Removing the old driveway will be a lot of the cost if you outsource the entire project, because of the extensive labor. By doing this on your own and choosing another driveway material you should be able to save.

Get an Asphalt Estimate

Have a local asphalt company, like Northern Asphalt LLC, come to your property to give you an estimate for the work you need done. Ask the asphalt paving company the costs for these things:

  • Removing the existing damaged drive
  • Filling in the current cracks and going over the existing driveway
  • Expanding the driveway if needed
  • Prepping the area for asphalt after the concrete removal
  • Sealing the driveway after it's applied

You will want to know what the cost would be for them to do the entire project, and the savings if you do some work on your own.

Rent a Jack Hammer

Find a local commercial power tools rental company and rent a jack hammer or a concrete cutter and break up the existing driveway on your own. This will be labor intensive and a lot of work, but will save you a lot of money.

You will also need to get a dumpster to get rid of the existing concrete once you have broken it all up. Remove all the debris and rake a flat surface for the asphalt company.

Learn to Seal

After the professional asphalt company has come to the property and put down the new drive, you can learn how to seal it on your own for the future. This prevents the driveway from getting damaged by weathering and saves you money over time. There are products you can purchase at home improvement stores in the years to come to seal on your own.

Asphalt is a great new driveway option when your budget is tight. Asphalt is smooth and quiet to drive on, it expands and contracts with temperature changes to prevent damages, and it is cost efficient. If you get a small crack or wear over time, it's easy for the asphalt team to fill these in and add a new layer of asphalt. If your concrete driveway is barely usable, get a new asphalt paved drive today.