Is An Asphalt Driveway Overlay A Good Idea?
Often times, we find our asphalt driveway to be in poor shape where eventually crack sealing and sealcoating don’t seem to help the driveway look much better.
One of my friends in the business used to say “Crack sealing and sealcoating a beat up driveway is like trying to paint a wrecked car… it’s still a wrecked car!”. And it’s true!
So the next best thing is to overlay or “cap” the driveway with 1 1/2″ to 2″ of new hot asphalt. It’s an economical way to rejuvenate the looks of your driveway that will last much longer and look brand new.
However, not all driveways are a candidate for an overlay and if it’s not done properly, can do more harm than good.
Is Your Driveway A Candidate For An Overlay?
Before you get estimates to overlay your driveway, let’s walk through a few things to look for to be certain that your driveway is actually a good candidate for an overlay.
Is Your Driveway Flat or Does It Drain Well?
If your driveway is flat and doesn’t drain well, then typically an overlay will only make it worse. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen many driveways that were overlayed that were very flat and there were bird baths everywhere. Birdbaths can cause the asphalt to deteriorate much faster and eventually fail.
On the other hand, if your driveway have excellent drainage, and it’s obvious, then you can check this off on your list!
Is Your Asphalt Driveway Badly Damaged?
Of course it is right? Why else would you be considering an overlay? But is it too badly damaged and cracked up?
Maybe your asphalt driveway has so much damage that the proper way to repair it is to completely remove and replace it. As a matter of fact, when I estimate a driveway, if at least 1/3rd of it needs to be patched before adding an overlay, the costs would equal just removing and replacing the entire driveway.
To be more specific, the time and material it takes to sawcut the damaged and alligatored areas, prep them and patch back those areas and they add up to at least 1/3rd of the square footage of your overall driveway, that would equal the time it takes to remove the entire driveway plus materials.
In this scenario, why spend the money on a bandage that will last half as long as a brand new driveway?
Not to mention the benefits of a remove and replace. Maybe you have always wanted to put in a sprinkler line, a light post or a gate. Now you can do it for just about the cost of the pipe to run it!
Also consider this. If you have drainage issues or low spots, removing and replacing the asphalt is the best way to finally rid yourself of these ongoing headaches!
Is Your Asphalt Driveway Severely “Alligatored”?
“Alligatoring” is a term used in the asphalt industry to describe asphalt that has cracked up in such a way that it looks like an alligators back.
Some alligatoring can be so severe that these areas need to be patched by saw cutting the perimeter, removing the damaged asphalt and patching them back before installing an overlay.
Alligatoring that is cracked but hasn’t failed must have paving fabric installed over the top of them before installing the overlay or those cracks will eventually reflect up through the new asphalt. Sometimes within a few weeks!
If your 60% or more of your driveway has alligatoring, then the cost to apply tac coat and install paving fabric would equal just removing and replacing the entire driveway. Not to mention, most contractors dislike using paving fabric because it’s like using glue and cotton balls! It’s a pain to install and can add man hours that make it a more viable to simply remove and replace it.
Comments