Ask The Crusader!

Michael King...THE HOME IMPROVEMENT CRUSADER!

Driveways

Question
My driveway is made of concrete with 2x4 wood boards set in the groves (expansion joints); some are redwood, some pressure-treated, arranged in an attractive pattern. Some of the redwood boards have rotted. How can I take them out, and what can I put in their place?

Answer
Chip out the wood, decayed as well as remaining sound pieces, with a chisel. You have to put in new redwood; if the old redwood looked good and lasted for 15 years or so, you will be set for another 15 years. Or, put pressure-treated boards. They will last indefinitely.

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Question
What do you think of concrete driveways vs. asphalt? I would like to install a decorative stamped driveway. Will it stand up?

Answer
Yes, just as concrete has been standing up since the roman days. It will stand up as long as it is poured over 6 inches of crushed stone, and diverted into 8-10 foot increments with expansion joints.

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Question
My driveway was redone two years ago. Each winter it rises four inches and each summer it goes back to its original position. Where it rises near the garage, that four-inch lip is not easy to drive over. And, the raised pavement buckled a metal threshold of the door to the house. The driveway people cut out the pavement at the door and installed pea stone so there could be no pavement rising to buckle the threshold. But is there anyway to stop the rising and falling of the driveway? The driveway people said this was normal. There is some crushed stone under the pavement, but I'm not sure how much. Also the pea stone is ugly. Is there a better way to make it look better?

Answer
The rise and falling of the driveway is normal, but it does seem excessive. To try to prevent it, pavers usually put at least 6 inches of crushed stone under the pavement. This allows for good drainage and can prevent water from freezing under the pavement and pushing it up. There is no cure for the existing driveway. As for the pea stone, take some out and fill the space with stone dust. It makes a darker material that is hard and looks good.

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Question
Will pavers or brick in sand be okay on a fairly steep driveway?
At the bottom of the driveway, is it necessary to mortar the pavers?

Answer
Yes, Julie, this will work and there is no need for you to mortar the pavers at the bottom of the driveway. This is what you do: before laying the pavers, Julie, excavate at least ten inches and install six inches of crushed stone. You can now position the pavers or bricks. If you choose to use bricks, place them on their narrow edges; you will use more bricks and this way will also stand up better to traffic.

A driveway with pavers or bricks must have a border to keep them from "walking" sideways. The border can be patio blocks or pressure-treated boards. If the drive is to be flush with the ground, then a border may not be necessary.

Keep in mind that water can build up at the bottom of the drive and also may be in the garage. If this happens, what you need to do is build a trench across the driveway to hold the water that otherwise would flood the drive and possibly the garage. If this happens, you can just put a grid over the trench.

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Question
My thirteen-year-old asphalt driveway has developed ruts where the tar is quite thin, only about one to 1&1/2 inches thick. Can I put a new surface over the old to smooth it out?

Answer
That wouldn't be the right thing to do because putting a new layer over the old, rough and uneven one will result in the same unevenness. You must get a competent paver to remove the old asphalt, dig down deep enough to lay six inches of crushed stone, and then you can lay a new driveway. You can either put two layers at 1.5 inches thick or one layer at three or so inches thick.

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