Glen & Kris Denning → Home Improvement → Driveway Excavation < Previous Next >
Our subdivision is an old lake bed. To prepare our driveway for paving, the general contractor scraped the organic material flat, laid down 2" of D-1, then paved that with 2" of asphalt. Over a period of seven years, our driveway deteriorated as freeze and thaw cycles caused the sub-base to heave and crack the asphalt.
Kris and I gradually became dissatisfied with our driveway, not only for its uneven surface, but for its tapered dimensions. At our garage, the driveway was 16' wide, but at the street (80' away), the drive narrowed to 13' wide. The result was that two cars could not pass each other along the driveway. With three cars, this was definitely an inconvenience.
Our solution was to widen the driveway and pave it with concrete pavers. But first, the old asphalt and unsuitable sub-base would have to be removed, then a new sub-base installed using non-freezing fill. This job started with removing the old asphalt.