My concrete driveway is in bad shape, can I pave (asphalt) right over it?

Question

another way to ask,
Do I need to remove the existing concrete driveway, before paving over it?

Answer 1

i dont know but i think it is cheaper just to refinish it with more concrete fill in the holes and cracks with more concrete and then put a smmoth finish on it easy as pie

Answer 2

Asphalt Over Concrete

Answer 3

Ok, let's get to the bottom of this. I'm a Concrete Repair Specialist. I work in stabilization, restoration and repair of concrete foundations and slabs.

When you say your slab "is in bad shape" we'll assume you mean it's buckling, heaving, sinking, cracking, spalding, and every other imaginable thing that can go wrong with old concrete.

You CAN pave over the top of it, but bare in mind any cracking, heaving or settling that has begun will continue to get worse. The reason your concrete is in bad shape is due to a problem UNDER the concrete. erosion, moisture pockets, voids, ground swelling, any number of issues. That problem will remain and will show through to the pavement over the top. When concrete cracks, the two pieces of concrete will begin to drift apart allowing more moisture under the slab, causing more problems. if you pave over the top, the damage has been done, and will only continue to get worse. the best thing you can do is remove the old concrete, and a foot or two of dirt beneath (depending on what's down there) lay down some form of moisture barrier, back fill it with some road base, a little gravel, and pour your pavement on top of that.

Don't attempt this on your own, it just wouldn't be feasible without some heavy machinery. I'd suggest calling a local concrete repair company and ask their suggestions... I would VERY HIGHLY suggest removing the old concrete prior to paving. It will save you a lot of money if you do it right the first time.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
My concrete driveway is in bad shape, can I pave (asphalt) right over it?
another way to ask,
Do I need to remove the existing concrete driveway, before paving over it?

Answer 5

You can, but your new driveway is only going to be as good as the foundation under it. Therefore, if your old driveway is uneven, when the asphalt settles, it will too. It doesn't matter if you add more asphalt to those areas.

It is best to remove the old driveway, level it with gravel, tamp it, and then lay the asphalt over the bed of gravel. Make sure that when your contractor does this, that he steamrolls it slowly and twice. We had our driveway partially replaced and it looked like garbage a year later. We had it done again this year by another company and the contractor explained why this happened and why it won't happen again.

Answer 6

Get real here. You HAVE to remove ALL the old concrete first, lay down a new layer of gravel, then asphalt over that. Turn to a profesisonal unless you know what you are doing, and apparently you do not! And the first poster who is telling you it's easy as pie is out of their mind! This is extreme manual labor, time consuming, and VERY expensive.

Answer 7

NO you do not. They use cement as a "base" under the truck lanes of some highways due to the weight loading.

The edges DO need to be prepared properly in order to keep the asphalt from cracking or separating where it goes over the edge, IF it is ALLOWED to go over the edge.

You would want a minimum of 2" thick asphalt over the concrete.
NOTE: Asphalt should NEVER be laid if the ground is below 40 degrees, as it will cool to fast and not "seal down" correctly.

The BEST way is to spray "tack" oil, lay HOT asphalt with a "paver", and then use a vibrating roller; and, it is usually better to hire a paving contractor to do the job, especially if it is more than 8+ feet wide and 20+ feet long.
Doing anything this large or larger requires professional equipment to get a well done job that will look good and stand up to the "wear and tear", and it may not be as expensive as you would expect.

Do it yourself asphalt is USUALLY limited to small "patch" areas not over 10 feet square, and even then you need to rent a "whacker", (a type of plate vibrator, usually gas operated), to pack it down and smooth it.

Answer 8

You could not have a better foundation for a blacktop drive. Thats a fact! The problen comes when they lay the blacktop over the edges of the concrete. It will crack and break away from the rest of the blacktop. Just make certain that the blacktop contractor is going to assure you that it will not happen. Because he is willing to dig out the edges and properly prep the ground to prevent that.
That concrete has been there for probably at least a decade if not 2 and it will not settle.
If the sides are not preped properly, the edges will break away within a year or 2. Make sure that his quote states that his finish is gaurenteed for at least 5 years.

Answer 9

It would be great to have an asphalt paving right into your driveway. It is time efficient if processed and cheaper than other materials. ENTERPRISES IN LÉVIS

Answer 10

no, as concrete is stronger than asphalt, when the concrete moves which it will, it will just move the 'blacktop, with it. pull it out

Answer 11

You don't have to remove the old concrete but it would be better and last longer if you remove the old concrete and put down a base of gravel first.