Best Way to Replace Old Asphalt Driveway

LESLIE: Susan in California is on the line and needs some help with perhaps how to replace old asphalt driveway. What’s going on at your money pit?

SUSAN: I’m so glad you said the money pit, because that’s exactly what it is. And now it’s the driveway, about 1,200 square feet. And it’s been – it’s about 38 years old and it needs something else done. And I really don’t want to resurface it with blacktop. What are my options?

TOM: So it’s an asphalt driveway now? That’s what you’re starting with?

SUSAN: Yes, yes.

TOM: Yeah. Listen, I’ve got news for you, Susan: a 38-year-old roadway needs to be replaced. And that’s exactly what you have. Whether it’s a road that goes down the street or a road that’s a highway, nothing lasts 38 years. And if you’ve gotten 38 years out of that driveway, it’s time to replace old asphalt driveway. And sure, you can keep slapping sealer on it and patching the cracks and all of that but at that age, it’s got to go.

SUSAN: What’s the best way? Do they just remove the whole thing and then start from scratch? Or what’s the best way to go?

TOM: I think that’s the best way to replace old asphalt driveway. In most cases, that’s the best way. You can resurface it. But if you want to make sure that the base is really solid, you would take off the old. They would put a new base down, they would compact it with machines so it’s really, really solid and then they would apply new asphalt on top of that.

I would make sure I got a specification as to exactly how many inches of this material they’re going to put down so that you can compare apples to apples when you’re looking at different contractors. But I think that’s going to be your best solution.

SUSAN: OK. Well, thank you so much.

TOM: You’re welcome, Susan. Good luck with that project.