Asphalt Driveway Paving in Columbus, OH

Asphalt driveway paving around Columbus succeeds or fails underground. A new blacktop surface looks the same on day one whether it sits on eight inches of compacted stone or two inches of loose gravel over wet clay. The difference shows up after the first couple of Ohio winters, when the thin one starts sinking in the wheel paths, cracking in a web pattern and breaking at the edges. We build the part you cannot see first, then pave over it.

Signs a driveway needs replacing

• Cracks that connect into a web or alligator-skin pattern
• Ruts or dips that hold water or ice
• Potholes that return after every patch
• Edges crumbling into the lawn
• A surface that is now more patch than original asphalt

A few cracks or one bad spot can be repaired. When failures cover a large share of the driveway, replacement usually costs less over the next ten years than fixing the same spots again and again.

The subgrade

Much of Central Ohio sits on glacial till with clay-rich, slow-draining soils, and in late winter and spring the water table in those soils can sit close to the surface. After the old driveway is removed, we check the ground for spots that pump, move or stay wet. Those are dug out and filled with crushed stone. Then the base is built and compacted in lifts to the depth in your quote. HomeGuide describes a typical residential build as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of gravel base, and 3 to 4 inches of asphalt over 8 to 10 inches of base for heavier vehicles. If you park a pickup, a work van, a boat trailer or an RV, plan on the heavier section.

Pitch and drainage

On flat Columbus lots, the big risk is water that has nowhere to go. We set a crown or cross slope so the surface sheds water to the sides, keep the high point at the garage, and look for downspouts that empty onto the driveway. If water collects where the driveway meets the street or a sidewalk, we raise the problem at the estimate rather than paving it in.

Edges and the apron

Edges carry tires without the support of pavement on both sides, so they fail first. We compact them, taper them and backfill soil against them. At the street end, the apron and curb cut are usually in the public right-of-way. In Columbus, installing, removing or repairing a driveway approach takes the city's 905 right-of-way permit, and if the work does not meet city standards, the homeowner as permittee is responsible for fixing it. Suburbs and townships have their own processes. We tell you which applies and include it in the plan.

Gravel to asphalt

Many older homes on the edges of Franklin, Delaware, Licking and Fairfield counties still have gravel drives. An existing stone bed can sometimes become part of the new base, which saves money. We check how deep the stone really is, how much has sunk into the soil and whether the grade drains, then add stone, regrade, compact and pave.

The first season

Fresh asphalt is soft, especially in July heat. Keep vehicles off it for the time we give you, avoid turning your wheels while parked, and put a board under kickstands and trailer jacks. HomeGuide's driveway guide says to wait at least 24 to 48 hours before driving on it, 3 to 5 days in hot weather, and a week for heavy vehicles. Its guides differ on the first sealcoat (three to six months in the sealing guide, about a year in the driveway guide), so we give you a date based on when your driveway was paved.