The Conservative Cave
Interests => Around the House & In the Garage => Topic started by: whiffleball on November 19, 2009, 07:13:09 AM
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We've got a couple of large cracked, sinking areas along the edge of our asphalt drive. These need to be fixed before we can seal the entire drive.
With cold weather coming on we need to get this done right away, but I've never done it before and could use some advice.
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You can get asphalt in bags (Lowes, Home Depot). I fixed a berm around one of our storm drains with it. At first it looked like the stuff wouldent work, but after tamping it down a bit (used a 4X4), and once it set, it was good to go.
Leaving the bag in the sun for awhile helped to soften it up so it was easy to work with.
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Thanks for the tip about the sun. Did you use it straight or put tar down first?
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Right out of the bag.
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That is COLD MIX asphalt and should ONLY be used for a temporary fix or in VERY small holes, it has an additive in it that keeps it from hardening as much as HOT MIX will.
Hot Mix isn't that hard to use, but, you need to know a few fairly simple things that are VITAL.
1 Wear BOOTS preferably old boots, but, sturdy boots.
2 Everything you wear will be indelibly stained.
Find a source of hot mix, be prepared to pay $50 to $80 per ton.
Find a supplier of SS1, also known as Bitch Maul, it makes the old asphalt adhere to the new.
Sweep the hole out as dry and clean as possible.
Dip your (about to be thrown away) broom in the SS1 and liberally brush it on to the old asphalt.
Shovel in the Hot Mix (It's 325 degrees or so, so be careful or be burned...) until there is a slight hump over the top of the hole.
Tamp the asphalt down, until it is level keep people and vehicles off it for a day or so.
Viola, asphalt repair made simple.
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We've buried chickens, seasoned and wrapped well in aluminum foil in Hot mix and had a nice lunch a few hours later...
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Sounds like I'm gonna need the hot mix since the holes are at least 4 x 5 and at the edge of the drive which has taken them down to the crush & run. It also sounds like I'll have to work a bit quickly to ensure proper adherence.
I'll be lucky to get it done without adding the chickens! Thanks a lot BD.
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Sounds like I'm gonna need the hot mix since the holes are at least 4 x 5 and at the edge of the drive which has taken them down to the crush & run. It also sounds like I'll have to work a bit quickly to ensure proper adherence.
I'll be lucky to get it done without adding the chickens! Thanks a lot BD.
You've got some time, as it cools it gets harder to work. Drive around, see if anyone is paving with asphalt, you might be able to get someone's excess... and maybe even the work done for $100 or so...
If the holes are that big, you're going to want a powered tamp, see your local rental yard.