Asphalt Driveways in Ames, IA

Asphalt driveways are a few inches of blacktop sitting on a stone base, sitting on whatever soil the lot was graded from. In Ames that soil is often glacial till, and in low spots it can stay wet well into spring. When an asphalt driveway heaves near the street, cracks into a web of small pieces or sinks by the garage, the cause is almost always below the surface: a thin base, soft subgrade, or water that has nowhere to go. A new driveway is a chance to fix those.

When it is time to replace

• Cracks that connect into an alligator-skin pattern
• Potholes that come back after every patch
• A section that rocks, settles or holds water after rain
• Edges crumbling into the lawn
• More patch than original surface

Isolated cracks and a single small pothole are repair work. When problems cover much of the surface, replacement usually costs less over time than patching it every spring.

Base work on wet ground

Before any asphalt is ordered, the old surface comes out and we look at what is underneath. Soft, pumping subgrade gets dug out and replaced with crushed stone. The base is graded so the finished driveway sheds water to the lawn or the gutter and compacted in lifts. HomeGuide describes a typical residential section as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel, with 3 to 4 inches of asphalt and 8 to 10 inches of base where heavy vehicles park. Your quote states both numbers.

The concrete approach in Ames

Inside Ames, the City's Driveway Access and Paving Application says the approach in the right-of-way and any sidewalk crossing it must be concrete, at least 6 inches thick, with an expansion joint at the back of curb. Replacing a driveway needs a $100 permit, and the sidewalk crossing it cannot exceed a 2 percent cross slope. If your existing approach is in good shape and you are not changing its width, it can often stay; we tell you at the estimate. When a new approach is part of the job, it is listed on its own line.

Width and layout

Ames allows an on-site driveway as wide as the garage, up to 28 feet at the property line or sidewalk, and 12 feet for drives that do not lead to a garage. Approaches top out at 34 feet at the curb including flares. If you want a parking pad beside the drive or a wider entrance, we lay it out against those limits before you commit.

After paving

New asphalt stays soft through its first summer. Keep cars off it for the first few days, longer in hot weather. Avoid turning the wheel while parked, put a board under trailer jacks and kickstands, and do not let a contractor sealcoat it until it has cured, usually three to six months. The first sealcoat usually goes on the following season.