Alligator Asphalt

[bigtiller]

I have a driveway just like yours but it is only 200' long. I am done spreading money over it! When it gets bad enough that it starts looking like c--p from the road, or my front window, I'll tear it out and go back to gravel or spend some of the kids inheritance for concrete.

 

[Deere Dude]

I have a driveway just like yours but it is only 200' long. I am done spreading money over it! When it gets bad enough that it starts looking like c--p from the road, or my front window, I'll tear it out and go back to gravel or spend some of the kids inheritance for concrete.

I like the way you think. I'll just ask the kids what I should do with their inheritance:laughing:

 

[Deere Dude]

if your going to try filling the cracks use the hot rubber product which they do sell at lowes.I have been in the business my whole life.for the alligator areas what I do is fill the kettle up(which lowes sells or they did) make sure area is clean and dry once it gets up to temp around 350 -400 degrees poor out a puddle in the area and spread it with a squeegee while its still hot apply dry sand to the surface let cool alittle then hit the bleeders with sand I use play sand you can use black beaty at 3 times the price if your not going to coat it. the sand is for traction and on a hot day gives you that barrier so it don't tear up on shoes and tires. this method I think looks the best and the hot rubber works the best any cold pour application will fail.caution this will create a smoother and slicker surface so use caution especially in the rain, or up hills in snow,motorcycles use caution in wet conditions,good luck.you can use a more course sand for more traction but make sure its dry any moisture and it wont bond

At Lowes the other day I ran across asphalt chunks used for that. If I would buy a pallet I could get a heater free, or some kind of deal anyway. I'll recheck that and go over the other ideas thrown out. I'll try to get a few pictures, but you people that are in the know, all know what I'm taking about anyway. I just need to pry some money out of the wife's hand for this project.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I just need to pry some money out of the wife's hand for this project.

Another good wife guarding the checkbook like a rabid pit bull! A lot of us here at TBN have this difficulty. A good thing too.!

 

[Deere Dude]

There are a lot of good ideas here. The fly by night crew that sealed the long deep cracks across the driveway used a hand pour pot. He threw a brick of rubberized tar of some sort and heated it up with a wand hooked to a propane tank. When it was melted he walked around and with the hand lever let it run into the crack. Those pour pots are fairly cheap, and bricks I know I can get from Lowes possibly, so I might try that.

Big outfits most likely have a heating machine of some sort but this method might be something I can handle. Any thoughts on doing it that way.

I don't mind slippery, but I could throw some sand over the to also.

 

[vtsnowedin]

That will certainly work on a small job. I'm just used to using a bigger pot.

 

[newbury]

I've about 150 yards by 7 yards or so of asphalt drive and parking area. There are several "patches" of it cracking, areas maybe 6 x 6 yards. The cracking areas are mostly on the edges of the main path and I suspect they have less base. Most of it seems good.

I've got my B7610 w/ backhoe. I was thinking of just digging up the affected areas and then making sure I had sufficient base and repaving over the patch area. Since about 90% of the paved area is good I didn't think it would justify getting in a contractor.

Can I reheat the asphalt I dig up, perhaps w/ some new, and put it back down? What type equipment is needed for a small scale operation? I was thinking of something like a small hot tar kettle like I used to run when I did flat roofs in a previous life. Or a 50 gallon drum to heat the mix and then dump it.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I've about 150 yards by 7 yards or so of asphalt drive and parking area. There are several "patches" of it cracking, areas maybe 6 x 6 yards. The cracking areas are mostly on the edges of the main path and I suspect they have less base. Most of it seems good.

I've got my B7610 w/ backhoe. I was thinking of just digging up the affected areas and then making sure I had sufficient base and repaving over the patch area. Since about 90% of the paved area is good I didn't think it would justify getting in a contractor.

Can I reheat the asphalt I dig up, perhaps w/ some new, and put it back down? What type equipment is needed for a small scale operation? I was thinking of something like a small hot tar kettle like I used to run when I did flat roofs in a previous life. Or a 50 gallon drum to heat the mix and then dump it.

Contractors installing plug expansion joints on bridges use steel drum cement mixers with a propane rose bud torch held to direct the flame into the turning drum. they mix up a wheel barrow at a time and often have three mixers and torches running in a row on a trailer they haul from bridge to bridge.
I never thought to take a picture of that setup. The last time I did any of that was at night and traffic in the open lane was always doing double takes when they saw the torch flames. Where you could get some new asphalt cement to freshin up the mix I don't know. Perhaps roofing cement in gallon cans would do.

 

[paulharvey]

There are a lot of good ideas here. The fly by night crew that sealed the long deep cracks across the driveway used a hand pour pot. He threw a brick of rubberized tar of some sort and heated it up with a wand hooked to a propane tank. When it was melted he walked around and with the hand lever let it run into the crack. Those pour pots are fairly cheap, and bricks I know I can get from Lowes possibly, so I might try that.

Big outfits most likely have a heating machine of some sort but this method might be something I can handle. Any thoughts on doing it that way.

I don't mind slippery, but I could throw some sand over the to also.

Should work, but clean the cracks out with compressed air first.

 

[Sprinklerman]

I do some asphalt work , A poor mans tar and chip is to get foundation coating , ( tar ) spread it over the area , throw sand or stone dust on it till no tar comes thru . I did my fathers drive , looks good for a drive installed in 1967 .