What do you think?

[TeamNH]

Today I got half my driveway paved. First load was road grade binder. It looked good, but I am out of my element when it comes to asphalt. Second load... Driver of the dump truck messed up and got the #7 top coat....

Paving contractor was mad about it, but put the top down as a base coat. He assured me after me asking many different times that the reason he is mad was only the price per ton... and that the top coat would make a better base, he'd run it alittle thicker and really compact it good...

History... I have a very good hard base of clay and gravel under the asphalt they are putting down. So good they had a hard time digging it up with there bobcat to grade it. They really compacted the clay and then the gravel they put over it good. Also... the plan is to let the binder base sit for a year or two and then put the top coat on it. This will allow it to harden and to find any issue, cracks... that will come up so they can fix them, since my drive has never been paved.

My concern is that something is not sitting right with me. Are they correct about using the #7 top as a replacement to base coat binder? Is it going to be better? Or am I getting the wool pulled over my eyes:confused2:. I want to make sure that I will be happy with this for many years... asphalts not cheap!

They are coming back in the morning to finish the other half. Any and all input welcome and thanks in advance.:thumbsup:

 

[tanglefoot]

I had my driveway topped with asphalt originally over 10 years ago. Then, a year ago, a guy stopped at my house and said he had a load of asphalt leftover from a paving job that would pave over my worn drive. We agreed on the price, and he brought in his crew and went to work. The job turned out nice, he did everything he said he would. So far his work is holding up okay, but I wish I had known about the different grades that you talk about. This whole load may have been base material.

 

[TeamNH]

The base layer binder has bigger stones in it. Top #7 is small fine stones. If you see larger stones its binder.

 

[MossRoad]

... the plan is to let the binder base sit for a year or two and then put the top coat on it. This will allow it to harden and to find any issue, cracks... that will come up so they can fix them, since my drive has never been paved.

How do you know the company will be around to do it in a year or two? You didn't pay up front for the future work, did you? Just concerned that you may get scammed, that's all.

 

[bearhawk]

I had my driveway topped with asphalt originally over 10 years ago. Then, a year ago, a guy stopped at my house and said he had a load of asphalt leftover from a paving job that would pave over my worn drive. We agreed on the price, and he brought in his crew and went to work. The job turned out nice, he did everything he said he would. So far his work is holding up okay, but I wish I had known about the different grades that you talk about. This whole load may have been base material.

That's an old trick, but if he did a good job and you feel the price was fair, that's great.

 

[schmism]

a guy stopped at my house and said he had a load of asphalt leftover from a paving job that would pave over my worn drive. We agreed on the price, and he brought in his crew and went to work.

Had this EXACT thing happen to my father in law. down to the same "doing a job up the road and got a load left over"

he ended up getting some of his drive paved, dont know if was that guy or not.

 

[techwrtr2]

That's an old trick, but if he did a good job and you feel the price was fair, that's great.

Sometimes, maybe once a decade or so, it's actually legit... but then maybe it's because the paving contractor is based down the road a half mile and everybody knows him.

 

[Cat_Driver]

...That's an old trick, but if he did a good job and you feel the price was fair, that's great.

Yep Gypsies do this all the time. They do it with painting and roofing also. You're luck it was a good job. When they come around and want to "seal coat" driveways they only use Diesel fuel so the drive looks "wet' and seal coated and they get paid and they are GONE.


There are two types of gypsy thieves who come to Florida this time of year.
The first group, usually men, pose as contractors or utility workers and
persuade residents to let them work on their homes. They go door-to-door
soliciting business -- something most legitimate contractors don't do.

The workers then either steal valuables during the course of their job,
perform substandard work or intimidate their clients into paying more money
than they were originally quoted.

``They like to pick on the elderly because they don't think they're as fast
on their feet. They're easily intimidated, and they're more isolated and
trusting,'' Thorpe said.

The second group of gypsy thieves usually work in a team of two women and a
man. The man will drive the women to an upscale neighborhood, where the
women will go door-to-door pretending to look for a lost dog or a home they
are supposed to clean.

While one woman distracts the homeowner with her story, the other woman
will sneak in a side door in search of valuable jewelry she can stuff in an
apron under her clothes.

Typical of these thieves are the Dolinska sisters and their driver, Jan
Joblonski. In Florida, members of the trio are wanted in Fort Lauderdale
and Indian River, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota and Seminole counties.
They also have outstanding warrants in Baton Rouge, La.; Nashville;
Rockville, Md.; and St. Louis.


============================

Yes, there are different types of asphalt. Top coat is made with smaller stones and more asphalt material for a finer, smoother finish. Binder is made with larger stones and a more course asphalt material for a more durable property. Binder is installed where no asphalt exists. Top coat is installed over existing asphalt.

My knowledge of asphalt is somewhat limited. I do know that the larger the aggregate the stronger the material is, whether it's concrete or asphalt. Most commercial parking lots consist of a good base course of stone , then a 3 to 4" layer of the larger aggregate asphalt followed by a 2 inch "topping course" of the finer stuff. Most residential drives get just one course of asphalt often only 2" thick. Not enough in my opinion.
I do know that the residential contractors are often at the mercy of whatever the batch plant is producing that day. If they are batching material for a big highway job somewhere, then often that's all they can get.

You can get by with 2" of asphalt in a private drive if you have a good 6" aggregate base underneath it. But for optimum life, a 1-1/2" asphalt base with a 1-1/2" top course over 6" agg. base should last you a lifetime if agg. base is properly compacted. Your asphalt drive is only going to be as strong as your aggregate base.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Yes, gypsies play very similar tricks in Europe, always did. There are still gangs of pocket pickers who work together in the Prague subway and street cars.

When I was a kid, there were parts of the town you could not show up because gypsies kids would beat you up.

 

[TeamNH]

I know the contractor will be around in a year or two... and no I am not paying for that service till it happens. But thank you for looking out.

It was a new pave. And I have a very good base of ground, then stone, that was compacted very well. Then they paved. In one section they used the top coat as the base layer... they were using road grade binder, but the dumb (I'll use that word as a nice word...) dump truck driver made a mistake and got top coat on the second load. The next three loads they used fine binder so it matches the top coat better. I was just wondering about the top coat being used as a base layer on a new pave. But from my research it does not matter much as long as there is a good base under it.

thanks for the thoughts and replies.:thumbsup: