Although most people do not have the tools or equipment to actually install an asphalt driveway there are several things you can do to get ready the drive for paving work. The driveway without exception must have a solid base underneath to pave upon. More helpful hints or wet spots will be the most common reason for failure of the pavement itself. Cracking or alligatoring means the ground struggles to carry the weight of the vehicles driven over it. Severe wet spots will cause the pavement to fail totally and breakup into large chunks and cause the complete driveway to fail.
There are available today ground stabilization fabric materials that could be laid under stone sub base materials in wet areas to greatly help solidify the sub base itself. The material is fairly expensive but may allow installing a driveway where it would not be possible other wise. If placed directly on the planet earth below the sub base and on the wet area, once the sub base material is properly compacted the ground will support considerably more weight without and shifting or movement. Many masonry supply stores carry these materials. It will take two different people to roll out and handle the fabric as it generally comes in twelve foot wide rolls. A local excavating contractor may have some smaller rolls to market. Give them a try as well.
Our first job is assure you can find no wet spots either by installing some under drains, ditching across the edges to carry away surface water or actually replacing a few of the wet earth with stone or other suitable materials. Sub base materials could be small and large stones, DOT item 4 materials, crushed gravel or bank run sand and gravel perhaps. The material must drain well and can be compacted with mechanical compactors. Drainage piping could be twelve inch corrugated piping which when installed will help water quickly pass under a drive or smaller four inch perforated piping run under the driveway areas encased in stone to supply constant pathways for water drainage without soaking the soils themselves. Water will always take the path of least resistance so any drainage piping installed can help the bottom to dry much more quickly than nature allows by itself.
When you have solved any current or potential water problems it is possible to move on to the specific asphalt sub base itself. Most homeowner driveways have a four inch base of gravel shale or item 4 installed once the home was built. On the passing years, car tires break the shale into very small pieces which will not provide a great sub base material. Adding new shale or stone can become a yearly maintenance project to maintain a smooth driving surface. Because the stone or shale is pressed in to the earth you are developing a thicker and thicker sub base. Depending upon whether you want your new drive to complete up higher or simply level compared to the adjoining lawns or gardens is just how much sub base you wish to have in the end. An average residential driveway is ten feet wide with an actual driving surface around eight feet wide. For paving, you will need a good ten foot surface to get a nine foot drive. Ten foot drive, eleven foot surface etc. You need to have at least six inches of sub base beyond the actual finished paved width on both sides. The excess flat area can be used to backup the asphalt preventing the edges from crumbling. Remember also that asphalt and sub base could be up to six inches thick and will require extra topsoil to backup the edge of the sub base and asphalt.
By adding sub base material and keeping the top as level as possible, you will already have the sub base built for the paving man. In lots of areas of the US a material called blue stone screenings is available. This material is actually finely crushed granite and will come in three colors. Blue that will turn a darker blue when wet as time passes. Red that will also turn a lighter blue over time and yellow which stays yellow tinted forever. Once graded, this material becomes as hard as concrete on a driveway. I've seen blue stone screening surfaces snow plowed winter after winter without the plowing damage. A fresh dusting every few years maintains the crisp color and in-fills any depressions which could are suffering from. This makes a super sub-base for finished asphalt.
Well prior to the time and energy to have the driveway paved it's also advisable to install several conduits under the driveway for future landscape lighting. Depending upon along the drive, a crossing conduit every fifty feet or so should suffice. If a location is very rocky or wet, add additional conduits now before paving. Adding them later will require cutting and patching the asphalt and can not only destroy the driveways appearance but provides a potential area for surface water infiltration. Conduit is cheap and when you never use it, it is better safe than sorry. Plastic (PVC) conduit is better than metal as it will last underground forever. Put caps on both ends to avoid any nasty surprises down the road once you uncover them. Clearly mark the ends with stakes but also draw just a little map and take measurements to each end from permanent objects in the yard. After the grass grows back you should have no idea where in fact the conduit ends are located. If you do this far ahead of the actual paving, your vehicle traffic will compact the sub-base and will prevent any future sinking under the asphalt and thereby evoking the asphalt to crack. You don't want to cross the new asphalt with anything later on..
Call several paving contractors for prices. The nicest guy may not do the nicest job. Be sure you tell each one exactly the same things you want. In the event that you change the description of the work, you won't get comparable prices. Write down what you need done and then give them a copy. Ask for a written quote to make certain they included everything on your lists. Will they pickup all spillage? Are they insured against yard damages to flowers or trees or your house? How long is driveway guaranteed? How thick with the rolled asphalt be when done? Loose rolled asphalt 3 inches thick will undoubtedly be only one 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick when rolled. Ask questions before they do the task. Get yourself a written signed contract and a copy of these insurance policy. Be very careful with down payments. Should they insist on one, make certain it is not a major portion of the contract value. Often a down payment is paid and the contractor never shows again. Don't be suckered in by sob stories. Reputable contractors have open accounts at asphalt plants , nor need your money to buy the asphalt. In the event that you sense something is awry move on to someone else. Ask neighbors about his work or visit someone's house who he's got just paved their driveway. Most people are pleased with their new yard and will glad to speak to you. Call the Better Business Bureau and check up on the contractor aswell. It may appear to be you are a bit over cautious but after all it is your dollars.
When you have selected a contractor ask him/her when there is anything else that can be done to save several bucks on the price. Maybe removing a pre-installed asphalt driveway apron or removing adjacent features such as signs or statues or whatever else he figured on doing for you. In the event that you save fifty bucks on the price, that is fifty dollars towards the next project.