Our driveway has been a problem pretty much since we bought our house. For reasons unknown to me, the majority of driveways are asphalt rather than concrete in our area. Not only does asphalt need to be sealed every year, but too much heat makes it melt and sink. Given our hot summers, you'd think everyone would make concrete their choice but no, most people stick with asphalt. Our asphalt had sunk so much it actually ruined the alignment on our Pilot and damaged the lawn mower. There were some other issues too:
We had a choice to make- keep pouring money into the crappy asphalt for a temporary fix, or get a concrete driveway for a permanent fix. We decided to save up for a concrete driveway. Initially we were going to try and get the manhole cover extended and then incorporated as part of the driveway but that required village signoff and they only meet monthly and the manhole has to be cut separately from the rest of the driveway and the cost on top of it... it just wasn't worth it. However, the concrete company promised to pour as close as possible. The biggest problem of the sinking asphalt at the top of the driveway was going to be solved, so we were happy with that.
We received a call that they were ready to start work two weeks earlier than scheduled. I was blown away with how quickly they scraped off the asphalt. It came off in huge slabs.
Just like that, it was gone. You can also see where they ripped out a section of the sidewalk. With the driveway raised by 5 inches, the sidewalk would have been a major tripping hazard if they hadn't made that flush.
They dug out the culvert and shifted it to the left. Here's the framed right side- straight as an arrow.
On the left side, they kindly took out the rusting basketball hoop. While there's still a bit of a curve, it's not nearly as pronounced as it was. The village just requested that where the concrete meets the street that they use the exact same footprint of the asphalt. There was a bit of a lip on this side where garbage and recycling could be set without blocking the driveway so they framed that in as well.
They poured one half of the driveway at a time. Brigitta and Sydney were just headed off to school when they started the second half and the workers were so kind to them. I have to admit, it's really cool to watch! They were also kind to our neighbors with little kids who were fascinated with that huge cement truck with its spinning back.
They roped everything off and returned a couple of days later to cut the grooves for water drainage. In that time, a mischievous little traveler crossed our path, and now these squirrel prints are permanently etched in our beautiful, new concrete. Grrr...
We no longer drive in and out of our driveway, we glide. It's so smooth! The girls love riding their bikes and Gita's had a lot of fun on her rollerblades. Even though all the work was on the driveway, somehow the house looks more substantial and solid. It was definitely expensive, but so very worth it!
Perfectly flush with the garage. They screwed rebar into the garage footing and then poured the concrete so it will never sink again.
Smooth and solid- they poured 4 inches of concrete at the top and 6 inches at the apron which is an extra 2 inches than most cities require.
We've received so many compliments from neighbors. It's funny, I thought Brent and I were the only ones who even noticed driveways because ours was in such bad shape. I'm so happy it's redone! Absolutely no regrets.
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