Ground up Blacktop

[super99]

I need to add a place to drive up close to the ramp from my deck to be able to get my wife out of the house and into the car, she can't do the 2 steps from the other door anymore. It's just grass now with a slight downhill grade. When the snow gets here, I'm afraid of getting the car stuck. I need to remove a little dirt to make it level and then rock or crushed blacktop to drive up on. I'm thinking that the blacktop would be a smoother surface than gravel for snow removal. I can get crushed blacktop for $15 a ton, rock is quite a bit more. Anyone have experience using the crushed blacktop? If I get a tandem load can I move it ok with my loader? The dog fence will go away. Thinking I’ll need railroad ties or something to make a wall at the ledge. Thoughts?

I would like to pull the car up to the end of the handrail.

 

[Steve in VA]

I need to add a place to drive up close to the ramp from my deck to be able to get my wife out of the house and into the car, she can't do the 2 steps from the other door anymore. It's just grass now with a slight downhill grade. When the snow gets here, I'm afraid of getting the car stuck. I need to remove a little dirt to make it level and then rock or crushed blacktop to drive up on. I'm thinking that the blacktop would be a smoother surface than gravel for snow removal. I can get crushed blacktop for $15 a ton, rock is quite a bit more. Anyone have experience using the crushed blacktop? If I get a tandem load can I move it ok with my loader? The dog fence will go away. Thinking I’ll need railroad ties or something to make a wall at the ledge. Thoughts?View attachment 167136View attachment 167137View attachment 167138View attachment 167139View attachment 167141I would like to pull the car up to the end of the handrail.

Pro: it knits well, drains reasonably, and low spots can be easily filled.
Con: it remains tacky for a long time and especially in hot weather so small bits will stick to shoes and track inside.

Buddy had it for years but eventually paved over but mostly for snow removal.

 

[old]

I need to add a place to drive up close to the ramp from my deck to be able to get my wife out of the house and into the car, she can't do the 2 steps from the other door anymore. It's just grass now with a slight downhill grade. When the snow gets here, I'm afraid of getting the car stuck. I need to remove a little dirt to make it level and then rock or crushed blacktop to drive up on. I'm thinking that the blacktop would be a smoother surface than gravel for snow removal. I can get crushed blacktop for $15 a ton, rock is quite a bit more. Anyone have experience using the crushed blacktop? If I get a tandem load can I move it ok with my loader? The dog fence will go away. Thinking I’ll need railroad ties or something to make a wall at the ledge. Thoughts?View attachment 167136View attachment 167137View attachment 167138View attachment 167139View attachment 167141I would like to pull the car up to the end of the handrail.

Millings as I have come to know ground blacktop does work well and packs down well and get also like it had been poured and rolled over time. Hauled many a load back when I still drove dump truck in this area

 

[M Nut]

My one experience with using it was I let it sit overnight after being dumped in a pile. It was a hot summer day, and by the next day it was already hardening. I got it leveled out with my skidsteer, but I was surprised at how quickly it was getting firm. A few days, and I think I would have had one big hard lump to deal with……
My opinion, level it out right away after delivery.

 

[Roger in Iowa]

Would work well for your need.
Mine has some larger lumps. Check out the quality before putting down

 

[rrlund]

Good stuff. Real expensive around here. My brother was in the excavating business and sold a lot of it. My west driveway has it. It always held up to the semi milk truck coming in and out every day, year around. I have it between the barns too. Only place it didn't hold up was in front of the feedlot gate and the bunks. Anywhere that I had to scrape it off with the loader, eventually I dig holes in it and once you gouge a hole in it, it's done. My son has it in his driveway all the way up to the approach to his garage and the pole barn. He just had some spread for his new machine shop too. The experience we've had with it, when you first dump a load, you about have to spread it with a bull dozer. If you drive up over it once, it's set too hard to get it smooth any other way. We haven't had any issues with it getting tacky in hot weather. It sets up like regular asphalt. I've ridden on it on rails to trails bike paths too. As long as you're in the packed groove and not up on any loose stones, it's smooth and hard.

 

[urbancase]

i have had good luck with it, i had 2 tri axles of it dumped in front of my shop 30 years ago when i built it. good smooth surface but like M nut said work it sone after to get it were you want it.

 

[Scott 730]

Quality of the product can vary depending how much gravel got picked up with the asphalt. Sizing of the product can be an issue too depending on if it is straight from the reclaimer, or if it has been run through a crusher. I have seen some recycled asphalt laid down with chunks the size of your fist. Local sale barn had their lot done. It can be a bear to walk on with the chunks in it. I would ask to see a sample of their product before committing to having it laid down where a relatively smooth surface is the desired outcome. IMO. YMMV.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I need to add a place to drive up close to the ramp from my deck to be able to get my wife out of the house and into the car, she can't do the 2 steps from the other door anymore. It's just grass now with a slight downhill grade. When the snow gets here, I'm afraid of getting the car stuck. I need to remove a little dirt to make it level and then rock or crushed blacktop to drive up on. I'm thinking that the blacktop would be a smoother surface than gravel for snow removal. I can get crushed blacktop for $15 a ton, rock is quite a bit more. Anyone have experience using the crushed blacktop? If I get a tandem load can I move it ok with my loader? The dog fence will go away. Thinking I’ll need railroad ties or something to make a wall at the ledge. Thoughts?View attachment 167136View attachment 167137View attachment 167138View attachment 167139View attachment 167141I would like to pull the car up to the end of the handrail.

Mine had a lot of dirt in it, but it still worked out well. But maybe that's because I have a dozer, compact track loader, tractor loader backhoe, etc?

 

[Ericp351]

A number 1 thing is prep. Top soil, sod, down to hard pan. Looks like will drain, bonus. I think 411 crushed limestone, packs well and snowblower safe, will look better with the driveway now. That will be your call.

 

[Dick L]

I need to add a place to drive up close to the ramp from my deck to be able to get my wife out of the house and into the car, she can't do the 2 steps from the other door anymore. It's just grass now with a slight downhill grade. When the snow gets here, I'm afraid of getting the car stuck. I need to remove a little dirt to make it level and then rock or crushed blacktop to drive up on. I'm thinking that the blacktop would be a smoother surface than gravel for snow removal. I can get crushed blacktop for $15 a ton, rock is quite a bit more. Anyone have experience using the crushed blacktop? If I get a tandem load can I move it ok with my loader? The dog fence will go away. Thinking I’ll need railroad ties or something to make a wall at the ledge. Thoughts?View attachment 167136View attachment 167137View attachment 167138View attachment 167139View attachment 167141I would like to pull the car up to the end of the handrail.

My son in law has an asphalt business and grinds off the millings. I have a pile to work with to dress up all my drives around my horse lots. Unless you have it topped with something to seal it it will work like crushed lime stone. He came in with three tri axles of Millings, a big skid steer and a big roller. they laid it down about four inches thick and rolled it smooth. That was three years ago. the first year the 5020 would lose traction starting to go forward and make a divit. I used the land rake constantly and trying to use my wheelchair worked up larger chunks that I had to keep picking up. I have had three more tri axles of it and spread it a inch or more with the 5020 loader tractor and back blade with the loade bucket to keep it smother. Now most of it has grass on it except where I run the wheelchair. Our county mixed in some tar and filled potholes that made the road bumpy. They stared running it thru some kind of mill and used it as the chip and seal on county roads. The firs year he came in with a pickup snow plow and pushed a lot of his deep spread into the grass. I will take some pictures of my usage and post them. I had him put several loads out in front of my docks for the semi to have more room with the longer trailers and several got stuck and we had to get them pulled back from the millings.

 

[Fawteen]

I've done three jobs with it.

The first two were pure asphalt millings spread and rolled into place. One pure asphalt was a fairly long drive and I haven't been back but haven't had any complaints. Laid over an existing gravel drive so a good solid base.

The second pure asphalt was a parking space next to a business. Again, over an existing gravel pad and rolled into place. It hasn't see much use but it's in good shape after 3 years.

The third was a mix of asphalt millings and screened gravel. I spread it on the steepest part of my daughter's driveway that washed out every time it rained in any significant amount. The drive was graded and rolled to fill in the washes and then a thick layer of the mix laid and rolled. Being as it was a mix I was less confident of it's efficacy, but it has been perfect. Stayed in place, hasn't washed out at all.

Notice that all instances were over an established, stable base. Just digging up the sod and laying it over topsoil doesn't seem like an effective use to me.

 

[Loosehandle]

2" dia limestone or coarser for base is a must here

 

[Oakridgewelding]

When I worked at excavating we did several jobs with it. The keys are what everyone has said ... Prep work prep work prep work. we found out that laying it in the summer, Spraying it with diesel fuel and rolling the snot out of it worked well. Even drives that semi's used.

 

[NDIHC]

Family friend had a ramp in his blacksmith shop that led to a portion of the shop that had a dirt floor. He brought in a load of crushed concrete and spread it out on the transition. He sprayed it down with water and drove over it to pack it in. It made a really good floor, compared to the dirt that was there. It packed in tight. My dad and I thought it would never pack in tight enough but were proven wrong. At one shop where I worked we had a parking lot with crushed asphalt and that worked well. It was spread and then packed with a roller.

 

[Dick L]

A number 1 thing is prep. Top soil, sod, down to hard pan. Looks like will drain, bonus. I think 411 crushed limestone, packs well and snowblower safe, will look better with the driveway now. That will be your call.

Very true!

I've done three jobs with it.

The first two were pure asphalt millings spread and rolled into place. One pure asphalt was a fairly long drive and I haven't been back but haven't had any complaints. Laid over an existing gravel drive so a good solid base.

The second pure asphalt was a parking space next to a business. Again, over an existing gravel pad and rolled into place. It hasn't see much use but it's in good shape after 3 years.

The third was a mix of asphalt millings and screened gravel. I spread it on the steepest part of my daughter's driveway that washed out every time it rained in any significant amount. The drive was graded and rolled to fill in the washes and then a thick layer of the mix laid and rolled. Being as it was a mix I was less confident of it's efficacy, but it has been perfect. Stayed in place, hasn't washed out at all.

Notice that all instances were over an established, stable base. Just digging up the sod and laying it over topsoil doesn't seem like an effective use to me.

I would guess that different states, counties of Citys use different asphalt mixes Thinking back to the first load of millings I had dumped at the factory set until fall and I was going to spread it with my little loader tractor and could not get the bucket rammed in as it had become hard. I took the fork truck out and rammed the forks into the pile to break it up. I had my son in law bring up his big loader and spread it. He had to break it up to spread by chop it with the bucket. If it had been spread when he had it dumped. I think that load came off the Ohio Turn Pike. What I have been using most likely came off City streets which that and parking lots is his main business.

 

[super99]

It's October in NW Illinois, probably not enough warm days left in the year to melt it together. This isn't a high traffic area, Just need to get the car close enough to the sidewalk that my wife can get to the car with her rolling walker once in a while when winter get here and I don't get stuck in the yard rolling onto the downhill slope.

 

[Ericp351]

If time or weather proves a factor, extending the ramp, with or without heavy patio papers set in 3 plus inches of sand or more may prove practical, fast , and good looking.

 

[ss55]

I need to add a place to drive up close to the ramp from my deck to be able to get my wife out of the house and into the car, she can't do the 2 steps from the other door anymore. It's just grass now with a slight downhill grade. When the snow gets here, I'm afraid of getting the car stuck. I need to remove a little dirt to make it level and then rock or crushed blacktop to drive up on. I'm thinking that the blacktop would be a smoother surface than gravel for snow removal. I can get crushed blacktop for $15 a ton, rock is quite a bit more. Anyone have experience using the crushed blacktop? If I get a tandem load can I move it ok with my loader? The dog fence will go away. Thinking I’ll need railroad ties or something to make a wall at the ledge. Thoughts?View attachment 167136View attachment 167137View attachment 167138View attachment 167139View attachment 167141I would like to pull the car up to the end of the handrail.

Looks like a fairly small area, maybe what 400 to 500 square feet total? Asphalt, concrete and pavers are all good options. Substrate preparation will be very important with any option and will be the major part of the cost regardless of the surface choice. The OP did not mention if this will be a Do-It-Yourself project of if a contractor will do the installation.

I like water permeable pavers, but pavers can leave high edges for shovels, snowblowers and blade to catch on. Ice is easiest to remove from asphalt as the dark surface absorbs the heat of the sun. Clear a number of small spots and let the heat of the sun loosen the ice around those spots, scare off the loose ice, repeat daily.

 

[flying belgian]

I need to add a place to drive up close to the ramp from my deck to be able to get my wife out of the house and into the car, she can't do the 2 steps from the other door anymore. It's just grass now with a slight downhill grade. When the snow gets here, I'm afraid of getting the car stuck. I need to remove a little dirt to make it level and then rock or crushed blacktop to drive up on. I'm thinking that the blacktop would be a smoother surface than gravel for snow removal. I can get crushed blacktop for $15 a ton, rock is quite a bit more. Anyone have experience using the crushed blacktop? If I get a tandem load can I move it ok with my loader? The dog fence will go away. Thinking I’ll need railroad ties or something to make a wall at the ledge. Thoughts?View attachment 167136View attachment 167137View attachment 167138View attachment 167139View attachment 167141I would like to pull the car up to the end of the handrail.

How about extending the cement sidewalk out to the passenger side of the car? You wouldn't have to go to far beyond that roll up door of the garage.