Asphalt paving in the rain?

[RFDkit]

I am having the driveway re-paved with asphalt this week but it's going to rain the next two days. Is that going to be a problem? Can paving be done correctly if it's going to rain after or during for that matter?

[Pete_Coach]

I believe they pave roads in the rain. I think it depends how heavy the rain is. Asphalt is hot tar and gravel so it really would not be affected that much I would think.

[Kanus]

You don't want to lay asphalt on a muddy surface but the rain won't hurt the asphalt if it is being placed on a solid surface such as hard gravel or rock.

[virgoan]

:arrowu:

as long as they are gravel or something similar...you are fine...the guy that paved our driveway actually took the water nozzle and spray it all over our driveway when he finished to make sure that the surface is prefect & there is no "holes" anywhere that will catch water...

[sandy99]

Don't pave a driveway in the rain. Roads are never paved in the rain or even a drizzle. The granular base is fine if its damp but no puddles. The asphalt has to be hot (140C) and quickly cools in rain. Watering a finished job is silly. Rain on a finished job is fine. Outside temp should be above 3C.

[Kanus]

Don't pave a driveway in the rain. Roads are never paved in the rain or even a drizzle. The granular base is fine if its damp but no puddles. The asphalt has to be hot (140C) and quickly cools in rain. Watering a finished job is silly. Rain on a finished job is fine. Outside temp should be above 3C.

Watering a finished job will not hurt the asphalt. The trick to working in wet or cold weather is to compact the asphalt as soon as possible after it is put down. Once it is compacted, it won't be affected by cold or rain.

[sandy99]

Watering a finished job will not hurt the asphalt. The trick to working in wet or cold weather is to compact the asphalt as soon as possible after it is put down. Once it is compacted, it won't be affected by cold or rain.
Watering the finished job won't hurt or help. Its just silly.
Yes you don't let the mix sit before rolling it. The only limits on precipitation and temps is during construction. Anything after that is fine. With a fine driveway mix you should keep kickstands off it on hot days for awhile till the surface oxidizes some.

[Pete_Coach]

Watering the finished job won't hurt or help. Its just silly.
Yes you don't let the mix sit before rolling it. The only limits on precipitation and temps is during construction. Anything after that is fine. With a fine driveway mix you should keep kickstands off it on hot days for awhile till the surface oxidizes some.

I am interested in this thread also I am thinking of getting a new driveway soon. Please explain "till the surface oxidizes some". Is this something driveways and roadways do? We all know kickstands and sharp objects put holes in hot asphalt, even when it is old but I never heard of it "rusting" on a driveway or road. :cheesygri

[sandy99]

I am interested in this thread also I am thinking of getting a new driveway soon. Please explain "till the surface oxidizes some". Is this something driveways and roadways do? We all know kickstands and sharp objects put holes in hot asphalt, even when it is old but I never heard of it "rusting" on a driveway or road. :cheesygri

Yes asphaltic concrete oxidizes. Its a bad thing as it makes it non-plastic so stuff is added to slow the chemical process. There are 2 stages of it basically. Nothing a homeowner needs to know but a contractor should be a bit versed in the processes. "Rusting" has nothing to do with it. First the asphalt cools, looses volitiles and oxidizes as it ages and becomes harder on the surface and more resistant to kickstands. Thats why they ask you not to park on it for a bit - its not because its still cooling.

A typical driveway mix is finely graded so its looks pretty. Roads use a different mix. Contruction practices are similar however and you should not let them do it in the rain. Hosing it serves no purpose.

[virgoan]

Hosing it serves no purpose.

I noticed you repeatedly repeat this for every post...what is your point really? did I say it serve any purpose??? my paver did it AFTER the job to make sure my driveway is prefectly flat/level so that the water flows directly to the curb & gutter...just making sure that there is no surface mismatch (low/high) on my driveway to catches water there everytime it rains

All i am saying is...it will not harm the driveway if the rain is AFTER job..i never recommend doing it while it's raining! hell...i would never recommend doing ANYTHING outdoor while it's raining!

[B0000rt]

Is there any reasoning that they wait a month after digging up your old driveway to lay in the new one?

Apex Paving is redoing ours, and they're waiting about a month later to put the asphalt down.. (I can only assume they're waiting for more customers and doing everyone all at once)

[Menace]

Payless Paving just dug out our driveway yesterday, they didn't say when they will be back to do the paving.


Is there any reasoning that they wait a month after digging up your old driveway to lay in the new one?

Apex Paving is redoing ours, and they're waiting about a month later to put the asphalt down.. (I can only assume they're waiting for more customers and doing everyone all at once)

[Rembrandt100]

Is there any reasoning that they wait a month after digging up your old driveway to lay in the new one?

Apex Paving is redoing ours, and they're waiting about a month later to put the asphalt down.. (I can only assume they're waiting for more customers and doing everyone all at once)

Yes there is a reason. When you park in your driveway the weight of your car helps to compact the base. Just by driving in and out of it your car is compacting the most used areas. I had mine done with MOT road grade. They wanted to put a finnish coat on it but I said no. There is a base there now of ashphalt and 3/4 clear stone. My truck and landscape trailer loaded with mowers and tools and me in the drivers seat has a gross wieght of 5090 kg. with 8 tires on the ground. It was done about 10 years ago ant there are no ruts or water pooling areas.

Dave

ps. Sorry you said digging up. I read that it was already dug up and the base was in but still waiting for the finnish coat. guess I was replying to Menace.

[RFDkit]

They came and dug up the old pavement 2 weeks ago. I was told the asphalt companies were not open yet. Does anyone know if this is true in the GTA? I just thought the chance of frost may be the reason why they don't do it that early.

[sandy99]

I noticed you repeatedly repeat this for every post...what is your point really? did I say it serve any purpose??? my paver did it AFTER the job to make sure my driveway is prefectly flat/level so that the water flows directly to the curb & gutter...just making sure that there is no surface mismatch (low/high) on my driveway to catches water there everytime it rains

All i am saying is...it will not harm the driveway if the rain is AFTER job..i never recommend doing it while it's raining! hell...i would never recommend doing ANYTHING outdoor while it's raining!
I picture this guy hosing down the driveway and lets say he finds a low spot. Nothing can be done at this point other than ripping it up and starting over. Grading is done at the gravel level, not the hot mix stage.

[sandy99]

Yes there is a reason. When you park in your driveway the weight of your car helps to compact the base. Just by driving in and out of it your car is compacting the most used areas. I had mine done with MOT road grade. They wanted to put a finnish coat on it but I said no. There is a base there now of ashphalt and 3/4 clear stone. My truck and landscape trailer loaded with mowers and tools and me in the drivers seat has a gross wieght of 5090 kg. with 8 tires on the ground. It was done about 10 years ago ant there are no ruts or water pooling areas.

Dave

ps. Sorry you said digging up. I read that it was already dug up and the base was in but still waiting for the finnish coat. guess I was replying to Menace.

No there is not a reason to wait. Specialized compaction equipment should be used. You've most likely been parking there for years and another month will not help.

Clear stone is not a good choice for the base. What you want is what MTO calls Granular A and pits/quarries call it "7/8 minus".

[virgoan]

I picture this guy hosing down the driveway and lets say he finds a low spot. Nothing can be done at this point other than ripping it up and starting over. Grading is done at the gravel level, not the hot mix stage.

uh...duh! that's what he did...ripped all my pavement off and did it again after we found the low spot after a REALLY BIG rain

[Menace]

What you said does make sense to me. I was thinking the same thing as B0000rt, the paving company just want to show off their work in the neighborhood. That would be a good advertisement for them.


ps. Sorry you said digging up. I read that it was already dug up and the base was in but still waiting for the finnish coat. guess I was replying to Menace.

[mrfrostyman]

i believe miller paving is open or is very close to it. Equipment is starting to move out(i do a little bit of work there once i a while) this was 2 weeks ago, so i assume that they have started to mix the asphalt. Theres another company in brampton north of all those dealerships, i saw them running the big machine for sure late may last year.

[sandy99]

uh...duh! that's what he did...ripped all my pavement off and did it again after we found the low spot after a REALLY BIG rain

What a silly contractor. Something as simple as a 4ft level on a 2x4 would have saved him from doing that. Or even just a piece of string. I thought it was a hose not rain. You should not pave with a big rain in the forcast.

[virgoan]

What a silly contractor. Something as simple as a 4ft level on a 2x4 would have saved him from doing that. Or even just a piece of string. I thought it was a hose not rain. You should not pave with a big rain in the forcast.

okay..i guess i wasn't being clear...sorry...

what happened was...he check for proper drainage/level with my water hose after he finished the job...it was good...but a few days later...a really big rain came and caused my driveway to sink on one side created a pretty big "hole"...so we called him up...and he did it again for us..

[B0000rt]

Funny thing, the contractor came by this morning asking if it was ok for them to pave it today.

Yay, no more waiting until the end of the month!

All done. Then use plenty of water when compacting the asphalt. The compactor machines with the big drum wheels were always kept constantly wet, while the guys compacting with the hand tool was also kept constantly wet.

[del2248]

Yes there is a reason. When you park in your driveway the weight of your car helps to compact the base. Just by driving in and out of it your car is compacting the most used areas. I had mine done with MOT road grade. They wanted to put a finnish coat on it but I said no. There is a base there now of ashphalt and 3/4 clear stone. My truck and landscape trailer loaded with mowers and tools and me in the drivers seat has a gross wieght of 5090 kg. with 8 tires on the ground. It was done about 10 years ago ant there are no ruts or water pooling areas.

Dave

ps. Sorry you said digging up. I read that it was already dug up and the base was in but still waiting for the finnish coat. guess I was replying to Menace.



Not true. The 8 tires cannot possibly cover more than 20% of the driveway (assuming the tires are in different spots all the time) Besides, the paving companies have heavy duty plate compactors that will do the job (if they are a decent company) Some will use a weak cpmpactor and try to compact 8" of granular at once. Should be compacted in 4" layers.
The reason they are doing the prep work now is so they can bring the asphalt equipment and do all the asphalt work in a day, along with the 30 other houses that they have done the same thing for

[Menace]

Our driveway was done yesterday. 3 days waiting wasn't that bad at all.

[B0000rt]

Our driveway was done yesterday. 3 days waiting wasn't that bad at all.

Nice, it's quite funny actually, when we got out Roofing done last year by Alpine, half the street got theirs done also lol. This year we got our driveway done by Apex, and 4 other houses on the street are getting theirs done too lol!

We paid an extra $200 for road grade asphalt.. Not bad for a driveway that can fit almost 6 cars

[Menace]

lol, we were the only house on our street. $2,000 for both the drive and interlocking for the porch. We were pretty happy with the work done by Payless Paving.


This year we got our driveway done by Apex, and 4 other houses on the street are getting theirs done too lol!

We paid an extra $200 for road grade asphalt.. Not bad for a driveway that can fit almost 6 cars

[B0000rt]

lol, we were the only house on our street. $2,000 for both the drive and interlocking for the porch. We were pretty happy with the work done by Payless Paving.

Ours was something like $2100 or so. Are you going to wait the full 3 days before parking on it? We live in a court so it's kinda hard parking 4 cars on the roadway :(

[gman]

Ours was something like $2100 or so. Are you going to wait the full 3 days before parking on it? We live in a court so it's kinda hard parking 4 cars on the roadway :(

How about talk to your neighbour and see if they can share you some spots in their driveway?

[Menace]

I park my car inside the garage. Yes, you should wait for 3 full days. My brother came over on Sunday, he left the tire marks on the driveway. I am going to apply the driveway sealer later in the season, so I don't worry that much. But @#$% when I saw the marks this morning.


Ours was something like $2100 or so. Are you going to wait the full 3 days before parking on it? We live in a court so it's kinda hard parking 4 cars on the roadway :(