Driveway Material

[silver98]

OK fellow DIYers, I need to replace my single lane driveway, its shot! I live in southeastern Pennsylvania, and I mostly see macadam driveways. My parents live in Florida (there's a surprise) and have a concrete driveway. With the blacktop up here, there is the annual obligatory top sealling, the cracking, potholes, or depressions in the blacktop.
So, What Say You: redo the blacktop, or get the concrete?

 

[74bigblock]

I lOVE the smell of that black top sealer! Much cheaper... save some money to spend on your car.

 

[JonM]

No matter which you get, the one thing you need to concentrate on is the base. Most driveway people (residental) only put down 6 inches of stone. If I were you I would use 12 inches of recycled concrete. Then put on any top coat you like.

 

[red01]

I live in central PA and I have all concrete...wouldn't have anything else....I used to have asphalt and I had all kinds of problems with it including the jack sinking in on a hot day to the point I about dropped the truck with the wheel off. Pay a little extra for concrete...you won't be sorry.

 

[JohnZ]

Concrete is the long-term solution; have only had one home (out of ten over the last 35 years) with an asphalt driveway, and I'd never have another one.

 

[*89x2*]

The only benefit to asphalt that I have found so far (over initial cost of installation) has been that in the winter, it is easier to push a snowblower across it - the concrete drive's used to "grab" and cause the snowblower to "buck"

- for the 5 times a year it snows, it is helpful to me

 

[ruby76]

My garage will be detached, and not part of the existing driveway etc. I'll likely just go gravel. I wonder what needs done even to do that. I imagine it isn't as easy as simply laying the gravel on top of the ground is it?

 

[ruby76]

correction

I'll likely go asphalt!!!