Yes, you can pave over concrete but is not recommended by KCA. Concrete has expansion joints where it allows for stress fractures. Over time, the asphalt will crack in these areas which is called reflective cracking.
If it’s virgin ground, KCA will dig out the topsoil which is typically around 12″ deep and then add 6″ of either crushed concrete or asphalt chunks. Then 6″ of granulated 304 slag is put over top of that and compacted. It’s important to never use steel slag since the steel is still letting off gas and will cause imperfections in the finished asphalt.
A single-lane drive is most suitable at 10′ while a double-lane drive is between 18-20′.
KCA recommends 4″ total thickness. This entails a 2.5″ binder/base and a 1.5″ wear layer/topcoat. An overlay is typically 1.5″.
At KCA, we draw a string line and hand pick all of our edges. Once the asphalt is laid, the asphalt edges are hand tamped at a 45-degree angle.
At KCA, we grind all of these transition areas to prevent trip/fall hazards. This is done with a machine that grinds down the asphalt.
See tab with resurfacing.
At KCA, we recommend that the driveway is sealed 5-6 months after installation so it cures properly. After that, sealing the driveway is for cosmetic purposes and doesn’t give the drive any extra structural integrity.
A properly installed asphalt driveway should last anywhere from 15-20 years. Once the drive shows its age, it’s crucial to have it resurfaced within a certain time frame. If properly timed, the driveway can be resurfaced, and it costs nearly half of the original cost. A resurfaced drive should last another 10 years.
At KCA, we do both concrete and asphalt and would recommend asphalt over concrete unless it’s in an industrial setting where it is poured at 7″. Concrete is nearly double in cost and cannot handle heavy truck traffic without it cracking. On the other hand, asphalt is pliable and can handle heavy truck traffic and can withstand the weight. Concrete chips and creates divots from salt during the winter. At about the 8-year mark, the concrete starts to look distressed, and that’s when we get called from a lot of home owners to come replace it with asphalt.
In this scenario, KCA will cut and remove the roots and put proper base back into the area. This usually does not kill the tree from our experience, but there are no guarantees.
With driveways, it typically takes a day to finish. However, large driveways over 3,000 square feet can take 2 to 3 days.
All of our equipment at KCA is up to date and very well-maintained. Our company puts a lot of money back into our equipment and trucks, unlike most due to the fact that we genuinely care about how our company is perceived. You can tell a lot about a company by their vehicles and equipment.
Yes. At KCA, we do random drug screens.