Asphalt Driveways in St. Joseph, MO

Asphalt driveways around St. Joseph come in every shape: steep drives up bluff-side lots, short alley pads behind older homes, suburban two-car drives on the east side and long gravel lanes on acreages. All of them fail for the same few reasons: water under the asphalt, a base that was too thin or never compacted, and edges with nothing supporting them.

When to replace

• Cracks that link into a web pattern
• Potholes that keep coming back
• Areas that sink, rock or hold water
• Edges crumbling off, especially on the downhill side
• More patches than original surface

Scattered cracks and a small pothole are repair work. Widespread failure is replacement work.

Building it

After the old surface is removed, we look at the ground. On loess, soft or washed-out spots are common where water has been getting under the old driveway. We dig those out and replace them with crushed stone. HomeGuide describes a typical residential section as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel, more for heavy vehicles. Your quote states both depths.

Steep driveways

On a steep grade, water picks up speed and carries base material away from the bottom and the edges. We crown or cross-slope the surface so water leaves the sides gradually, support the edges with soil, and pay attention to where the runoff ends up so it does not undercut the bottom of the drive or the street joint. Asphalt is placed and rolled carefully so it compacts evenly on the slope.

Gravel to asphalt

Many homes and acreages around St. Joseph have gravel drives. Paving over the gravel uses it as part of the base after it is graded and compacted, with more stone where it is thin. For long lanes, many owners pave the parking area and the stretch by the house and leave the rest gravel.

Care

Keep cars off new asphalt for a few days, longer in July heat. Do not turn the wheels while stopped, keep trailer jacks on a board, and wait three to six months before the first sealcoat.

Alley pads and narrow lots

Older parts of St. Joseph have garages at the back of narrow lots, reached from an alley. The joint where the alley meets the pad takes garbage trucks and plows, and it is often the first part to fail. We build that joint thicker and check how water from the alley reaches it.