Paving options in Calvert County.

steppinthrax

Active Member
I'm having some issues with my driveway. I have some alligator cracking etc in some areas. I have roughly a 5K driveway. I called a well known company in Calvert, he said he doesn't seal over anything and he's talking about tearing some sections out and redoing it. He's wanting 20K!!!!!! I have a 5K driveway. This company seems to be very good and highly specialized, he wants to do a whole bunch of other things (building up parts etc). Anybody know any good drive way companies in the area. He said he charges $6.00 per sqft.
 

LightRoasted

If I may ...
If I may ...
I'm having some issues with my driveway. I have some alligator cracking etc in some areas. I have roughly a 5K driveway. I called a well known company in Calvert, he said he doesn't seal over anything and he's talking about tearing some sections out and redoing it. He's wanting 20K!!!!!! I have a 5K driveway. This company seems to be very good and highly specialized, he wants to do a whole bunch of other things (building up parts etc). Anybody know any good drive way companies in the area. He said he charges $6.00 per sqft.
Is that 5000 square feet of driveway or a $5000 driveway?
 

Smith

Member
I went with Frederick Hand Paving in Prince Frederick when I got my driveway paved about 10 years ago. Mine was originally gravel, and was around $6,500 for approximately 3,500 sq. ft. if I recall correctly.

At the time I got two other bids: Schwallenberg Paving and one other I can't remember. Schwallenberg's estimate was almost twice what the other two were. I ended up gong with Hand because they were more willing to work with me on some of the additions I wanted. Hand paved my neighbor's driveway a few years before mine, and both our driveways are holding well.
 

LightRoasted

If I may ...
If I may ...

How about sealing? Maryland Sealing and Paving? That would be cheaper. Or going concrete would be even cheaper a well.
 

steppinthrax

Active Member
If I may ...

How about sealing? Maryland Sealing and Paving? That would be cheaper. Or going concrete would be even cheaper a well.

The guy I was talking to was against sealing. He said you can just let it go gray, that sealing does not much but makes it black????

How would concret be cheaper??? You're talking now tearing up everything and putting down rebar?
 

Smith

Member
The guy I was talking to was against sealing. He said you can just let it go gray, that sealing does not much but makes it black????

How would concret be cheaper??? You're talking now tearing up everything and putting down rebar?

If sealcoating was cost-effective way to extend the life of asphalt, it would be done on roads. The only time I've seen that done was at at the Calvert Cliffs power plant. Huge mistake... made the access road ridiculously slippery when wet.

If you have crocodile cracks, that area will need to be torn out and replaced either way.
 

Goldenhawk

Well-Known Member
If sealcoating was cost-effective way to extend the life of asphalt, it would be done on roads.
False assumption. There's a big difference between an active roadway and a driveway. As you say, it does make it slippery when wet (at least initially). And it takes a couple days to cure enough to drive upon. Both are deal-killers for county road maintenance; can you imagine shutting down lanes of 235 every single year for two days at a time, plus time to repaint the stripes? But doing a driveway definitely makes a positive difference and it's penny-wise, pound-foolish to skip it.

From Wikipedia, which is not definitive in and of itself, but does nicely summarize other well-written articles:
Sealcoating is needed in cold climates, but is useful in warmer climates as well. Since asphalt is a petroleum product, other petroleum products will react with the surface. This includes vehicle oil and gasoline. The sealcoat will act as a barrier against those materials. A sealcoat is not a crack filling agent; this must be done prior to applying the sealcoat.[1] Properly applied, sealcoat can save an owner huge costs over the life of a hot mix asphalt pavement.

Periodic asphalt maintenance such as sealcoating will extend the life of the asphalt up to 30 years. New asphalt surfaces that are sealcoated within their first year will experience less degradation from UV damage, water and traffic.[2] When applied appropriately and at the right time, sealcoating prevents oxidation caused by harsh weather like rain and snow. By sealcoating annually, asphalt can be preserved for an extended period of time. Sealcoating also saves property owners and local government from spending money on costly asphalt repairs.
 
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