Driveway Paving in Oshkosh, WI

Driveway paving here means removing the failed surface, fixing what is underneath, and placing new hot-mix asphalt that is rolled to a known thickness. It is the right choice when a driveway has heaved and settled, has potholes that keep returning, shows a web of alligator cracks, or simply sits too low and holds water. On Oshkosh-area clay, the base is where most driveways fail, so it is where most of our effort goes.

Telling a base failure from a surface problem

Surface problems look like fading, raveling stones and a few straight cracks. Base problems look like ruts in the tire paths, sections that rise in January and sink in April, edges collapsing into the grass and cracks in a tight, connected pattern. If you see the second group, an overlay will crack again in the same places, and replacement is the better spend.

Our build on clay ground

After the old pavement comes out, we look at the subgrade. Wet, soft clay is excavated and replaced with crushed stone. On especially wet ground we may place a geotextile fabric first to stop clay from working up into the stone. The base is placed in layers and compacted, shaped so water runs off the surface and away from the garage, and checked for firmness before any asphalt arrives. Cost guides describe 6 to 8 inches of base under a typical residential driveway and 8 to 10 under one that carries heavier vehicles; on clay we often go deeper.

Paving

Hot-mix asphalt is spread, hand-raked at edges and transitions, and rolled while hot enough to compact. Typical residential thickness is 2 to 3 inches compacted, more for trucks, trailers and boats. The edge is tapered and backfilled with soil so it has support rather than a sharp drop-off that breaks under a tire.

Garage, sidewalk and apron

Where the driveway meets the garage slab, a sidewalk or the street apron, we cut clean joints and set heights so water drains away and nothing trips a snowblower. In Oshkosh, the apron and sidewalk are in the city right-of-way, which has its own permit and contractor licensing. We let you know before the job if any of that work is involved.

After the job

Give new blacktop a few days before driving on it, longer in July and August heat. For a few weeks, avoid turning wheels while stopped and keep kickstands, trailer jacks and dumpster rollers off it. Plan the first sealcoat after the asphalt has cured for several months.