Harriet Vane Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 We will be living in our current home anywhere from 2-10 years. The house needs some maintenance. We are getting trim painted/refreshed, and we need to do something about our decrepit driveway. It's asphalt, not concrete. It's really cracked with weeds growing in some of the cracks along the edges. All the driveway guys say there's no need to rip it out and put in a fresh one, so that's a relief. We're not sure whether to put in a 2" recap, which is more expensive but will look like a new driveway, or an oil-based top coat that will last 6-7 years. Anyone have any wisdom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 If you already have lots of cracks that are infiltrated with weeds, I would recap. Generally, if more than 25% of the driveway is damaged or if any of those cracks are over 1/4", you're in full repaving territory. Think of your existing driveway as a foundation. If the foundation is bad, you don't want to just surface coat things. If the repair guys are all saying the damage isn't extensive enough to require repaving, then I would recap because just temporary sealing up stuff isn't going to be a good 6-7 year solution. The general advice is that you should be resealing about every 3 years if you have asphalt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 I think they're overly optimistic that an oil coat would last five years (let alone seven.) I would do the recap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted October 12, 2021 Author Share Posted October 12, 2021 The debate is raging here. The guys of the family think cheaper is better (so they want the hot seal), and I am leaning towards the 2-3" recap because I don't want to deal with the driveway again for a good long while. Any further votes from anyone else out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 Our church building has an asphalt parking lot that was breaking up - some weeds coming through. We had the hot seal/oil coat thing two years ago - which was supposed to give us 10 more years of a good parking lot. Either they did a horrible job, or they lied, or it just doesn't work. More weeds are coming through, parts are breaking up and so we have it breaking into smaller stones in that area - which as you drive over, grinds it up more, etc. If I couldn't afford a recap, I might consider it, but I'd do that with the understanding I'm only delaying that recap for a couple of years. FYI, we are in TX, so typically little weather freeze/thaw cycles (except for last year which was exceedingly rare). Church building, so used three times a week generally, so not a lot of use, and garage pickup (heavy vehicle) is only once/week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Even if they aren't being overly optimistic, 6-7 years will go by in a flash and everyone will be annoyed they are dealing with it again. And it's only cheaper now, not in the long run - you 100% know it will have to be fixed again in that amount of time at best, and you run the chance of it getting more damaged and needing to be replaced instead of recapped. Never cheap out on fundamental home repairs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Option C: eco friendly open cell pavers. That way, when the grass pokes through it’s on purpose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 57 minutes ago, bibiche said: Option 😄 eco friendly open cell pavers. That way, when the grass pokes through it’s on purpose. Definitely an intriguing and appealing option. However, it's also more expensive and requires some upkeep. It's just not an investment we'll make with this house, but I could see it being an integral feature of the final house we go to from here (whenever that is). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachGal Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 I agree with doing at least the recap. Katilac is right about not skimping. I have learned this lesson the hard way multiple times when remodeling or building homes. The recap will give your driveway more years of life and would be more appealing to potential buyers if you decide to sell. If I saw the cheaper fix, I’d be inclined to think other issues were fixed more cheaply as well—plumbing, electrical, roof, etc. Something to consider. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Our (very long, and steep) driveway needs the recap. It's ridiculously expensive. My dh (& sons) BTDT on the thin resealing coat--it just doesn't fill the cracks (even if you use the "crack filler" stuff beforehand). We're likely going to wait & do it right before we sell the house, so the driveway looks nice. (We don't really care what it looks like now, but there are LOTS of weeds, which we pull, and deep cracks.) Driveway is 30+ years old. It's just a painful part of home-owning. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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