FAQ for Paving Your Driveway

Desired Size

• Although a driveway's maximum size varies according to local building codes and available space, a driveway's minimum driveway size must conform to the space requirements of the vehicles that travel and park on the driveway. Building authorities generally recommend a minimum width of 9 feet for single vehicle travel and parking and a minimum of 18 to 24 feet for dual vehicle driveways. Additional width allows large vehicles, such as commercial trucks, to easily pass smaller vehicles and provides extra swing room for vehicle doors. Driveways that accommodate small cars typically require a minimum length of 18 to 20 feet.

Common Driveway Materials

• Concrete, asphalt and pavers are among the most common driveway materials. Concrete driveways consist of poured concrete slabs, usually reinforced with steel mesh or rebar. Asphalt driveways, also called tarmac or black top, consist of layers of aggregate bound by bitumen. The term paver refers to several types of block-like paving units, particularly cast concrete or clay brick, which builders lay atop a bed of sand and stone or a poured concrete slab.

Parts of Driveway Construction

• Driveway construction with common materials, including concrete, asphalt and pavers, begins with grading and excavation of the driveway's base. The base layer of driveways typically consists of coarse aggregate, or construction gravel, topped with a thin layer of sand. The gravel and sand separate the finished driveway material from moisture and the heaving caused by freeze and thaw cycles. Builders level the driveway's base layer and construct the driveway's finished surface. Construction of concrete driveways typically involves distributing mixed concrete from a concrete truck and smoothing the surface with concrete finishing tools. Asphalt driveway construction involves pouring asphalt mixtures, tamping or rolling the asphalt and applying viscous bitumen. Pavers are installed either in a bed of mortar or dry-laid upon the driveway base.

Pave Without Professional Help?

• Depending upon your construction skill level, you can perform most or all of the work required to install a driveway. Installing large concrete slab and blacktop driveways requires substantial labor and time-sensitive tasks, particularly finishing concrete or bitumen before they cure. Thus, homeowners often hire laborers or subcontractors to assist with concrete and asphalt driveway construction. Alternatively, standard paver installation does not depend upon cure times and individual do-it-yourself workers can easily construct paver driveway projects in small, manageable chunks.